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United Kingdom · Visitor visa

UK Standard Visitor visa: who needs one and how to apply

By the Visa Almanac editorial teamChange logUpdated 6 Nov 2026

In brief

Depending on nationality, a visitor needs a Standard Visitor visa, or an ETA, or neither, for visits of up to 6 months.1 A Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to 6 months; the earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.1 After applying online and proving identity, you usually get a decision within 3 weeks.2

Apply only on the official site: gov.uk/standard-visitor. Other websites are not the government's.

Checked 6 Nov 2026Source: UK Home OfficeReport a change

Independent reference, not a government website. We don't issue visas or sell visa services.

ContentsIn brief
  1. In brief
  2. At a glance
  3. Who needs one
  4. Exceptions
  5. Official website
  6. Fee
  7. Fee history
  8. Faster decisions
  9. Stay and long-term visas
  10. What it allows
  11. How to apply
  12. Warnings about other sites
  13. Processing time
  14. Transit
  15. Visa by choice
  16. Recent changes
  17. UK visitor visa for Indian citizens
  18. UK visitor visa for US citizens
  19. UK visitor visa for Canadians
  20. FAQ
  21. Sources
  22. About this page

UK Standard Visitor visa at a glance

Who needs itNationals of the countries listed in the Immigration Rules (Appendix Visitor: Visa national list) need a visa before travelling to the UK for any purpose; an asterisk marks countries with exceptions (People's Republic of China, Taiwan).3
FeeA Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to 6 months; the earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.1
Long-term visasLong-term Standard Visitor visas last 2, 5 or 10 years, with a maximum of 6 months per visit; under-18s' long-term visas end 6 months after they turn 18.2
Stay per visitVisitors can usually stay up to 6 months.1
Where to applyApply online on GOV.UK before travelling, then attend an appointment at a visa application centre (which may be in another country) for fingerprints and a photo.2
Official websitevisas-immigration.service.gov.uk2
DecisionAfter applying online and proving identity, you usually get a decision within 3 weeks.2
Faster decisionPriority service: £500 on top of the application fee, with a decision usually within 5 working days for most visa applications.4Super priority service: £1,000 on top of the application fee, with a decision usually by the end of the next working day.4

Who needs a UK visitor visa

  • Nationals of the countries listed in the Immigration Rules (Appendix Visitor: Visa national list) need a visa before travelling to the UK for any purpose; an asterisk marks countries with exceptions (People's Republic of China, Taiwan).

    VN 1.1. A person who meets one or more of the criteria below needs entry clearance (a visa) in advance of travel to the UK for any purpose, unless they meet one of the exceptions set out in VN2.1 and VN2.2. (subject to VN 2.3.). (a) Nationals or citizens of the following countries or territorial entities (a “*” indicates there are exceptions in VN 2.2 to VN 6.5):UK Home Office · checked

    Show the list: 115 countries and territories
    • Afghanistan
    • Albania
    • Algeria
    • Angola
    • Armenia
    • Azerbaijan
    • Bangladesh
    • Belarus
    • Benin
    • Bhutan
    • Bolivia
    • Bosnia and Herzegovina
    • Botswana
    • Burkina Faso
    • Burundi
    • Cabo Verde
    • Cambodia
    • Cameroon
    • Central African Republic
    • Chad
    • China
    • Colombia
    • Comoros
    • Congo
    • Côte d'Ivoire
    • Cuba
    • Djibouti
    • Dominica
    • Dominican Republic
    • DR Congo
    • Ecuador
    • Egypt
    • El Salvador
    • Equatorial Guinea
    • Eritrea
    • Eswatini
    • Ethiopia
    • Fiji
    • Gabon
    • Gambia
    • Georgia
    • Ghana
    • Guinea
    • Guinea-Bissau
    • Haiti
    • Honduras
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Iran
    • Iraq
    • Jamaica
    • Jordan
    • Kazakhstan
    • Kenya
    • Kosovo
    • Kyrgyzstan
    • Laos
    • Lebanon
    • Lesotho
    • Liberia
    • Libya
    • Madagascar
    • Malawi
    • Mali
    • Mauritania
    • Moldova
    • Mongolia
    • Montenegro
    • Morocco
    • Mozambique
    • Myanmar
    • Namibia
    • Nauru
    • Nepal
    • Nicaragua
    • Niger
    • Nigeria
    • North Korea
    • North Macedonia
    • Pakistan
    • Palestine
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Rwanda
    • Saint Lucia
    • São Tomé and Príncipe
    • Senegal
    • Serbia
    • Sierra Leone
    • Somalia
    • South Africa
    • South Sudan
    • Sri Lanka
    • Sudan
    • Suriname
    • Syria
    • Taiwan
    • Tajikistan
    • Tanzania
    • Thailand
    • Timor-Leste
    • Togo
    • Trinidad and Tobago
    • Tunisia
    • Türkiye
    • Turkmenistan
    • Uganda
    • Ukraine
    • Uzbekistan
    • Vanuatu
    • Venezuela
    • Vietnam
    • Yemen
    • Zambia
    • Zimbabwe

  • Stateless people and people travelling on any document other than a national passport (unless issued by the UK) also need a visa.

    (b) stateless people; and (c) people travelling on any document other than a national passport, or, in the case of a person to whom paragraphs 11A and 11B of these rules apply, a national identity card, regardless of whether the document is issued by or evidences nationality of a state not listed in VN 1.1. (a), except where that document has been issued by the UK.UK Home Office · checked

  • Depending on nationality, a visitor needs a Standard Visitor visa, or an ETA, or neither, for visits of up to 6 months.

    Depending on your nationality, you’ll either: have to apply for a Standard Visitor visa before you travel to the UK have to apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), which allows you to visit the UK for up to 6 months without needing a visa be able to visit the UK for up to 6 months without needing a visa or an ETAUK Home Office · checked

Exceptions to the visa national list

  • Exceptions: Chinese nationals with Hong Kong SAR or Macao SAR passports, Taiwan passports that include the identification card number, and Holy See service or diplomatic passports do not need a visit visa (except to marry or stay over 6 months).

    UK Home Office · checked

Official website

  • visas-immigration.service.gov.uk: where to apply

    If you need a Standard Visitor visa, you must apply online before you travel to the UK and attend an appointment at a visa application centre. ... Apply online ... Apply nowUK Home Office · checked

How much a UK visitor visa costs

  • A Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to 6 months; the earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.

    UK Home Office · checked

  • GOV.UK fee table: Standard Visitor visa £135 (6 months); for medical reasons £234 (11 months); for academics £234 (12 months); long-term visas £506 (2 years), £903 (5 years) and £1,128 (10 years), each with a maximum of 6 months per visit.

    UK Home Office · checked

  • The Home Office fee table from 8 October 2026 keeps the short visit visa at £135 (no change).

    UK Home Office · checked

  • The fees rose on 8 April 2026: short visit visa £127 to £135; 2-year £475 to £506; 5-year £848 to £903; 10-year £1,059 to £1,128 (Home Office fee table for 8 April 2026).

    UK Home Office · checked

  • Each family member applies and pays separately and attends their own appointment.

    UK Home Office · checked

  • The fee is not refunded if the application is refused or a shorter visa is granted; you get a refund on cancellation only if processing has not started.

    UK Home Office · checked

UK visitor visa fee history

Each amount with the act or notice that set it, newest first.

  1. From 8 April 2026 (9.00 a.m.) the fee for a visit visa of six months or less is GBP 135. Set by: The Immigration, Nationality and Passports (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/311), amending Schedule 1, Table 1, fee 1.1.1 of the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018. UK legislation (legislation.gov.uk), Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018, Schedule 1, latest revised version · checked
  2. From 9 April 2025 (9.00 a.m.) the fee for a visit visa of six months or less was GBP 127. Set by: The Immigration, Nationality and Passport (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/363). UK legislation (legislation.gov.uk), Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018, Schedule 1 as it stood on 7 April 2026 · checked
  3. From 4 October 2023 (9.00 a.m.) the fee for a visit visa of six months or less was GBP 115. Set by: The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1004). UK legislation (legislation.gov.uk), Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018, Schedule 1 as it stood on 8 April 2025 · checked
  4. From 6 April 2022 (9.00 a.m.) the fee for a visit visa of six months or less was GBP 100. Set by: The Immigration and Nationality and Immigration Services Commissioner (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/296). UK legislation (legislation.gov.uk), Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018, Schedule 1 as it stood on 3 October 2023 · checked
  5. From 29 March 2019 the fee for a visit visa of six months or less was GBP 95. Set by: The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Refund, Waiver and Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/475). UK legislation (legislation.gov.uk), Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018, Schedule 1 as it stood on 5 April 2022 · checked
  6. From 6 April 2018 the fee for a visit visa of six months or less was GBP 93. Set by: The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/330). UK legislation (legislation.gov.uk), Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018 as made · checked

Faster decisions: priority and super priority

  • Priority service: £500 on top of the application fee, with a decision usually within 5 working days for most visa applications.

    UK Home Office · checked

  • Super priority service: £1,000 on top of the application fee, with a decision usually by the end of the next working day.

    UK Home Office · checked

  • From outside the UK, whether priority or super priority is offered depends on the visa application centre and visa.

    UK Home Office · checked

How long you can stay, and long-term visas

  • Visitors can usually stay up to 6 months.

    UK Home Office · checked

  • Long-term Standard Visitor visas last 2, 5 or 10 years, with a maximum of 6 months per visit; under-18s' long-term visas end 6 months after they turn 18.

    UK Home Office · checked

  • Successful applicants get an eVisa (a digital record of status) rather than a sticker.

    UK Home Office · checked

What you can and can't do as a visitor

  • Permitted activities include tourism, visiting family or friends, volunteering up to 30 days with a registered charity, transit, certain business activities, permitted paid engagements, Erasmus+ placements, school exchanges, recreational courses up to 30 days, study, academic visits and medical treatment.

    UK Home Office · checked

  • Visitors cannot work for a UK company or as self-employed (except permitted paid engagements), claim benefits, live in the UK through frequent visits, or marry (a Marriage Visitor visa is needed).

    UK Home Office · checked

How to apply for a UK visitor visa

Apply only on the official site: gov.uk/standard-visitor. Other websites are not the government's.

  • Apply online on GOV.UK before travelling, then attend an appointment at a visa application centre (which may be in another country) for fingerprints and a photo.

    UK Home Office · checked

  • Some applicants may be told they can prove their identity with the UK Immigration: ID Check app instead of a visa application centre visit; processing starts after that step.

    UK Home Office · checked

  • You need a passport or travel document valid for the whole stay, and must show you will leave at the end of the visit and can support yourself and pay for the return journey.

    UK Home Office · checked

Official warnings about other sites

Only what governments, regulators and courts have published, quoted word for word. We don't label any website ourselves.

  • GOV.UK says you will never be asked to pay for a visa in cash or by money transfer, and tells people to report visa and immigration scams to Report Fraud.

    You’ll never be asked to pay for a visa using: cash money transfer Contact Report Fraud to report visa and immigration scams.UK government · checked

How long a UK visitor visa takes

  • After applying online and proving identity, you usually get a decision within 3 weeks.

    UK Home Office · checked

  • UKVI's published processing time for Standard Visitor applications from outside the UK is 3 weeks.

    UK Home Office · checked

Transit through the UK

  • A Standard Visitor visa can be used to transit the UK; if transit is the only purpose, a Visitor in Transit visa costs £74.50.

    UK Home Office · checked

When to apply even if you don't need a visa

  • Even if you do not need a visa, you may want one if you were refused entry before or have a criminal record.

    UK Home Office · checked

Recent changes

  1. Nicaragua and St Lucia became visa nationals for visits on 5 March 2026. UK Home Office · checked
  2. The fees rose on 8 April 2026: short visit visa £127 to £135; 2-year £475 to £506; 5-year £848 to £903; 10-year £1,059 to £1,128 (Home Office fee table for 8 April 2026). UK Home Office · checked
  3. The Home Office fee table from 8 October 2026 keeps the short visit visa at £135 (no change). UK Home Office · checked

UK visitor visa for Indian citizens

Visa required

UK Home Office · checked

  • India is on the visa national list in the Immigration Rules (Appendix Visitor). Nationals of the countries listed in the Immigration Rules (Appendix Visitor: Visa national list) need a visa before travelling to the UK for any purpose; an asterisk marks countries with exceptions (People's Republic of China, Taiwan).

    UK Home Office · checked

Everything for this trip: United Kingdom visa for Indian citizens.

UK visitor visa for US citizens

ETA, up to 6 months per visit

UK Home Office · checked

  • The US is not on the visa national list in the Immigration Rules (Appendix Visitor). Nationals of the countries listed in the Immigration Rules (Appendix Visitor: Visa national list) need a visa before travelling to the UK for any purpose; an asterisk marks countries with exceptions (People's Republic of China, Taiwan).

    UK Home Office · checked

Everything for this trip: United Kingdom visa for US citizens. UK ETA: who needs one and how to apply

UK visitor visa for Canadians

ETA, up to 6 months per visit

UK Home Office · checked

  • Canada is not on the visa national list in the Immigration Rules (Appendix Visitor). Nationals of the countries listed in the Immigration Rules (Appendix Visitor: Visa national list) need a visa before travelling to the UK for any purpose; an asterisk marks countries with exceptions (People's Republic of China, Taiwan).

    UK Home Office · checked

Everything for this trip: United Kingdom visa for Canadians. UK ETA: who needs one and how to apply

FAQ

How much is a UK tourist visa?

A Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to 6 months; the earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel. GOV.UK fee table: Standard Visitor visa £135 (6 months); for medical reasons £234 (11 months); for academics £234 (12 months); long-term visas £506 (2 years), £903 (5 years) and £1,128 (10 years), each with a maximum of 6 months per visit.

How long does a UK visitor visa take?

After applying online and proving identity, you usually get a decision within 3 weeks. Priority service: £500 on top of the application fee, with a decision usually within 5 working days for most visa applications.

What are the new rules for visiting the UK in 2026?

The fees rose on 8 April 2026: short visit visa £127 to £135; 2-year £475 to £506; 5-year £848 to £903; 10-year £1,059 to £1,128 (Home Office fee table for 8 April 2026). Nicaragua and St Lucia became visa nationals for visits on 5 March 2026. Successful applicants get an eVisa (a digital record of status) rather than a sticker.

Do Indians need a visa for the UK?

Indian citizens: visa required, according to UK Home Office, checked 6 Nov 2026. India is on the visa national list in the Immigration Rules (Appendix Visitor). See UK visitor visa for Indian citizens.

Do US citizens need a visa to visit the UK?

US citizens: ETA, up to 6 months per visit, according to UK Home Office, checked 6 Nov 2026. The US is not on the visa national list in the Immigration Rules (Appendix Visitor). See UK visitor visa for US citizens.

Can I work in the UK on a visitor visa?

Visitors cannot work for a UK company or as self-employed (except permitted paid engagements), claim benefits, live in the UK through frequent visits, or marry (a Marriage Visitor visa is needed).

How long can I stay in the UK as a visitor?

Visitors can usually stay up to 6 months. Long-term Standard Visitor visas last 2, 5 or 10 years, with a maximum of 6 months per visit; under-18s' long-term visas end 6 months after they turn 18.

Sources

Official sources only. Each was checked on the date shown.

  1. UK Home Office (GOV.UK): who needs one, fee, stay and long-term visas, what it allows, how to apply, transit and visa by choicegov.uk · checked
  2. UK Home Office (GOV.UK): official website, fee, stay and long-term visas, how to apply and processing timegov.uk · checked
  3. UK Home Office (GOV.UK): who needs one, exceptions, entry rules and by nationalitygov.uk · checked
  4. UK Home Office (GOV.UK): faster decisionsgov.uk · checked
  5. UK Home Office (GOV.UK): fee and recent changesgov.uk · checked
  6. UK Home Office (GOV.UK): fee and recent changesgov.uk · checked
  7. UK legislation (legislation.gov.uk), Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018, Schedule 1, latest revised version: fee historylegislation.gov.uk · checked
  8. UK legislation (legislation.gov.uk), Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018, Schedule 1 as it stood on 7 April 2026: fee historylegislation.gov.uk · checked
  9. UK legislation (legislation.gov.uk), Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018, Schedule 1 as it stood on 8 April 2025: fee historylegislation.gov.uk · checked
  10. UK legislation (legislation.gov.uk), Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018, Schedule 1 as it stood on 3 October 2023: fee historylegislation.gov.uk · checked
  11. UK legislation (legislation.gov.uk), Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018, Schedule 1 as it stood on 5 April 2022: fee historylegislation.gov.uk · checked
  12. UK legislation (legislation.gov.uk), Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018 as made: fee historylegislation.gov.uk · checked
  13. UK Home Office (GOV.UK): faster decisionsgov.uk · checked
  14. UK Home Office (GOV.UK): how to apply and processing timegov.uk · checked
  15. UK government (GOV.UK, “Report visa and immigration scams”): warnings about other sitesgov.uk · checked
  16. UK Home Office (GOV.UK): recent changesgov.uk · checked
  17. UK Home Office (Immigration Rules): entry rulesgov.uk · checked

More: United Kingdom entry rules by nationality · UK ETA · UK transit visa · all visa guides.

About this page

By the Visa Almanac editorial team. Every rule, fee and date on this page comes from the official sources listed above, each read on the day shown; where they are silent, we say so. Editorial policy · Change log

Updated
6 Nov 2026
Last checked
Official sources
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Visa Almanac is an independent reference, not a government website. We don't issue visas or sell visa services.

Rules change without notice. Always confirm with the official source linked on each page before you travel.