A visitor is someone who lives outside the United Kingdom who travels to the United Kingdom for a holiday or for business. If you are a non-visa national, you do not require an entry clearance to enter the UK but you will be required to satisfy the Immigration Officer that you are genuinely a visitor. This visa allows someone to visit the UK for up to 6 months. If you would like further information and personal advice on a Tourist/Visitor Visa, please complete the simple query form below.

It is also possible to apply for a 6 month holiday visa once you have completed a 2 year Working Holiday Visa. You are able to do this while you are still in the UK.

how do I qualify?

In order to qualify for the visitor visa, you must satisfy the following requirements:

1) You must be able to prove to the immigration officer that you only plan to visit the UK for no more than the maximum period allowed of 6 months

2) You intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit

3) You must be able to show that you have enough money to support yourself without needing to work and without relying on public funds

rules and restrictions

1) You are only permitted to visit the UK for a maximum period of 6 months

2) You are entitled to leave and return multiple times during the 6 month period

3) You are not allowed to work or begin a business in the UK. In addition you are not allowed to produce goods or provide services in the UK

4) You are not permitted to enter the UK for the purposes of receiving free medical treatment from the British National Health Service. As a visitor, you must pay for any medical treatment you receive and therefore it is necessary to have medical insurance in order to cover any treatment you may need.

5) You are permitted to enter the UK as a visitor if you are an entertainer or sportsperson who is coming to the UK in order to take part in trials or an audition

6) It is not possible for your children to be enrolled in state schools.

UK visitor visas

If you are not a British Citizen or a citizen of an EU country, it is possible that you will need an entry clearance before you are able to travel to the UK. Once you have been granted with a valid UK travel visa you will be able to enter the UK provided your circumstances have not changed and you have not given false information.

visa nationals

If you are a UK visa national, it will be necessary for you to apply for a UK visitor visa if you intend on visiting the UK.

direct airside transit visa

If you are a citizen of one of the countries listed below, you will be required to obtain a visa if you intend to travel through the UK. Please note that there are certain exceptions which are listed below the list.

Afghanistan Lebanon Albania Liberia Algeria Macedonia Angola Malawi Bangladesh Moldova Belarus Mongolia Burma Nepal Burundi Nigeria Cameroon Palestinian Authority China, Peoples Republic of Pakistan Colombia Rwanda Congo Senegal Congo, Democratic Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Ecuador (including documents issued by Eritrea the United Nations Mission in Kosovo) Ethiopia Sierra Leone Gambia Sudan Ghana Somalia Guinea Sri Lanka Guinea-Bissau Tanzania India Turkey Iran 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' Iraq Uganda Ivory Coast Vietnam Kenya Zimbabwe

You will not require a transit visa if you, or the person you are travelling with to the UK holds any of the following:

1) A valid Australian, Canadian, New Zealand or US visa and a valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom to or from the country from which you have a visa;

2) A valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom as part of a journey from Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America to another country or territory, as long as you do not seek to transit the United Kingdom on a date more than six months from the date on which he last entered Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America with a valid visa for entry to that country;

3) A valid US Permanent Resident Card issued on or after 21st April 1998;

4) A valid Canadian Permanent Resident Card issued on or after 28th June 2002;

5) A valid common format Category D visa for entry to an EEA State;

6) A valid common format residence permit issued by an EEA State pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No. 1030/2002;

7) A diplomatic or service passport issued by the People's Republic of China;

8) A diplomatic or official passport issued by India;

9) A diplomatic or official passport issued by Vietnam.

is it possible to receive medical treatment in the UK?

It is possible to apply for a visit visa for the purposes of receiving medical treatment. In order to do so, you must be able to prove the following:

1) That sufficient arrangements have been made for the required consultation or treatment

2) That you have the necessary funds to meet the costs of the treatment

3) That you have sufficient funds to support yourself without needing to work and without relying on public funds

4) That you plan to leave the UK as soon as your treatment is complete

It is possible that you will also have to produce the following:

1) A letter from your doctor which outlines the details of your medical condition and the treatment that you need

2) A letter than confirms you have made all the necessary arrangements for the consultation and treatment

3) Proof that you have the necessary funds to meet the cost of the consultation and treatment.

do I need a visa if I am transiting the UK on the way to another country?

If your purpose of entering the UK is to pass through to another country and you will only be in the UK for no more than 48 hours, you are required to get a ?visitor in transit? visa. If you plan to remain in the UK for longer than 48 hours you will be required to obtain a visit visa. It is possible for you to transit the UK at the discretion of the Immigration Officer even if you do not have a ?visitor in transit? visa. This is referred to as the Transit Without Visa concession (TWOV)

how do I qualify for the TWOV concession?

In order to qualify for this visa, it is necessary that you fulfil the following requirements:

1) You must arrive on a cruise ship and depart on the same ship within 24 hours

2) If you arrive by air, you must arrive and depart within 24 hours and have no intention of staying in the UK

3) You must hold a confirmed booking on either a flight or a ship that departs within 24 hours of your arrival in the UK

4) You must have all the documentation that will allow you to enter the country you are travelling to

5) You must have all the documentation for any other country that you pass through

can I use my visitor in transit visa more than once?

This particular visa is normally valid for 6 months and may be used in order to transit the UK throughout this period as long as your visa and passport for the country you intend to travel to remain valid beyond the expiry of the transit visa.

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