What are the UK entry rules for visitors?

The short answer

GOV.UK says you can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for tourism, family visits, business and short study, usually for up to 6 months. Depending on your nationality you need a visa, an ETA, or neither. A Standard Visitor visa costs 135 pounds.

What you can and cannot do

Permitted activities include tourism, seeing family or friends, certain business activities, transit, and study courses up to 6 months.

• You cannot do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, except permitted paid engagements.
• You cannot claim public funds.
• You cannot live in the UK through frequent or successive visits.
• You cannot marry or register a civil partnership. You need a Marriage Visitor visa.

What you must show

You need a passport or travel document that should be valid for your whole stay. You must be able to show that:

• You will leave the UK at the end of your visit
• You can support yourself and your dependants, or have funding from someone else
• You can pay for your return or onward journey
• You will not make the UK your main home

Visa, ETA or neither

Depending on nationality you either apply for a Standard Visitor visa, apply for an ETA, or visit up to 6 months with neither.

A Standard Visitor visa costs 135 pounds for up to 6 months. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel. A Visitor in Transit visa costs 74.50 pounds.

Even without a visa, you may be asked questions at the UK border about your plans. If you were refused entry before or have a criminal record, GOV.UK says you may want to apply for a visa anyway. Check the official site before you pay or travel.

Sources: GOV.UK: Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor. Read 5 November 2026. Rules and fees change, so check the official page before you travel.

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