UK Visa Requirements: Guide for Applicants

Applying for a UK visa can quickly feel overwhelming, with multiple visa categories, strict documentation rules and constantly-changing immigration policies. One mistake could cost you time, money or even your chance of approval. To complicate matters, UK visa requirements vary, depending on factors such as the applicant’s nationality and the immigration route they are applying under. The rules for a Skilled Worker visa are not the same as for a Family visa, and Student visa applicants also have to meet different standards. Knowing exactly what’s required for your visa type is key to avoiding delays and refusals.

In this essential guide to UK visas, we set out what visa applicants need to know about meeting the UK visa requirements and making a successful application to the Home Office.

 

Do you need a visa for the UK?

 

If you are an overseas national subject to UK immigration control, you may need a visa to visit the UK. You will also usually need a visa to live, study or work in the UK. As both an EEA or non-EEA national, you will be subject to UK immigration control, unless you are either an Irish citizen, you have been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme or otherwise granted indefinite leave to remain (ILR) under the UK’s Immigration Rules.

However, there are a whole host of visas potentially available to you, all designed to suit the particular purpose of you coming to the UK, including for tourism or business purposes, to undertake a course of study or paid employment, to start a UK-based business or to live with family settled or temporarily residing in the UK. In some cases, you may already be in the UK but are looking to switch into a different visa category, for example, from a study to a work visa having recently graduated, or from one type of work visa to another. There are also visas that will eventually allow you to settle in the UK on a permanent basis, provided you meet the requirements for settlement under the immigration route in question.

Under the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), visitors from certain ‘non-visa national’ countries, including Australia, are required to obtain authorisation before visiting the UK. The ETA is valid for stays up to six months for purposes such as tourism, business, or short-term study.

 

Do EU citizens need a visa for the UK?

 

EU citizens and their relatives, who have valid settled status or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme, do not need a visa to enter or remain in the UK. By virtue of their status, they can live, work and study in the UK on an indefinite and lawful basis, provided their status does not expire, for example, due to excessive absence from the UK. They also do not require separate permission to work in the UK as this forms part of their rights under the EU settlement scheme.

EU citizens without EU settled status coming to the UK post-Brexit will need to apply for permission to enter and remain.

 

Choosing the right UK visa

 

The type of UK visa that you apply for will depend on your reasons for travelling to the UK, for instance, for a holiday, to study or to work. The most common types of UK visa are:

 

Standard Visitor visas

This type of visa will allow you to visit the UK for up to 6 months for a number of permitted purposes, including for tourism or visiting friends and family, or for business-related reasons, such as attending any UK-based meetings or conferences, provided you do not undertake any paid employment while you are in the UK. A marriage visitor visa allows foreign nationals to get married or enter into a civil partnership while in the UK.

 

Transit visa

Allows you to travel through the UK to another destination but not stop in the UK for more than 48 hours.

 

Student visas

There are different types of study visas, depending on your age and the length of course you are looking to do. In each case, your visa will enable you to come to the UK or switch into this visa category from within the UK for the full period of study.

 

Worker or Temporary Worker visas

The Skilled Worker visa is the primary immigration route for skilled migrant workers, where this will allow you to come to the UK to work for a UK licensed sponsor. Equally, the Temporary Worker routes will allow you to temporarily work in a sponsored job role in a number of industry sectors, including the creative and charity sectors. There are also several unsponsored work routes potentially available to you, including the Graduate visa and the High Potential Individual (HPI) visa.

 

Innovator Founder visa

The Innovator Founder visa is if you are an overseas entrepreneur looking to set up a new innovative business in the UK.

 

Global Business Mobility (GBM) visas

The GBM visas are a combined category of five different sponsored work routes for overseas businesses looking to either establish, develop or support UK-based operations on a temporary basis. This includes those looking to establish a commercial presence in the UK for the first time, under the GBM UK Expansion Worker route.

 

Dependant or Family visas

A Dependant visa is for the spouse, partner or dependent child of the principal applicant or primary visa-holder on a number of different immigration routes, including those on the Student or Skilled Worker routes. These visas will allow immediate family to accompany or follow to join their partner or parent to the UK, where their visa will be granted for the same length of time as the primary visa-holder. The Family visa, on the other hand, is if you are looking to come to the UK to live long-term with either an immediate British relative or a close relative living permanently in the UK.

 

UK visa eligibility requirements

 

When applying for any UK visa, the following general eligibility criteria will apply:

 

• Valid Passport: Your passport must be valid for the entire duration of your stay in the UK and typically should have at least one blank page.
• Financial Means: You must demonstrate sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay without accessing public funds. This can be evidenced through recent bank statements or pay slips.
• Accommodation Details: Proof of where you will be staying, such as hotel bookings or an invitation letter from a host, is often required.
• Purpose of Visit: Clear documentation supporting the reason for your visit, whether it’s tourism, business, study, or family, is necessary.
• Intent to Return: Evidence of ties to your home country, like employment contracts, property ownership, or family commitments, can help demonstrate your intention to leave the UK after your visit.

 

In addition, each type of UK visa has specific eligibility criteria:

 

UK visa requirements for visitors

 

Visitors to the UK of certain nationalities may be able to travel to the UK without needing to apply for a visa. So-called ‘non-visa nationals’ do not require a visa for short-term visits, but most now need to  obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before traveling to the UK. The ETA is valid for stays up to six months and is mandatory for purposes such as tourism, business or short-term study. Applications can be submitted online or via the UK ETA app, and the process typically takes up to three working days. The ETA is valid for two years or until the applicant’s passport expires, whichever comes first. It’s important to note that an ETA is not a visa and does not guarantee entry into the UK; travellers must still meet standard immigration requirements upon arrival.

Individuals from countries classified as “visa nationals” are required to obtain a Standard Visitor Visa prior to travelling to the UK. This visa permits stays of up to six months for activities such as tourism, business or short-term study. Applicants must apply online, provide biometric information, and may need to attend an interview at a visa application centre.

The UK visitor visa can be used to:

 

• Take a holiday in the UK
• Visit family members who live in the UK
• Undergo short-term medical treatment
• Short-term business reasons (e.g. attending a business conference or taking part in a musical performance(
• Participating in an exchange programme or educational visit as long as you are under 18 years of age
• Convert a civil partnership into a marriage
• Travelling through the UK on the way to another destination

 

To qualify as a visitor under the UK immigration rules, the following must apply:

 

• genuinely seeking to come the UK for a purpose permitted under the visitor rules
• being able to support yourself for the duration of your stay in the UK
• being able to pay the reasonable costs relating to your UK visit, without undertaking paid work or accessing public funds, including the
• cost of your return or onward journey
• not undertaking any prohibited activities during your stay in the UK
• intending to leave the UK at the end of your permitted stay
• not intending to live in the UK for extended periods of time through either frequent or successive visits, nor trying to make the UK your main home.

 

During the visa application process, you will be required to evidence your reasons for visiting the UK and provide documentation as proof.

For instance, where you wish to undertake private medical treatment in the UK that can be completed within the visa’s 6 month time limit, you must be able to demonstrate that this treatment has already been arranged prior to your arrival in the UK by providing supporting documentation such as a doctor’s letter which states the medical condition that will be treated, how much the private medical treatment will cost, how long the treatment will last, and where the medical treatment will be carried out.

 

UK visa requirements for workers

 

There are various work visas potentially available, although the Skilled Worker visa is one of the most popular routes for skilled migrant workers. Under this route you will need the offer of a suitable job from a UK licensed sponsor that meets the minimum skill and salary requirements for this route. You will also need to meet an English language requirement, unless you have already satisfied this requirement in a previous immigration application, such as on the Student route, as well as a financial requirement if you are applying for entry clearance or have been in the UK for a period of less than 12 months.

You can renew the Skilled Worker visa an unlimited number of times, provided you continue to meet the relevant route-specific requirements. You can also apply for ILR, also known as settlement, having continuously lived in the UK on this route for 5 years.

Under any one of the Temporary Worker routes, as with Skilled Worker visas, you will again need a suitable job offer from a UK licensed sponsor and meet a financial requirement. However, the Temporary Worker visas are short-term visa only, of between 6 to 24 months.

To qualify for any one of the unsponsored work routes available, such as the Graduate visa or HPI visa, there are various strict requirements relevant to those routes, such as having successfully completed a degree in the UK under the Graduate route or having been awarded a qualification by an eligible world-ranking university under the HPI route. Both these visa are also short-term, just 2/3 years depending on your level of qualification, but will allow you to switch into the Skilled Worker route prior to their expiry, if eligible.

There are various requirements under each of the five GBM routes. These different visa categories include the Senior or Specialist Worker visa, the Graduate Trainee visa, the UK Expansion Worker visa, the Service Supplier visa and the Secondment Worker visa.

For each type of GBM visa, you will need to be sponsored by a UK-based organisation, such as the UK-based branch under the Senior or Specialist Worker route, or by your overseas employer where you are setting up a new UK branch on the UK Expansion Worker route.

There are limits on how long you can stay in the UK on any one of the GBM visas, as these are classed as temporary work routes. However, as with other work visas, you may be eligible to switch into the Skilled Worker route prior to expiry of your visa, provided you have the offer of an eligible job role and meet the other route-specific requirements.

 

UK visa requirements for entrepreneurs

 

Under the Innovator Founder route, you can apply to set up a new innovative business in the UK, provided that business is different from anything else on the UK market. You must also secure an endorsement from an endorsing body before you can apply, providing sufficient evidence to satisfy that body that your business is innovative, viable and scalable.

This visa will usually last for up to 3 years, but as long as your new UK business is a success and you continue to meet the relevant requirements for this route, you will be able to renew your visa any number of times. You can also apply for ILR in the UK having accrued a period of lawful continuous residence under the Innovator Founder route, where you may be eligible to apply to settle after just 3 years of living and working in the UK on this route.

 

UK visa requirements for students

 

If you are looking to undertake a further or higher education course in the UK, you will need to apply for the Student visa. This visa is for over 16’s and will require the offer of a place from a UK licensed sponsor. You will need to be able to speak English to a certain standard, depending on whether you are studying at/above or below degree level. You will also need to have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course, where the amount needed will vary depending on your circumstances. If you are aged either 16 or 17, you will need written consent from your parents before applying.

If you are 16 or older and have been accepted onto an English language course with an accredited institution that lasts between 6 to 11 months, you can also come to the UK on a Short-term study visa. However, you must have enough money to support yourself without working or claiming public funds, or have friends and family that can accommodate and maintain you. You will also need enough money to pay for your return or onward journey.

 

UK visa requirements for dependants of visa-holders

 

If you are applying as the dependant of someone coming to or already in the UK as either a student or worker, first and foremost, you will need to meet a relationship requirement. This means, for example, that you must be able to show that you are the lawful husband, wife or civil partner of the principal applicant or primary visa-holder, or that you have lived together in a relationship akin to a marriage or civil partnership for at least 2 years.

You will also be required to meet a financial requirement if applying for entry clearance or having lived in the UK for less than a year. This is in addition to your partner or parent demonstrating sufficient funds to support themselves on their arrival in the UK.

You can renew a Dependant visa in line with any application made by your partner or parent to extend their own visa, and may be able to apply for ILR having met the relevant requirements, including a continuous residence requirement. You may also be able to switch into a different immigration route, such as the Skilled Worker route.

 

UK visa requirements for family of those settled in the UK

 

The Family visa is potentially available for partners, children, parents and adult dependant relatives where, as with a Dependant visa, the main requirement is being able to satisfy a relationship requirement with a qualifying person. For example, you must be able to show that you are married or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, someone settled in the UK, or someone with permission to stay as a refugee or with humanitarian protection.

The length of a Family visa will vary, depending on the category of visa sought and whether you are applying from overseas or to switch from another visa. However, you can apply to extend your stay once in the UK, provide you continue to meet the relevant route-specific requirements. You will also usually be able to apply to settle in the UK on a permanent basis having lived in the UK on this route for a continuous period of 5 years.

 

UK visa requirements to transit

 

A transit visa may be needed when you will pass through the UK to another destination but do not stay in the UK for more than 48 hours.

You will not need a transit visa for the UK if you have a valid UK visitor visa.

To apply for a transit visa, you must demonstrate that you will be ‘in transit’ to another destination by providing proof of your travel (tickets to the other destination) and proof of your ability to enter the other destination (appropriate passport or travel documents).

Where you will stop over in the UK for less than 48 hours, you must demonstrate that you can afford to do this and that you have no intention of remaining in the UK beyond that time limit.

 

UK visa suitability requirements

 

While you may satisfy the requirements under the specific visa category, you will also need to show that none of the general grounds for refusal apply, by meeting the UK’s ‘suitability’ requirements:

 

• Permission must be refused or cancelled where there has been a direction that the applicant be excluded from the UK. A visa can also be refused if the applicant is the subject of either an exclusion or deportation order.
• Permission must be refused or cancelled where the applicant’s presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good, for example, because of their conduct, character, associations or other reasons. This includes convictions which do not fall within the criminality grounds.
• Permission must be refused or cancelled where the applicant has been convicted of an offence in either the UK or overseas and they have received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more; is a persistent offender who has shown a particular disregard for the law; or has committed an offence, or offences, which have caused serious harm. Further, permission may be refused or cancelled where the applicant has been convicted of a criminal offence in either the UK or overseas for which they have received a custodial sentence of less than 12 months, or for which they have received a non-custodial sentence or an out-of-court disposal that is recorded on their criminal record.
• Permission must be refused or cancelled where there is involvement in a sham marriage or civil partnership grounds. Permission may be refused or cancelled where it’s more likely than not that the applicant is, or has been, involved in either a sham marriage or sham civil partnership.
• Permission may be refused or cancelled where, in relation to the application, or in order to obtain documents in support of the application, false representations are made, or false documents or false information submitted, or relevant facts are not disclosed, whether or not to the applicant’s knowledge. Further, a visa must be refused or may be cancelled where there is proof that it’s more likely than not that some form of deception was used in the application, although this would require evidence of some dishonesty directly on the part of the applicant.
• Permission must be refused where the applicant has previously breached immigration laws and the application is made within a relevant time period, for example, within a period of 10 years if the applicant was deported or removed from the UK at the public expense. A visa may also be refused where the applicant has previously breached immigration laws, albeit outside the relevant time periods, but there are other aggravating circumstances, such as failing to report.
• Permission may be refused or cancelled where the applicant or visa holder fails without reasonable excuse to comply with a reasonable requirement to attend an interview, provide information, provide biometrics, undergo a medical examination or provide a medical report.

 

There are various other general grounds for refusal, including grounds relating to exclusion from asylum or humanitarian protection, debt to the NHS or unpaid litigation costs, or where someone is seeking to enter or stay in the UK for a purpose not covered by these rules.

In some cases, more than one ground for a refusal or cancellation decision can apply. This could include, for example, where the presence of a foreign criminal in the UK may not be deemed conducive to the public good. In this instance, both the non-conducive and criminality grounds would apply to any refusal decision.

 

Need assistance?

 

Given the time and costs associated with applying for a visa, it is worth ensuring you meet the relevant UK visa requirements and that your application is comprehensive and complies with the Home Office guidance.

If you have a question or need advice on any aspect of a UK visa application, contact us.

 

UK visa requirements FAQs

 

Do UK employers need a licence to hire overseas workers?

Employers must apply for a sponsor licence from the Home Office to hire most non-UK workers under the Skilled Worker visa and other sponsored routes. Without this licence, an employer cannot legally sponsor overseas employees.

 

What is a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)?

A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is a digital reference number assigned by an employer to a visa applicant. It confirms that the worker has a valid job offer and meets the visa requirements. Without a CoS, an applicant cannot apply for a Skilled Worker visa.

 

What happens if an employer hires a worker without the correct visa?

Hiring someone without the legal right to work in the UK can result in fines and Home Office investigations among other penalties.

 

How can employers check if a worker has the right to work?

Employers must conduct right to work checks before employment begins.

 

What are the salary requirements for a Skilled Worker visa?

The minimum salary threshold varies by role. Generally, a Skilled Worker must be paid the relevant minimum salary or the “going rate” for the occupation, whichever is higher. Certain roles, such as those in health and social care, may have lower salary thresholds.

 

Can an employer sponsor any job role under the Skilled Worker visa?

The job must be on the list of eligible occupations published by the Home Office. If a role is not on the list, it cannot be sponsored under the Skilled Worker visa.

 

How long does it take to get a sponsor licence?

Processing times for a sponsor licence application can vary, but it typically takes 8 weeks. Some applications may be fast-tracked for an additional fee.

 

Do visa sponsorship duties end once the employee starts work?

Employers must monitor visa expiry dates, maintain accurate records, report any changes in employment status, and ensure ongoing compliance with Home Office requirements. Failure to do so can lead to the suspension or revocation of the sponsor licence.

 

What happens if a sponsored worker leaves before their visa expires?

Employers must notify the Home Office via the Sponsorship Management System (SMS) if a sponsored worker resigns, is dismissed, or leaves the UK. Failing to report changes can result in penalties.

 

Can a business transfer overseas employees to the UK?

Businesses can use the Global Business Mobility visa to transfer staff from overseas offices to the UK. However, the worker must meet specific eligibility requirements and the organisation will usually need a GBM sponsor licence.

 

Glossary

 

 

Term	Definition
Visa Suitability Requirements	The general grounds under which a visa application can be refused or cancelled, beyond the specific eligibility criteria of a visa category.
General Grounds for Refusal	The broad reasons why an applicant may be denied entry to or permission to stay in the UK, including criminal history, deception, and breaches of immigration law.
Exclusion Order	A directive issued by the UK government barring an individual from entering the country for reasons of national security or public interest.
Deportation Order	A formal order requiring a person to leave the UK and preventing them from re-entering for a set period.
Non-Conducive to Public Good	A ground for refusal based on an applicant’s conduct, character, or associations being deemed harmful to UK society, even if they have no criminal convictions.
Criminality Grounds	A visa may be refused or cancelled due to past criminal convictions, including custodial sentences of 12 months or more, persistent offending, or crimes causing serious harm.
Sham Marriage or Civil Partnership	A fraudulent relationship entered into for the purpose of obtaining an immigration advantage, which can result in visa refusal or cancellation.
Deception in a Visa Application	Providing false documents, misrepresentation, or withholding relevant facts in an application, leading to visa refusal or cancellation.
Previous Breach of Immigration Laws	A history of overstaying, illegal entry, or other violations, which can lead to visa refusal depending on the time elapsed and any aggravating factors.
Aggravating Circumstances	Factors that can worsen an immigration breach, such as failing to report to authorities or attempting to re-enter after a removal order.
Failure to Comply with Immigration Procedures	Not attending required interviews, providing biometric data, or undergoing medical checks without a reasonable excuse, leading to possible visa refusal.
Debt to the NHS	Unpaid NHS treatment costs above a certain threshold (£500 or more) that can lead to a visa refusal.
Unpaid Litigation Costs	A ground for refusal where an applicant has unpaid legal costs awarded against them by a UK court.
Multiple Grounds for Refusal	More than one refusal reason can apply to a case, such as a combination of criminality and being non-conducive to the public good.