by Callum Ingram-Taylor, trainee solicitor at Latitude Law
Who can visit the UK?
Anyone, as long as they meet good conduct requirements, can visit the UK, but from April 2025 everyone will need some form of prior permission, in the form of an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) or visitor visa, before travel.
A visa-holding national wishing to visit the United Kingdom requires a visitor visa; You can find a list of countries with national visas at paragraph VN1.1 of the Immigration Rules.
UK visitor visas are normally valid for six months and allow multiple entries into the country. It is possible to apply for a visit visa for a longer period of time, such as up to 2 years, 5 years or 10 years. But remember, each visit should not be longer than six months from the date of entry.
By contrast, a visa-free citizen, such as an EU or US citizen, can arrive in the UK visa-free for now; but from April 2025 they must obtain an ETA.
Electronic Travel Authorization
The UK has implemented the ETA scheme over the last few years. It is a pre-screening process designed to improve UK border security by screening travelers before they arrive in the UK. The scheme primarily applies to specific visa-free citizens who intend to visit the UK for tourism, business meetings or short-term study. Starting January 2025, many nationalities, including US and Australian citizens, are required to have an ETA. From April 2025, EU nationals will also have to apply. The full list of countries and when to apply can be found here: Apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) – GOV.UK.
Failure to obtain an approved ETA may result in being refused boarding or entry into the UK. It is important to note that the ETA does not replace a visa. Travelers who need to obtain a visa to visit the United Kingdom must still follow the normal visa application process.
The ETA application is quick and completely online; The cost is £10 for a 2 year authorization or until your current passport expires. It is a requirement that all criminal convictions be disclosed; If you are not eligible for an ETA for these reasons, you will need to apply for a visitor visa instead.
What are the requirements for a visitor visa?
When considering a visitor visa application, an Entry Clearance Officer on behalf of the Home Office will assess the application against the following requirements:
- Whether the applicant is suitable for entry clearance: Criminality or a poor immigration history can cause problems here.
- Whether the applicant (or his/her sponsor) has sufficient funds to support himself/herself during the trip without working. This may include:
- the cost of the return or onward trip
- any costs related to your dependents
- the cost of any planned activities, for example private medical treatment.
- Whether the applicant is a “genuine visitor.” The Entry Clearance Officer must be satisfied that:
- They will leave the United Kingdom at the end of their visit.
- They do not plan to live in the UK for long periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK their primary home.
- They are genuinely seeking to enter or remain for a purpose permitted under the visitor route.
What activities can you do in the UK?
The Home Office limits the activities that both visa holders and non-visa holders can undertake while in the UK. The type of activities that people with a visit visa can carry out depend on the type of visa granted:
| Standard Visitor | Applicants may engage in all permitted activities in the Visiting Addendum: Permitted Activities, discussed below. |
| Marriage/civil union visitor | Applicants may marry or form a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership, and carry out all permitted activities in the Visiting Appendix: Permitted Activities, in addition to studying and carrying out permitted paid engagements, discussed below. |
| Transit visitor | Applicants can only transit through the UK as described in PA 18. |
Permitted activities
The exhaustive list of activities can be found here at Visitor Immigration Rules Addendum: Permitted Activities. People are generally expected to only engage in tourism and leisure activities or visit family and friends while in the UK. However, some exceptions include volunteering for up to 30 days with a UK registered charity, receiving private medical treatment or engaging in general business activities (for example, attending a meeting or interview).
If you are an employee of a foreign company visiting the UK, you should refer to the paragraphs “Intra-corporate activities”, “Manufacture and supply of goods”, “Customers of UK export companies” and “Persons employed outside the UK” in Appendix Permitted Activities to ensure that any work or training you wish to undertake or provide is permitted in the UK.
Allowed Paid Commitments
It is possible to undertake “permitted paid contracts” during your visit to the UK. This could be a paid public performance or speaking at a seminar or conference. Visa-free nationals do not need to submit any additional applications to carry out these activities, but must bring a copy of their invitation to participate. Visa nationals must declare this in their visitor visa application and will need to provide documentary evidence of this.
Practical aspects of visitor visa applications
To ensure the best chance of success in a visit visa application, it is vital that strong evidence of the applicant’s circumstances in their home country is provided to demonstrate that they are a ‘genuine visitor’. Applicants should make clear why they will return to their home country once they have completed their visit. In this sense, applicants must present evidence of their employment, assets and family members abroad. A cover letter can also be very useful in drawing the decision maker’s attention to the evidence provided and how it meets relevant immigration rules.
