Do I Need a Visa to Visit the UK?
Whether you need a visa to visit the UK depends on your nationality. Some visitors can enter visa-free (with or without an ETA), while others need a Standard Visitor visa. This guide helps you work out which category you fall into and what you can do as a visitor.
- Section
- Visitor Visa
- Reading time
- 11 min
- Last checked
- 12 February 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- Citizens of many countries can visit the UK for up to 6 months without a visa.
- Most visitors who do not need a visa still need an electronic travel authorisation.
- The authorisation costs £20 and is valid for 2 years, or until your passport expires, allowing any number of visits.
- Transiting airside, without passing UK border control, needs no authorisation at all.
- Visitors cannot work in the UK. Business meetings, conferences and negotiations are permitted, as is remote work for an overseas employer.
- If you are on the visa national list, you must apply for a Standard Visitor visa (£135) before travel and cannot use the authorisation.
There are three categories: no permission needed (British and Irish citizens), an electronic travel authorisation at £20, and a Standard Visitor visa at £135 for people on the visa national list. This guide explains which applies to you, what the authorisation is, and the rules for visiting the UK.
Three Categories of Visitors
The UK groups visitors into three categories based on nationality:
- No visa and no ETA needed. British and Irish citizens can enter the UK freely under the Common Travel Area arrangement.
- No visa, but an authorisation required. Nationals of countries that do not need a visit visa — European Union countries, the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan and many others — need an electronic travel authorisation before travelling. It is not a visa; it is a digital permission costing £20.
- Visa required. Nationals of countries on the visa national list in Appendix Visitor: Visa national list must apply for a Standard Visitor visa before travelling. If you are on that list you cannot use an electronic travel authorisation instead.
To check which category applies to you, use the GOV.UK visa checker tool.
The Electronic Travel Authorisation
For a full guide, see our electronic travel authorisation guide. The key points:
- Cost: £20 per application, with no refund once you have applied
- Validity: 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner
- Multiple entries: You can visit the UK as many times as you like during the validity period
- Stay per visit: Up to 6 months
- Application: Online via the UK ETA app or the GOV.UK website
- Decision: GOV.UK says it usually arrives by email within a day, but it can take up to 3 working days. Wait for the confirmation email before you travel
- Not needed at all: if you are transiting airside through a UK airport without passing border control, or if you hold a UK visa or permission to live, work or study here
The authorisation is linked to your passport electronically. You do not receive a sticker or stamp. Airlines and border officers check it digitally when you travel. GOV.UK says holding one does not guarantee entry to the UK.
It is required for nationals of most countries that do not need a visit visa, including European Union and European Economic Area nationals, US citizens, Canadian citizens, and Australian citizens. The full list is on GOV.UK.
Countries That Need a Visitor Visa
The list lives in Appendix Visitor: Visa national list, which names around 115 countries and territories, plus stateless people and those travelling on a document that is not a passport. If you are on it, you need entry clearance in advance for any purpose. Countries on the list include:
- India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
- Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Botswana
- China, the Philippines, Indonesia
- Colombia, Nicaragua, St Lucia, Nauru
The list moves. Colombia was added on 26 November 2024, Botswana on 14 October 2025, Nauru on 9 December 2025, and Nicaragua and St Lucia on 5 March 2026. Some entries carry exceptions — Chinese nationals holding Hong Kong or Macao passports are outside the requirement, for example. Always check the GOV.UK visa checker for the most current information.
For a detailed guide on the visitor visa application process, see our UK Visitor Visa Guide.
What Can You Do as a Visitor?
Whether you enter visa-free or with a visitor visa, the rules about what you can do in the UK are the same:
Allowed
- Tourism and sightseeing
- Visiting friends and family
- Attending business meetings, conferences, and negotiations
- Studying at an accredited institution, for up to 6 months
- A recreational course, such as a dance class, for up to 30 days
- Volunteering for a registered charity, up to 30 days in total
- Remote work for your overseas employer, so long as that is not the main reason for the visit
- Receiving private medical treatment
- Taking part in sporting or creative events (if invited)
- Transiting through the UK to another country
Not Allowed
- Working for a UK organisation or business, paid or unpaid
- Starting or running a business as a self-employed person
- Doing a work placement or internship
- Selling directly to the public, or providing goods or services
- Living in the UK through frequent or extended visits
- Claiming public funds (benefits)
- Marrying, registering a civil partnership, or giving notice of either — that needs a separate Marriage Visitor visa
How Long Can You Stay?
Most visitors can stay for up to 6 months per visit. There is no annual limit on the number of visits you can make, but you must not use visitor status to live in the UK effectively.
Border officers may ask questions if:
- You are spending more time in the UK than in your home country
- You make very frequent visits with short gaps between them
- You have previously overstayed
- You appear to be using the UK as your main place of residence
Some specialist visitor categories allow longer stays. A Standard Visitor visa for academics costs £234 and lasts up to 12 months; one for medical reasons costs £234 and lasts up to 11 months. Check the rules for your purpose of visit on GOV.UK.
Arriving at the UK Border
When you arrive in the UK, you will pass through border control. What happens depends on your nationality:
- E-gates: Citizens of many countries (including EU, USA, Canada, Australia, and others) can use the automated e-gates at major UK airports. You scan your passport and pass through without speaking to an officer. Your ETA or visa-free status is checked automatically.
- Manned desks: If you cannot use e-gates (or choose not to), you join the queue for a border officer. They will check your passport, ask about your visit, and may ask to see evidence of your return travel and accommodation.
Even if you have a valid ETA or visa, entry is not guaranteed. The border officer has the final say and can refuse entry if they believe you do not genuinely intend to visit, or if you cannot show you meet the visitor requirements.
Extending Your Visit
You can extend a visit from inside the UK, but the shape of the rule matters. If your permission is for less than 6 months, you can extend up to a total of 6 months. It costs £1,172, whatever your nationality, and you must apply before your current permission expires.
Only three groups can stay beyond 6 months as a visitor: a patient receiving medical treatment, an academic who still meets the requirements, and a graduate retaking the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board test or doing a clinical attachment. A medical patient can extend by 6 months at a time, and GOV.UK says there is no limit on how many times.
Extending keeps you a visitor. You cannot switch from a visit into a work, study or partner visa from inside the UK — you leave and apply from outside it. See our guide to extending a visit.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Arriving without an authorisation. If you need one, the airline can refuse to let you board. Apply before you travel and wait for the confirmation email.
- Working on a visit. Work for a UK organisation or business, paid or unpaid, breaches the conditions of your visit, and a previous breach of immigration law is a ground for refusing later applications under Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules.
- Overstaying. If you stay beyond 6 months (or the period given by the border officer), you become an overstayer. This has serious consequences for future UK visa applications.
- Not having return travel. Border officers may ask to see evidence of your onward or return journey. Not having this can raise suspicions about your intentions.
- Insufficient funds. You should be able to show you can support yourself during your visit without working. Bank statements or credit cards can serve as evidence.
Next Steps
Use the GOV.UK visa checker to confirm whether you need a visa or ETA. If you need an ETA, apply online well before your travel date. If you need a visitor visa, start the application process early to allow time for processing and a biometric appointment.
Related guides:
Questions and answers
Do I need a visa to visit the UK?
It depends on your nationality. Citizens of many countries, including European Union countries, the USA, Canada, Australia and Japan, can visit the UK for up to 6 months without a visa, but they do need an electronic travel authorisation. Countries on the visa national list in Appendix Visitor of the Immigration Rules need a Standard Visitor visa before travelling, and cannot use the authorisation instead.
What is an ETA and do I need one?
An electronic travel authorisation is a digital permission to travel to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man. It is for people who do not need a visit visa and are not British or Irish citizens. It costs £20 and is valid for 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first, covering any number of visits of up to 6 months each. You do not need one at all if you are transiting airside through a UK airport without passing border control.
How long can I stay in the UK as a visitor?
Most visitors can stay for up to 6 months per visit. You cannot live in the UK by making repeated visits. If you spend more time in the UK than in your home country, you may be questioned at the border. Some visitor visas for specific purposes (such as academic visitors) may allow stays of up to 12 months.
Can I work in the UK on a visitor visa?
No. Appendix V paragraph V 4.4 bars taking employment, doing work for a UK organisation or business, running a business as a self-employed person, doing a work placement or internship, selling directly to the public, and providing goods and services. Business activities such as meetings, conferences and negotiations are permitted, and so is remote work for an overseas employer provided that is not why you came. Being paid from a UK source needs a permitted paid engagement.
Can I study in the UK as a visitor?
Yes. GOV.UK lists study as a permitted activity in its own right: you can visit the UK for up to 6 months to study at an accredited institution, including English language courses. It can be the reason for your visit. A recreational course, such as a dance class, is capped lower, at 30 days. For a course longer than 6 months you need a Student visa, or a Short-term study visa for English language courses of up to 11 months.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.