A UK visit visa, called the Standard Visitor visa, costs £135 for up to 6 months, but US citizens do not apply for one and instead need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) that costs £20. Visitors can usually stay up to 6 months, and the right document depends on your nationality.
The UK splits visitors into three groups. Some nationalities must get a Standard Visitor visa before they travel. Others, including Americans, need an ETA. A few can visit with neither. This guide explains which group you fall into, what you can and cannot do on a visit, the fees, the steps and documents for a visa, how long decisions take and the mistakes that lead to refusals. Everything comes from the GOV.UK pages on the Standard Visitor visa and the ETA, whose records show updates in October 2026. If you are an American planning a trip, your passport is the main document, and our US passport guide covers how to get or renew one.
Do You Need a UK Visit Visa?
It depends on your nationality: some people must apply for a visa, some need an ETA and some need neither. GOV.UK lists three groups.
The groups are:
- Visitors who must apply for a Standard Visitor visa before travelling.
- Visitors who must apply for an electronic travel authorisation, which allows up to 6 months without a visa.
- Visitors who can come for up to 6 months with neither a visa nor an ETA.
GOV.UK says people from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada and certain other countries usually need an ETA rather than a visa. People with a British or Irish passport, or with permission to live, work or study in the UK, generally do not need one. Even if you need neither, you must meet the eligibility requirements and may be questioned at the border. Use the GOV.UK tool to check your own nationality before you book.
What Is the Difference Between an ETA and a Visit Visa?
An ETA is a £20 online permission for eligible nationalities, while a Standard Visitor visa is a £135 application with an appointment. The table compares them.
| Feature | ETA | Standard Visitor visa |
| Who needs it | Nationalities such as the USA, Canada, Australia and Europe | Nationalities that must get a visa before travel |
| Fee | £20 | £135 for up to 6 months |
| How to apply | Online through the official GOV.UK page | Online, then an appointment at a visa application centre |
| Biometrics | Not listed on the GOV.UK page | Given at the appointment |
| Stay | Up to 6 months | Usually up to 6 months |
| Decision time | Not stated on the GOV.UK page | Usually within 3 weeks |
Every traveller needs their own ETA, including babies and children, though you can apply on behalf of others. You also need an ETA if you pass through border control at a UK airport while changing planes. GOV.UK warns that other websites may charge more and that you should avoid sites that imitate government services. Apply only through the official GOV.UK application page, and use gov.uk/check-eta to check an existing ETA’s expiry date.
What Can You Do on a UK Visit?
You can visit family and friends, travel as a tourist, attend certain business meetings and do a few other short activities. You cannot work for a UK company.
GOV.UK lists these permitted activities on a Standard Visitor visa:
- Tourism, and visiting family or friends.
- Volunteering for up to 30 days with a registered charity.
- Transit through the UK to another country.
- Certain business activities, such as meetings or interviews.
- Certain paid engagements or events as an expert in your profession.
- Certain Erasmus+ placements and school exchange programmes.
- Recreational courses of up to 30 days.
- Studying, placements or exams, academic, senior doctor or dentist activities, and medical treatment, under the relevant rules.
You cannot do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or self-employed work, unless it is a permitted paid engagement or event. You cannot claim public funds, live in the UK for long periods through frequent or successive visits, or marry or register a civil partnership or give notice of one. A Marriage Visitor visa is needed for that. If you plan to study, our guide to the study visa in UK explains the better route, and for work, see the UK work visa guide.
How Do You Apply for a Standard Visitor Visa?
Apply online up to 3 months before you travel, attend a visa application centre appointment and wait about 3 weeks for a decision. Each family member needs their own application, fee and appointment.
Follow these steps:
- Check on GOV.UK whether you need a visa, an ETA or neither.
- Start the online application. You can save the form and finish it later.
- Pay the fee and book your visa application centre appointment as part of the form.
- At the appointment, prove your identity, give biometrics and provide your supporting documents.
- Wait for the decision. GOV.UK says you will usually get one within 3 weeks.
- If approved, you receive an eVisa. You can usually access it straight away once it is linked to your UKVI account, but it can take up to 24 hours.
You can apply for a partner or child who cannot apply themselves. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel, so do not apply too early. Our visa processing time calculator gives a rough idea of timing for other destinations.
What Documents Do You Need?
You need a passport valid for your whole stay and information about your trip, money and ties to home. Your personal list depends on your circumstances.
GOV.UK lists these items for the application:
- A passport or travel document valid for your whole stay.
- Your travel dates, accommodation, estimated trip cost, current home address and how long you have lived there.
- Your parents’ names and dates of birth, if known, and your annual income, if any.
- Details of any criminal, civil or immigration offences.
- Depending on your case: a 10-year travel history, employer details, partner details, the name and address of anyone paying for your trip and details of family members in the UK.
- A TB test certificate if you are staying over 6 months.
- Certified translations of any document not in English or Welsh.
Extra papers apply for study, academic visits, Erasmus+ placements, certain paid engagements and medical visits. Our visa documents checklist tool helps you keep these together. If your passport is close to expiry, American readers can use our passport renewal guide.
How Much Does a UK Visit Visa Cost?
A Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to 6 months, and the ETA costs £20. Longer visas and special cases cost more.
GOV.UK lists these fees:
- Standard Visitor, up to 6 months: £135.
- Standard Visitor for medical reasons, up to 11 months: £234.
- Standard Visitor for academics, up to 12 months: £234.
- 2-year long-term visa, 6 months per visit: £506.
- 5-year long-term visa, 6 months per visit: £903.
- 10-year long-term visa, 6 months per visit: £1,128.
- Visitor in Transit visa, if passing through is your only reason: £74.50.
- ETA: £20.
Each family member pays their own fee. Travel costs, insurance, translations and any visa application centre extras are additional, so check the booking page for options. For a view of visa costs on the US side, see our guide to visa prices in the USA.
What About Long-Term and Transit Options?
Long-term visitor visas last 2, 5 or 10 years with stays of up to 6 months per visit, and a transit visa costs £74.50. Choose based on how often you will return.
A long-term visa suits people who visit the UK often, for example to see family or for regular business meetings. It does not let you live in the UK through frequent or successive visits, and officers can refuse entry if your pattern of travel looks like residence. A Visitor in Transit visa is for people whose only reason to come is to pass through the UK. If you are an ETA nationality, you also need an ETA when passing through border control at a UK airport. For a comparison, see our Canada visit visa guide, and for business trips to America, read the US business visa guide.
Can You Visit the UK for Business?
Yes, a visit can include certain business activities such as meetings or interviews, and certain paid engagements as an expert in your profession. It cannot include work for a UK company.
GOV.UK lists these as permitted on a Standard Visitor visa, and it lists extra documents for certain paid engagements. If you are on a short work trip, keep the invitation, the agenda and a letter from your employer at hand. A one-off meeting is very different from doing a job, so be clear about the purpose. If your plans look more like employment than a visit, you will need a work route instead, which the UK work visa guide explains.
What Should Families and Groups Know?
Each family member needs their own ETA or visa, including babies and children. You can apply on behalf of others.
For a visa, every person needs their own application, fee and appointment. For an ETA, every traveller needs one, and you can apply for a partner or child who cannot apply themselves. Budget the fees per person. A family of four from a visa nationality pays £540 in application fees alone, which is four times £135, before any extras and travel costs. A family of four from the USA pays £80 in ETA fees, which is four times £20. Check each passport before you apply, because an ETA is tied to the traveller.
What Happens at the UK Border?
Even with a visa or an ETA, you must meet the entry requirements and may be questioned at the border. Entry is not guaranteed.
GOV.UK says that even if you need neither a visa nor an ETA, you must still meet the eligibility requirements and may be questioned. Expect questions about why you are visiting, where you will stay, how long you will be there and how you will pay for the trip. Keep your travel dates, accommodation details and trip cost handy, because these are the same details the visa form asks for. Carry your passport, any visa or ETA confirmation and a return or onward plan in your hand luggage.
What Mistakes Lead to Refusals or Border Problems?
Applying for the wrong document, giving thin evidence of your plans and doing work that is not allowed are the common problems. Check each point before you travel.
- Applying for a visa when you only need an ETA, or the reverse.
- Using a third-party website that charges more than the official fee.
- Applying more than 3 months before travel.
- Skipping the biometrics appointment.
- Weak information on your trip, money or ties to home.
- Planning to work for a UK company on a visit.
- Using frequent or back-to-back visits that look like living in the UK.
- Forgetting a certified translation of a document.
When unsure, use the official source. The GOV.UK page on the Standard Visitor visa is the best starting point.
FAQs
What is a UK visit visa?
It is the Standard Visitor visa. It lets you visit the UK for tourism, family visits and certain short business activities, usually for up to 6 months.
Do US citizens need a visa for the UK?
No. GOV.UK says people from the USA usually need an ETA rather than a visa. The ETA costs £20 and allows up to 6 months.
How much does a UK visit visa cost?
A Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to 6 months. Long-term visas cost £506, £903 or £1,128, and the ETA costs £20.
How long does a UK visit visa take?
GOV.UK says you will usually get a decision within 3 weeks after applying, proving your identity and providing your documents.
How far ahead can I apply?
The earliest you can apply for a Standard Visitor visa is 3 months before you travel.
Can I work on a UK visit visa?
No, not for a UK company or as self-employed. Some permitted paid engagements and business activities, such as meetings, are allowed.
Can I get married in the UK on a visitor visa?
No. You cannot marry or give notice of marriage on a Standard Visitor visa. You need a Marriage Visitor visa.
Conclusion
A UK visit visa is the £135 Standard Visitor visa for nationalities that need one, and US citizens use the £20 ETA instead. Check your group on GOV.UK, apply no earlier than 3 months before travel, bring clear documents and do not take work that a visitor is not allowed to do.
