• Want to visit the UK for no more than six months
• Plan to leave the UK at the end of your visit
• Have enough money to support and accommodate yourself adequately without working or help from public funds.

Transact business during visit

• Go to meetings and trade fairs, buy goods, negotiate and complete contracts with UK businesses go to conferences and seminars as a delegate.
• Undertake fact finding missions, check details or examine goods.
• Receive training provided it is classroom instruction or limited to observation only.

In limited circumstances you may also enter the UK as a visitor if you are:

• Delivering goods from abroad.
• A representative of a foreign company coming to service, repair or install their products.
• An adviser, consultant, trainer or trouble shooter who is employed abroad either directly or under contract by the same company or group of companies.
• A guest speaker at a conference or seminar, an expert speaker or to run a conference or seminar for no more than five days.
• A sportsperson or entertainer for trials or auditions, or personal appearances which do not involve performances.

You cannot:

• Take paid or unpaid employment.
• Produce goods or provide services in the UK.
• Sell goods and services to members of the public.

If you have been invited by a UK company you should provide a letter from the company explaining what you will be doing and the purpose of the trip. If your company or the UK company is meeting the cost of the trip this should also be confirmed in a letter.

All visitors, whether they are in the UK for business or social reasons, can only stay for a maximum of six months. Frequent visitors and business visitors can apply for a visa that is valid for one, two or five years. All visit visas are valid for multiple entries within their period of validity.

Study in the UK

You can study in the UK as a visitor but you will only be allowed to stay in the UK for a maximum of six months. If the purpose of your visit is to study, either full-time or for more than six months then you should apply for a student visa.

Medical treatment

You can apply for a visit visa to travel to the UK to receive private medical treatment.

You must be able to show that:

• Satisfactory arrangements for the necessary consultation or treatment have been made .
• Sufficient funds are available to meet the cost of the treatment.
• You have enough money to support and accommodate yourself adequately without working or help from public funds .
• you intend to leave the UK when you have completed your treatment .

You may also be required to produce:

• A doctor's letter which provides details of the medical condition which requires treatment.
• Confirmation that satisfactory arrangements have been made for the consultation or treatment and how long the treatment will take .
• You have enough money to support and accommodate yourself adequately without working or help from public funds .
• Evidence that there are sufficient funds available to meet the cost of the consultation and/or treatment. You may also be asked to give an undertaking that you will meet those costs.

Note:
If you are entering the UK in transit to another country and will remain in the UK for no longer than 48 hours, you will need to obtain a "visitor in transit " visa. If you wish to stay in the UK for more than 48 hours you will need to apply for a visit visa.

You may be able to transit the UK, at the discretion of the Immigration Officer, without holding a "visitor in transit visa". This is known as the Transit without Visa concession (TWOV).

Important:
Your visitor in transit visa will usually be valid for six months and may be used to transit the UK throughout its validity, provided that both your passport and visa for the country that you are travelling to remain valid beyond the expiry of the transit visa. The visa will only be valid for entry to the UK if these conditions are met on each journey through the UK.