UK Visitor Visa Help

Who the route is for

The Standard Visitor route covers tourism, visiting family and friends, certain business activities, short courses and private medical treatment.

Main requirements

• A genuine intention to visit for a permitted purpose
• An intention to leave the UK at the end of the visit
• Enough money for the trip without working or using public funds
• Ties to your home country, such as work, study, family or property
• No intention to live in the UK through frequent or successive visits

Documents commonly required

• Passport
• Bank statements and evidence of income
• Employment or study evidence
• Details of the visit and where you will stay
• An invitation and supporting documents from your host, where relevant
• Evidence of family and other ties at home

Application process

Most applications are made online, followed by an identity and biometrics step. What happens in between depends on where you apply from and what the route requires.

• Confirm the route that fits your circumstances
• Check each requirement against your situation
• Gather and organise the supporting documents
• Complete the online application and pay the relevant fees
• Attend a biometrics appointment or complete identity checks
• Wait for the decision and respond to any request for more information

Applying from Albania or Kosovo

Applicants based in Albania or Kosovo can get help preparing the application and understanding the evidence relevant to their circumstances.

Documents not issued in English may need to meet applicable translation requirements.

Financial documents should make sense on their face: where the money comes from matters as much as the balance.

When family in the UK are paying

A relative in the UK can support the visit, but the application still depends on your own circumstances. Evidence from the host should cover their status, their relationship to you and their ability to pay.

Previous visitor visa refusal?

If an earlier application was refused, or there is a problem in your immigration history, it is important to understand the reasons given before deciding what to do next.

A new application that does not deal with those reasons is likely to meet the same result.