Visiting the UK
Our UK Visitor Visa Immigration Services
Tourism Visa
For holidays, sightseeing and cultural trips. Incidental remote work for your overseas employer is permitted, but it cannot be the main purpose of your visit. No UK employment or self-employment are permitted.
Visiting Family and Friends
For private visits to relatives and friends. Typical evidence includes travel plans, accommodation arrangements and, where helpful, an invitation letter. We focus on demonstrating genuine intention to visit and strong ties to your home country.
Business Visitor Visa
For short business activity such as meetings, conferences, site visits, negotiations and contract-signing. Certain intra-corporate training and specific professional activities are permitted. You cannot take employment or deliver services direct to the UK public unless expressly allowed under the Visitor Rules.
Marriage Visitor Visa
For those coming to marry or form a civil partnership in the UK or to give notice without staying long-term. Granted for up to 6 months, no work permitted, and you cannot switch into a spouse/partner visa from this route; you must leave and apply under the partner route or, if appropriate, consider the fiancé(e) route instead.
Visiting the UK to Study
For short courses up to 6 months at an accredited provider (e.g., executive education, short academic modules). For English language courses of 6–11 months, use the Short-term Student (English) route instead.
Creative Visitor Visa
For artists, entertainers and musicians coming for performances, competitions, auditions or cultural events. Limited paid engagements are permitted in defined scenarios under the Visitor Rules (often up to 1 month)—separate from the Creative Worker visa which requires sponsorship.
Frequently Asked Questions
A UK Visitor Visa is a temporary immigration route for people who wish to come to the UK for a permitted short-term purpose. This may include tourism, visiting family or friends, attending business meetings, short-term study, or other limited activities allowed by the Immigration Rules.
No. A business visit is not the same as taking employment in the UK. The visitor rules allow only limited business-related activities.
A visitor must not take employment in the UK or work for a UK business, unless a specific permitted activity applies. However, a visitor may carry out limited remote work for their overseas employer, provided that this is incidental to the visit and not the main reason they are in the UK.
Usually, no. The visitor route is restrictive and does not normally allow a person to switch into another immigration category from within the UK.
If you are travelling for meetings, conferences, negotiations, training, or other permitted professional activities, the relevant category is usually Business Visit. It is important to ensure that your activities fall within what is permitted for business visitors and do not amount to prohibited work.
One of the most common reasons is that the Home Office is not satisfied that the applicant is a genuine visitor. Concerns often arise where there is weak evidence of ties to the home country, unclear finances, inconsistent explanations, or doubt about whether the applicant intends to leave the UK after the visit.
The correct category depends on the main purpose of your trip. If you are unsure whether your visit is best categorised as tourism, a family visit, short-term study, business travel, creative work, or a marriage visit, you can speak to one our solicitors. It is important to identify the right route before applying.
