Requirements for a general visitor visa
The UK General Visitor visa is a common visa route for foreign nationals who intend to travel to the UK for tourism, visit friends and family members, or get medical treatment. The visa holder is allowed short-term stays for travel, leisure, business needs, or private medical treatment.
What is the General Visitor visa UK?
This visa route allows individuals from outside the EEA and Switzerland to visit the UK for a short period of time. During the stay, the visa holder is allowed to do permitted activities like travelling, visiting family members, or for professional reasons.
The Home Office will only grant entry clearance if the visa applicant is genuinely seeking entry as a general visitor and intends to leave the UK after visa expiry. Additionally, the visa holder does not plan to do paid work or take employment whilst in the UK. Choose another visa category if you wish to undertake temporary or long-term employment in the UK.
Who can qualify?
Any individual can apply for the General Visitor visa if you intend to come to the UK for tourism, to see friends/family members, to pass through the UK to another country, for medical reasons, to do a short-term recreational course, and for certain business activities.
Those who plan to visit the UK on a General Visitor visa should be travelling to the UK to do permitted activities and can financially support themselves.
Requirements for a General Visitor visa
As part of the UK General Visitor visa application, the applicant has to prove eligibility by meeting the following requirements
- The applicant is not a citizen of either an EEA country or Switzerland
- The visa applicant does not intend to stay longer than six months and plans to leave the UK at the end of the visit
- They have no intention to undertake employment, start a business, or enroll in a course not deemed to be permitted study
- They have sufficient funds to support onwards and return journey and have funding from someone else
- They do not intend to make the UK their main home or live in the UK for extended periods through successive visits
- They have no intention of getting married or registering a civil partnership during their stay
Length of Stay
As the General Visitor visa is a short-term visa, therefore, it limits the holder to stay up to six months. The applicant can apply to stay for longer under specific circumstances, for instance, for medical reasons. The stay can be further extended for 6 months.
Applying for the UK General Visitor visa
The applicant can make an online application before travelling to the UK unless you are from the visa exempt countries. Fill out the application form, submit supporting documentation, have biometric information taken, and pay relevant fees.
On average, it takes three weeks to get a decision on the visa application. The applicant can choose the Home Office’s Priority Service and Super Priority Service to get a faster decision by paying an extra fee.
