Permitted Paid Engagement visa

Overview

You may be able to get a Permitted Paid Engagement visa if you’ve been invited to the UK as an expert in your profession.

You can apply for a Permitted Paid Engagement visa if you:

  • are invited by a UK-based organisation or client
  • want to come to the UK to do specific paid work without having to be sponsored under the points-based visa system
  • are from a country that’s not in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
  • meet the other eligibility requirements

You may not need to apply for a visa if you’re from a certain country - check if you need this visa before you apply.

How long it will take

The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.

Example You can apply from 16 March if you plan to travel on 15 June.

You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.

You can check the guide processing times to see how long getting a visa might take in your country.

Fees

A Permitted Paid Engagement visa costs £95.

How long you can stay

You can stay in the UK for up to 1 month.

What you can and cannot do

You can be invited by a UK-based organisation or client to:

  • be a student examiner or assessor
  • take part in selection panels as a highly qualified academic if you’re invited by an education, arts or research organisation
  • give lectures at a higher education institution, as long as it’s not a part-time or full-time role
  • examine UK-based pilots so they meet the standards of the country you come from if you’re invited by an approved UK training organisation regulated by the UK Civil Aviation Authority
  • provide advocacy in a particular area of law
  • take part in arts, entertainment or sporting activities including broadcasting
  • take part in fashion modelling assignments

You can also do minor activities related to your work or business overseas, such as attend meetings.

You cannot:

  • do specific paid work unrelated to your main job or area of expertise at home or sell merchandise, other than what’s allowed by your visa
  • extend this visa or switch to another visa
  • live in the UK for extended periods
  • get public funds
  • study for more than 30 days - studying cannot be the main reason for your visit
  • marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership
  • bring family members (‘dependants’) with you on your application - they must apply separately
Print entire guide

Part of Visit the UK on a Permitted Paid Engagement visa

  1. Step 1 Check if this visa is right for you

    You might be eligible for different visas depending on why you're visiting the UK and how long for.

    1. Check which visas you're eligible for
    2. Compare the different types of short stay visa

  2. Step 2 Prepare the evidence you need

    1. Check what you need to show evidence of
    2. Check what documents you can use as evidence

  3. Step 3 Apply

    1. Apply for a visa and book an appointment £95
    2. Check where your visa appointment will be

    You should get a decision within 3 weeks of your appointment.

    You might be able to pay an extra £220 for a decision within 5 working days or £956 for a decision within 1 working day. Check with your visa application centre.

  4. Step 4 Attend an appointment

    1. What you need to prove at your appointment

    At your appointment you’ll have your fingerprints and photograph (‘biometric information’) taken.

    After your appointment you'll be told when a decision has been made about your visa.

  5. Step 5 Check what you can bring with you

    1. Check what you can bring with you
    2. Check what food, animals or plants you can bring into the UK

  6. Step 6 Check what you need to show at the UK border

    1. Check what you need to show at the UK border

    Keep the documents that prove why you're visiting the UK in your hand luggage so you can show them if asked.

    1. Check the documents you can use to show why you're visiting the UK