STANDARD VISITOR VISA

You may be able to come to the UK on a short-term basis for business-related reasons or activities without formally taking part in the UK labour market or being employed in the UK.

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

You can do certain additional activities in the UK as a Standard Visitor if you’re employed overseas in one of the jobs specified by the Home Office.

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 of 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’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)

If you want to stay for more than 6 months as an Academic Visitor, you can apply for a 12-month Standard Visitor visa or extend your 6-month visa when you arrive in the UK. You must be able to prove that you are:

• highly qualified in your field of expertise – this will usually mean you have a PhD or higher
• currently working in that field of expertise at an academic institution overseas
• not filling a permanent teaching post

If you’re an academic, but not a senior doctor or dentist, you must also prove you’re visiting to do research or a formal exchange.

If you’re a senior doctor or dentist, you must also prove you’re visiting to do research, clinical practice, a formal exchange or to teach.

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 your treatment will last longer than 6 months, you can apply for an 11-months Standard Visitor visa before you come to the UK, or extend your 6-months visa after you arrive in the UK. There is no limit on how many times you can extend your stay.

You can choose to apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa if you visit the UK regularly. This visa lasts 2, 5 or 10 years. You can stay for a maximum of 6 months on each visit.

You can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor:

• for tourism, for example on a holiday or vacation
• to see your family or friends
• to volunteer for up to 30 days with a registered charity
• to pass through the UK to another country (‘in transit’)
• for certain business activities, for example, attending a meeting or interview
• to take part in a school exchange programme
• to do a recreational course of up to 30 days, for example, a dance course
• to study, do a placement or take an exam
• as an academic, senior doctor or dentist
• for medical reasons

You cannot:

• do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person
• claim public funds (benefits)
• live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent or successive visits
• marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership – you’ll need to apply for a Marriage Visitor visa