Visiting in the UK

If you want to visit the UK as a tourist, or to see friends or family, you still need permission to enter the country.

Most visitors from countries outside Europe will need to apply for a visa in advance.   However, some ‘non-visa nationals’ are allowed to obtain permission at the point where they enter the UK, if they are visiting as a tourist or to see friends and family.

In either case, you must still make sure that you meet the requirements for visitors. Non-visa nationals are regularly caught out by officers at the border because they don’t realise that they have to be able to demonstrate an intention to return home, or an ability to support themselves for the duration of their trip.

Some kinds of visit also require special permission, even if you are a non-visa national. For example:

• Coming to the UK to get married
• Academic visits
• Student visits

If you are planning a visit to the UK, we can advise you on the requirements and the documents you should prepare.   We can also help if things go wrong and you need to re-apply or if you have been refused unfairly and want to have the decision reviewed.