Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor
Visit on business
You can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for up to 6 months:
- to do certain business activities, if you are not paid by a UK-based organisation or client to do them
- if you are visiting as an expert in your profession to do a permitted paid engagement
You’ll need to apply for a work visa if you want to do any other paid or unpaid work in the UK.
Visiting on business if you’re not paid by a UK-based organisation or client
You can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor to do the following business activities if you’re not paid by a UK-based organisation or client:
- attend interviews, meetings, conferences and seminars
- negotiate and sign deals and contracts
- attend trade fairs to promote your business (you cannot sell things)
- get work-related training if you’re employed overseas and the training is not available in your home country
- give a one-off or short series of talks as long as they’re not for profit or a commercial event - you can only be paid for speaking at certain engagements or events (a ‘permitted paid engagement’)
- carry out site visits and inspections
- oversee the delivery of goods and services provided by a UK company to your overseas company or organisation
- deliver training or share knowledge on internal projects with UK employees of the company you work for overseas
- carry out specific activities if the overseas company you work for has an eligible contract of purchase, supply or lease with a UK company or organisation - check the rules for ‘Manufacture and supply of goods to the UK’
You should:
- check you meet the basic eligibility requirements for a Standard Visitor
- check if you need a visa to visit the UK
- apply for a Standard Visitor visa online - if you need one
Doing activities as part of an overseas job role
You can do certain additional activities in the UK as a Standard Visitor, if you’re employed overseas as:
- an archaeologist
- an artist, entertainer or musician
- a bodyguard
- a camera operator
- a driver
- an internal auditor
- a journalist or correspondent
- a lawyer or expert witness
- a market researcher or analyst
- a personal assistant
- a pilot or cabin crew member coming to work in the UK between 1 March and 31 October, as part of a Civil Aviation Authority approved ‘Wet Lease Agreement’
- a professor from an overseas academic institution
- a religious worker
- a scientist or researcher
- a seafarer (someone whose normal place of work is on board a ship)
- a sports person or sports official
- a tour group courier
- a translator or interpreter
- a member of a film crew, including actors, producers, directors or technicians
- a member of the production team supporting an artist, entertainer or musician
- a member of technical staff supporting an artist, entertainer, musician or sports person
Check the Visitor Rules for details of what you can do as a Standard Visitor in these job roles.