Visitor Visa Documents Checklist

Core Application Documents

GOV.UK does not publish a list of documents for a Standard Visitor visa. The one document it does require is a passport. Everything else on this page is evidence chosen to satisfy paragraph V 4.2, not a rule.

• Valid passport: GOV.UK says you must have a passport or travel document to enter the UK and that it “should be valid for the whole of your stay”. There is no six-months-remaining rule for UK visits, unlike some other countries. Previous passports showing travel history can be included.
• Passport-size photograph: A recent photograph meeting UK passport photo specifications. Some visa application centres take the photo on site.
• The online application: completed through the GOV.UK Standard Visitor service. You can save the form and return to it. Each person applying needs their own application and their own appointment, including children.
• The fee: £135 for up to 6 months, paid as part of the online application. Long-term visitor visas are £506 for 2 years, £903 for 5 and £1,128 for 10. See our visa fees guide.

Financial Evidence

This is the one part of the visitor rules that is written out in detail. Paragraph V 4.2(e) requires “sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs in relation to their visit without working or accessing public funds, including the cost of the return or onward journey, any costs relating to their dependants, and the cost of planned activities such as private medical treatment”, and says those funds must be held in a financial institution permitted under FIN 2.1 of Appendix Finance. It sets no figure and no number of months.

• Personal bank statements: no period is prescribed. Applicants commonly submit several months from their main account, showing name, account number, income credits and balance, because a longer run shows where the money comes from rather than only what is there today.
• Savings accounts: If you have savings in a separate account, include statements showing the balance and that the funds have been there for at least several months.
• Third-party funding: V 4.2(e) allows the funds to come from someone else. Where a person in the UK is paying, their statements, evidence of their income, and a letter confirming what they will cover are the usual evidence.
• Evidence of income: Payslips, employer letters, tax returns, or business accounts that explain where the money in your bank account comes from. Regular salary credits on your bank statements should match your payslips.

A large deposit shortly before the application, with nothing to explain it, tells the decision maker where the balance came from but not whether it is yours to spend. Money moved in temporarily to “show funds” and moved out again is a false representation, and Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules sets a 10-year re-entry ban where deception is used in an application. For more on presenting financial documents, see our financial documents guide.

Evidence of Ties to Your Home Country

V 4.2(a) requires the decision maker to be satisfied that you “will leave the UK at the end of their visit”, and V 4.2(b) that you will not live in the UK through frequent or successive visits. GOV.UK does not say what evidences that. In practice applicants use:

• Employment evidence: An employer letter confirming your job title, salary, start date, and the dates of your approved leave. This shows you have a job waiting for you when you return. If self-employed, provide your business registration, tax records, and evidence of ongoing contracts or clients.
• Property ownership: title deeds, mortgage statements, or land registry documents showing property in your home country.
• Family ties: Evidence of dependent family members who remain in your home country, such as children enrolled in school, elderly parents you care for, or a spouse who is not travelling with you.
• Education: If you are a student, a letter from your university or college confirming your enrolment, course dates, and expected return date.
• Business interests: Evidence of ongoing business commitments, signed contracts, or business registrations that require your presence in your home country.

Accommodation Evidence

Where you will stay is part of the reasonable costs V 4.2(e) covers. The type of evidence depends on your arrangements.

Staying in a Hotel

• Hotel reservation confirmation (does not need to be non-refundable)
• The hotel name, address, dates of stay, and booking reference

Staying with Friends or Family

• Invitation letter: A letter from your host confirming they are inviting you to stay, the dates of your visit, and their address. The letter normally includes their full name, date of birth, relationship to you, and their immigration status in the UK — British citizen, settled, or holding a visa.
• Host's proof of address: A recent utility bill or council tax bill showing the host's name and UK address.
• Host's immigration status: a copy of their British passport if they are a British citizen. If they are not, status is now held digitally: biometric residence permits stopped being issued at the end of 2024, and a host proves their status with an eVisa share code, which lasts 90 days.

Travel Itinerary and Plans

A clear travel plan shows the caseworker that your visit has a specific, time-limited purpose. You do not need a rigid itinerary, but V 4.2(c) requires the purpose to be one the visitor route permits, and V 4.2(e) measures your funds against the trip you have described.

• Flight bookings: V 4.2(e) counts the cost of the return or onward journey among the funds you must have, so how you are getting home is squarely part of the test. A reservation showing intended dates is the usual evidence, and it does not have to be non-refundable.
• Purpose statement: A brief statement in your covering letter explaining why you are visiting the UK, what you plan to do, and when you plan to leave. Be specific: "visiting my sister for her wedding on 15 July" is better than "holiday."
• Event evidence: If visiting for a specific event (wedding, graduation, conference, medical appointment), include evidence of the event such as an invitation, booking confirmation, or appointment letter.

Previous Travel History

Travel history is not a requirement anywhere in the rules. It is simply evidence a decision maker can read: a record of entering other countries and leaving when required speaks to V 4.2(a).

• Previous passport stamps: Include previous passports showing stamps from visits to the UK, Schengen area, USA, Canada, Australia, or other countries. Each stamp showing you entered and left on time builds credibility.
• Previous UK visas: a UK visa held and complied with is part of the immigration history the decision maker sees.
• No travel history: nothing in the rules requires any. A first-time traveller meets V 4.2 the same way as anyone else, on the evidence they do have. Our guide to applying yourself or using an adviser covers when regulated advice is worth getting.

Purpose-Specific Documents

Depending on the purpose of your visit, you may need additional documents.

Medical Visit

• Letter from your treating doctor in your home country explaining your condition and why you need treatment in the UK
• Letter from the UK hospital or clinic confirming your appointment and estimated treatment duration
• Evidence of ability to pay for treatment (private medical insurance or sufficient funds)

Business Visit

• Invitation letter from the UK company or organisation you are visiting
• Letter from your employer confirming the business purpose of the trip
• Conference registration or event details if attending a business event

Family Event

• Wedding invitation, graduation ceremony details, or other event evidence
• Evidence of your relationship to the person you are visiting (birth certificates, marriage certificates). If planning to stay longer, see our Spouse visa guide or Skilled Worker visa guide

Common Mistakes That Lead to Refusal

A refusal letter names the limb of V 4.2 the decision maker was not satisfied about. See our visitor visa refusal guide for a full analysis. The most common document-related mistakes are:

• Thin financial evidence: statements covering only a few weeks, or a balance that appears suddenly with nothing to explain it. There is no required period, but a short one shows less.
• No evidence of ties: Failing to include any evidence of why you would return to your home country.
• Vague purpose: Not explaining clearly why you are visiting or providing supporting evidence for the stated purpose.
• Nothing to evidence a stated point: naming a host, an event, or a return date in the form and providing nothing that supports it.
• Documents not in English: Failing to provide certified translations of documents in other languages. If refused, see our visa refusal guide.

Complete Document Checklist

This is not an official list — GOV.UK publishes none. It is the evidence applicants commonly assemble to meet V 4.2:

1. Valid passport (plus previous passports with travel history)
2. Passport-size photograph (you will need biometrics at the visa application centre)
3. The completed online application
4. The fee, paid as part of the application
5. Bank statements covering enough months to show your finances
6. Evidence of income (payslips, employer letter, or business accounts)
7. Evidence of ties to home country (employment, property, family)
8. Accommodation evidence (hotel booking or host invitation letter)
9. Flight booking or travel itinerary
10. Purpose-specific documents (medical, business, or event evidence)
11. Covering letter explaining the purpose and duration of your visit
12. Certified translations of any documents not in English. See our Home Office contact guide if you need help

Questions and answers