Permitted Paid Engagement visa

1. 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.

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.

A Permitted Paid Engagement visa costs £87.

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

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, eg attend meetings.

You can’t:

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 can’t 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