Visit Visa - Tourist & Travel
The Visit (Standard) Visa for Tourism and Leisure is designed for non-EEA nationals who wish to come to the UK for the purpose of visiting friends and family or for a short holiday.
This is a document which confirms your right of residence under European law. Your residence card may take the form of an endorsement in your passport (also called a 'vignette'), or it may be a separate document called an 'immigration status document'. A residence card is normally valid for 5 years from the date when it is issued.
Eligibility:
In order to be granted a Visit (Standard) Visa for Tourism and Leisure, you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration that you are a genuine visitor. This means that you:
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Will leave the UK at the end of your visit;
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Will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK your main home;
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Are genuinely seeking entry for a purpose that is permitted by the visitor routes and will not undertake any prohibited activities;
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Have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs in relation to your visit and return journey without working or accessing public funds.
The applicant must not:
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take employment in the UK
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produce goods or provide services within the UK
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intend to undertake a course of study
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be a child under the age of 18
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intend to marry or form a civil partnership
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intend to give notice of marriage or civil partnership
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intend to receive private medical treatment
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be in transit to a country outside the common travel area.
Duration of Visa:
Most visitors will need to make an application for a visit visa from their country of residence, before travelling. However, nationals of some countries are exempt from this requirement and can simply apply for leave to enter as a visitor at the UK border.
A Visit visa (Standard) Visa for Tourism and Leisure will allow you to stay in the UK for up to 6 months. Within the period for which your visit visa is valid, you may enter and leave the UK multiple times, unless the visit visa is endorsed as a single or dual-entry visa.
If you intend to get married or enter into a civil partnership in the UK then you should apply for a Marriage Visitor visa. If you intend to undertake a Permitted Paid Engagement then you should apply for a Permitted Paid Engagements (PPE) Visit visa.
Visit visa holders are not permitted to work, receive payment from a UK source for any activities undertaken in the UK or undertake more than 30 days’ non-incidental study in the UK.
You must have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs in relation to your visit without working or accessing public funds. This includes the cost of your return or onward journey, any costs relating to dependants, and the cost of planned activities.
If you wish to obtain advice or legal assistance in respect of your immigration matter, we offer an affordable and confidential consultation at a fixed fee with and experienced immigration lawyer where we can answer your questions and explain the processes that will apply. Your consultation fees will be set off against your instructions to the firm if you go on to instruct us.
For more information or to book an initial consultation, please contact us.