Visitor Visa Guide

Visit to study

You can visit the UK for up to 6 months to:

• study at an accredited institution (this includes English language courses)
• do a short piece of research that’s relevant to your course overseas
• do an ‘elective’ – an optional additional placement, if you’re studying medicine, veterinary medicine and science, nursing or dentistry
• sit an entrance exam, retake an exam or course module, or do a PhD oral exam (a viva)
• do an unpaid clinical attachment if you’re a graduate from a medical, dental or nursing school
• take the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) test or the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test. (If you do not pass the PLAB test, you can apply to stay in the UK for a further 6 months to retake the test.)

If you’re visiting to study at an accredited institution, you must prove that you’ve been accepted onto a course provided by an accredited UK institution, the course is no more than 6 months long. Furthermore, the accredited UK institution cannot be an academy or state-funded school.

If you want to study for more than 6 months, you’ll need to apply for either a:

• Short-term study visa – for English Language courses up to 11 months
• Student visa – for courses run by licensed student sponsors
• Child Student visa – to study at an independent school if you’re between 4 and 17 years old

If you’re visiting to do a short piece of research, you must prove that:

• you’re at least 16 years old
• you’re already enrolled on a course overseas that is the equivalent of a UK degree
• you’ve been accepted by a UK higher education institution to take part in research that’s relevant to the course you’re studying overseas

You’ll need to provide confirmation from your overseas course provider that the research or research tuition is part of, or relevant to, the course you’re doing overseas.

Visit on business

You can visit the UK for up to 6 months to do the following business activities:

• attend interviews, meetings, conferences and seminars
• negotiate and sign deals and contracts
• attend trade fairs to promote your business (you cannot sell things)
• get work-related training if you’re employed overseas and the training is not available in your home country
• give a one-off or short series of talks as long as they’re not for profit or a commercial event (you must not be paid)
• carry out site visits and inspections
• oversee the delivery of goods and services provided by a UK company to your overseas company or organisation
• deliver training or share knowledge on internal projects with UK employees of the company you work for overseas
• install, dismantle, repair, service or advise on equipment, computer software and hardware, if your overseas company has a contract with a UK company or organisation

Business activities will normally be linked to your employment overseas and activities for visitors are mostly incidental to their employment. The Home Office will assess whether the period of leave requested is credible in view of the activities you are seeking to do and they must be satisfied that you are not coming to work or make the UK your main place of work.

Coming to the UK for general discussions to secure funding for a project is permitted under the Visitor Rules. However, since 1 December 2020 it is not possible for visitors undertaking these activities to switch into the Start-up and Innovator routes in line with the wider switching principles of the points-based immigration system.

Visit for medical reasons

You can visit the UK for up to 6 months to:

• have private medical treatment at a hospital or other medical facility
• have treatment at an NHS hospital, as long as the care is paid for by your own government under a reciprocal healthcare arrangement
• donate an organ to a family member or close friend – this includes being assessed for suitability as a donor match

If you’re visiting for private medical treatment, you must prove that you:

• have a medical condition that needs private consultation or treatment in the UK
• have made arrangements for consultations or treatment
• have enough money or funding to pay for your treatment
• will leave the UK once your treatment is completed, or when your visa expires
• are not a danger to public health if you have an infectious disease, such as leprosy

You’ll also need a letter from your doctor or consultant in the UK detailing:

• your medical condition requiring consultation or treatment
• costs likely to be incurred
• the likely duration of any treatment (which must be finite)
• where the consultation or treatment will take place

A visitor coming to the UK for medical treatment will also need to provide satisfactory evidence to show they have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs in relation to their visit and treatment.

All visits for medical treatment lasting longer than 6 months require a Standard Visitor visa regardless of your nationality.

You can:

• apply for a Standard Visitor visa before you come to the UK – this lasts for up to 11 months and costs £190
• visit for up to 6 months and apply to stay for a further 6 months when you’re in the UK for a fee of £993. (There is no limit on how many times you can extend your stay. It costs £993 each time you do.)

Depending on where you come from, you may also need a certificate that proves you do not have tuberculosis (TB).

Where the treatment is open ended, the application will fall to be refused.

Visit as an academic

If you’re from an academic institution overseas, you can:

take part in formal exchange arrangements with UK counterparts carry out your own research during a sabbatical

If you’re a senior doctor or dentist you can also:

• take part in research
• teach (as long as it’s not a permanent teaching post)
• undertake clinical practice (as long as it’s not a permanent position)

All academic visits lasting longer than 6 months require a Standard Visitor visa regardless of your nationality.

You can:

• apply for a Standard Visitor visa before you travel to the UK that lasts for up to 12 months and costs £190
• visit for up to 6 months and apply to stay longer when you’re in the UK for a fee of £993 (you can stay up to 12 months in total)

The Home Office will expect that researchers and scientists remain paid and employed overseas and are only carrying out activities that are incidental to their job overseas, for example providing advice on an international project, or sharing knowledge on research they are working on overseas.

They will consider your employment overseas, which must be in a field relevant to your engagement here. The invitation should show why you have been chosen to carry out the PPE (because of your skills or expertise) and set out how the engagement links to the venue and how long the engagement is for.

Marriage and civil partnership

All visitors, who are not relevant nationals, who intend to enter the UK to marry or enter into a civil partnership or give notice of an intention to marry or form a civil partnership, must have a valid Marriage/Civil Partnership visitor visa.

A relevant national is defined in section 62 of the Immigration Act 2014:

• a British citizen
• an Irish citizen
• a person with settled status or pre-settled status granted under the EU
• Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• a person with a decision pending on an application for EUSS leave submitted
• before 1 July 2021

Non-visa nationals who are seeking entry to visit the UK to marry or enter into a civil partnership or to give notice of that, who do not hold a Marriage/Civil Partnership visitor visa will be refused entry.