Skip to main content
Part of Visit the UK on a business trip

Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor

Skip contents

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:

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.

View a printable version of the whole guide

This page is Part of Visit the UK on a business trip

  1. Step 1 Check if you’re eligible

    Find out what activities you can do and how to prove your eligibility if you’re:

    You must meet the eligibility requirements even if you do not need a visa.

  2. Step 2 Check if you need a visa

    Depending on the country you're from, you might be able to visit the UK without a visa or by applying for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA).

    1. Check if you need a visa or an ETA to come to the UK

  3. Step 3 Apply for a visa

    1. Apply for a Standard Visitor visa if you're:

    A Standard Visitor visa costs £135 and allows you to stay in the UK for up to 6 months.

    If you are visiting the UK for a paid engagement or event (a ‘permitted paid engagement’), you must do the engagement in the first month.

  4. or Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA)

    1. Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA)

    An ETA costs £20 and allows you to stay in the UK for up to 6 months.

  5. or Apply for a family permit

    You may be able to visit on a family permit if you have a family member who is:

    • a citizen of an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland
    • a Person of Northern Ireland
    • a British citizen
    1. Check if you can apply for a family permit

  6. Step 4 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

  7. Step 5 Check what you need to show at the UK border

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

Also part of