Tourist and short stay visas

Find the right visa

• Choose a UK visit or short stay visa
• Visit the UK for a holiday or to see family or friends
• Visit the UK on a business trip

Types of visa

• Visit the UK on a Standard Visitor visa
• Visit the UK on a Permitted Paid Engagement visa
• Apply for a Short-term study visa: step by step
• Apply for a Marriage Visitor visa: step by step
• Apply for a Parent of a Tier 4 child visa: step by step
• Standard Visitor visa
• Short-term study visa
• Permitted Paid Engagement visa
• Marriage Visitor visa
• Parent of a Tier 4 child visa
• Visit the UK in a Chinese tour group

Detailed guidance

• Visas and immigration operational guidance

Visas and immigration

A to Z

• Asylum

  Claiming asylum as a refugee, the asylum process and support

• EU, EEA and Commonwealth

  EEA family permits, UK residence cards, UK Ancestry visas

• Family visas

  Visiting the UK for 6 months or more, including visas for partners (eg spouse) and family members

• Immigration appeals and legal advice

  Appeal against a visa, settlement or asylum decision, legal advice

• Manage your application

  Visa processing times, biometric information, premium services, report a change

• Settle in the UK

  Get indefinite leave to remain (ILR)

• Sponsor workers or students

  Licences and certificates of sponsorship for employers and universities and colleges

• Stateless

  Stay in the UK if you're stateless

• Student visas

  Short-term study and Tier 4 visas for students

• Tourist and short stay visas

  Visiting the UK for up to 6 months

• Transit visas

  In transit through the UK: airside, landside or the common travel area

• Travelling to the UK

  Entering the UK, going through customs and moving your belongings

• Work visas

  Paid and voluntary work visas (eg Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 5)

All categories

• Benefits
• Births, deaths, marriages and care
• Business and self-employed
• Childcare and parenting
• Citizenship and living in the UK
• Crime, justice and the law
• Disabled people
• Driving and transport
• Education and learning
• Employing people
• Environment and countryside
• Housing and local services
• Money and tax
• Passports, travel and living abroad
• Visas and immigration
• Working, jobs and pensions