Tips to get UK visa for travel and business purposes

To study, work, visit, or join the family in the UK, you may need a visa. There are several visas available depending on where you are from, why you want to visit the UK, and how long you want to stay. You must first determine whether you require a visa and, if so, according to UK visa policy, what type of visa you require. You may not need a visa to visit or transit through the United Kingdom, depending on your nationality.

For example, if you are an Irish citizen, you do not need to apply for a UK visa as it's part of the UK passport visa free countries.

In order to be sure that you fall into UK passport visa free countries, we recommend you checking the official website as new UK visa rules change rapidly.

According to UK visa policy, with a standard visitor visa, you can come to the UK for tourism, such as a vacation or to visit family and friends, for certain business activities, such as attending a meeting, for a short course of study, to participate in research or an exchange program as an academic, or for medical reasons, such as to receive private medical treatment.

With this visa, you can go to the UK for specific purposes, such as visiting friends and family or attending a conference. But you cannot work for a UK company or as a self-employed individual, live in the UK for long periods of time, claim public payments (benefits), marry or register a civil partnership. You will have to show that you fit the qualifying criteria, such as that you'll be leaving the UK at the end of your visit.

How much is UK visa fee? In most cases, you can stay in the UK for up to 6 months for a United Kingdom visitor visa fees of £95. Note that if you're travelling to the UK for private medical treatment, you may be able to stay for up to 11 months (for a United Kingdom visitor visa fees of £190), or if you're an academic and meet the qualifying conditions, you, your spouse or partner, and your children may be able to stay for up to 12 months (for a United Kingdom visitor visa fees of £190). That's how much is UK visa fee.

How to apply for UK visa?

If you need to visit the UK frequently over a longer period of time, you can apply for a long-term standard visitor visa that lasts 2, 5, or 10 years. On each visit, you can stay for a maximum of 6 months. The cost of a long-term Standard Visitor visa is determined by the duration of the visa: £361 for 2 years, £655 for 5 years, £822 for ten years.

If you apply while under the age of 18, your long-term standard visitor visa will only be valid for 6 months after you reach the age of 18. There is no way to seek a return on the cost.

You'll need to make an appointment at a UK application visa centre to establish your identity and give your documents as part of your UK application visa. Allow extra time for your appointment because the UK application visa centre may be in a different country. While your visa application is being processed, the visa application centre may store your passport and documents. The earliest you can apply is three months prior to your travel date.

After you've applied online, verified your identification, and submitted your documents, you should receive a visa decision within three weeks.

A standard visitor visa cannot be changed to another form of visa. You can only extend your stay if you have a valid reason, such as requiring additional private medical treatment. You'll need to leave the UK and apply for a new visa if you wish to do something other than travel, such as work or longer-term studies.

If you desire to study in the United Kingdom, check how to apply for UK visa depending on the length, kind, and location of your course. A standard visitor visa allows you to participate in a 6-month short term of study.

Are you planning to have a short business visit?

The UK business visitor visa permits non-EEA nationals to travel to the UK to engage in specific business activities, although the business visitor visa comes under the normal visitor visa category. This means that you are permitted to visit the United Kingdom for a limited amount of time, usually no longer than six months.

What activities are permitted for business visitors?

• Attending meetings, conferences, seminars, or interviews, for example, are examples of common business activities
• Give one-off or brief series of talks as long as they are not organized as a commercial event and will not bring profit to the organizer
• Negotiate and sign contracts and deals
• Attending trade fairs but only for promotional purposes, assuming the visitor is not selling anything
• Performing site visits and inspections
• Gather information for their overseas employment
• To have information about the requirements of a UK based customer, provided any work for the customer is performed outside the United Kingdom

Employees of the overseas-based companies are also allowed to engage in the following corporate or intra-corporate activities:

• Share skills and information on a specific internal project with UK personnel of the same corporate group, as long as no work is done directly with clients
• Perform regulatory or financial audits as an internal auditor at the UK branch of the same companies as your overseas employer
• Advise, consult, trouble-shoot or provide training
• Get training on work practices and techniques from UK companies or organizations
• Additional sector-specific activities that are permitted are giving below but not limited to:
• To participate in a specific event related to sport
• To perform in the United Kingdom as an artist, entertainer, or musician 
• To perform academic research
• To accompany students on a study abroad programme
• Participate in a clinical attachment or observer post as a doctor or dentist

Except as permitted by the UK business visitor visa and where any additional requirements have been met, you must not intend to study (long-term), receive medical treatment other than private medical treatment, donate an organ, marry or form a civil partnership in the UK.

Quick recap

You must apply for a business visitor visa while you are outside the UK. You'll need to fill out an application online and pay a charge. You'll also need a valid travel document, supporting papers, and biometric information, such as your fingerprints and a digital photo, if relevant.

The earliest you can apply is three months before your trip, and you will receive a decision within three weeks - though you should check the guide processing dates to see how long obtaining a visa in the nation you're applying from might take.

If your business visitor visa application is approved, you can normally stay in the UK for up to six months.

That's all from me today. Best of luck to you on getting UK visitor visa!