UK business visa requirements and how to apply

If you are a non-UK resident hoping to start a business in the UK, you may have to apply for a UK business visa to achieve your goal. It depends on several factors, including the kind of business you want to set up, the types of business activities you intend to carry out here, and the length of your stay.

As a consequence of Brexit, the UK visa rules and requirements are now the same for European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals as they are for non-EEA nationals. However, under the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangement, no restrictions apply to Irish citizens who wish to work or set up a business in the UK.

In this post, we explain the various routes you can take as a non-resident, the different types of visas available, and the eligibility requirements for each one. This should provide you with a basic understanding of UK business visas. However, we recommend seeking professional advice and expert guidance from an experienced UK immigration specialist.

Visiting the UK for business as a Standard Visitor

You can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for business purposes for up to six months at a time, often without the need for a visa. This is particularly beneficial if you decide to set up and run a UK company as a non-resident.

However, the permitted business activities that you can perform during any such visit are limited to the following:

• attending interviews, meetings, conferences, and seminars
• negotiating and signing deals and contracts
• attending trade fairs to promote your business (but you cannot sell anything)
• undertaking work-related training, if you are employed overseas and the training isn’t available in your home country
• giving a one-off talk or short series of talks, provided that you are not paid for doing so
• carrying out site visits and inspections
• overseeing the delivery of goods and services that a UK company provides to your overseas business
• delivering training or sharing knowledge on internal projects with UK-based employees of the overseas company you work for
• installing, dismantling, repairing, servicing, or advising on equipment, computer software, and hardware, if your overseas firm has a contract with a UK-based company or organisation

As a Standard Visitor, you are not permitted to do any paid or unpaid work for a UK company (even if it’s your own) or as a self-employed person. To undertake any such activities, you may have to apply for a business visa or a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa.

Eligibility requirements

To enter the UK as a Standard Visitor, you must have a passport or travel document that is valid for the duration of your stay. You must also be able to show that you:

• plan to leave the UK at the end of your trip
• can support yourself (and any dependants) during your visit, or have funding from someone else to support you
• have the means to pay for your return or onward journey, or have funding from someone else to pay for the journey
• will not live here for extended periods of time through frequent or successive trips, or make the UK your main home

The rules may be different if you are travelling from Ireland or one of the Crown Dependencies (Jersey, Guernsey, or the Isle of Man).

Depending on your nationality, you may:

• be required to apply for a Standard Visitor visa before travelling to the UK, or
• be able to visit the UK for a period of up to six months without a visa

Use GOV.UK’s online service to check if you need a visa. If you don’t need one, you must still meet the eligibility requirements to visit the UK, and you may have to answer certain questions upon arrival at the UK border.

Applying for a Standard Visitor visa

If you need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa, you must do so online before travelling to the UK. The earliest you can apply is three months before you travel.

A Standard Visitor visa costs £115, with a maximum length of stay of six months. However, if you visit the UK for business on a regular basis, you can apply for one of the following long-term Standard Visitor visas instead:

• 2-year long-term Standard Visitor visa – £400
• 5-year long-term Standard Visitor visa – £771
• 10-year long-term Standard Visitor visa – £963

Regardless of which one you apply for, the maximum stay per visit is still capped at six months.

As part of your application, you will be required to book an appointment at a visa application centre. At this appointment, you will need to:

• provide your passport or travel document to prove your identity
• have your photograph and fingerprints taken – this is known as ‘biometric information’
• provide the necessary documentation that confirms your eligibility

Once you have completed all of the necessary steps, you should get a decision within three weeks. However, processing times do vary.

Long-term UK business visas

There are other types of visas available to non-UK residents who wish to remain in the UK for business purposes on a long-term basis. These are as follows:

• Innovator Founder visa
• Global Talent visa
• UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
• High Potential Individual (HPI) visa

You must satisfy strict eligibility criteria to apply for these types of UK business visas.

1. Innovator Founder visa

The Innovator Founder visa replaced the old Innovator visa and the Start-Up visa. It is designed for entrepreneurs who want to set up an innovative business that is different from anything else on the market.

This visa allows you to stay in the UK for three years, but you can apply to renew (‘extend’) it for another three years when your current visa is due to expire.

It costs £1,191 per person if you are applying from outside the UK, or £1,486 per person if you are extending or switching your visa whilst in the UK. You will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for an Innovator Founder visa, you need to show that your business or business idea is:

• new – you can’t join an existing business that’s already trading
• innovative – it must be an original business idea that is different from anything else on the market
• viable and has the potential for growth
• scalable – you must provide evidence of planning, that includes the creation of jobs and expansion into national and international markets

Before applying, an endorsing body will need to assess your business or idea, to ensure that it meets these requirements. You may also have to prove to the endorsing body that you have sufficient funding.

Applying for an Innovator Founder visa

You must apply for this UK business visa online and provide the following:

• an ‘endorsement letter’
• a valid passport or other document showing your identity and nationality
• bank statements showing that you have had savings of at least £1,270 in your account for 28 consecutive days
• proof that you satisfy the English language requirement
• your tuberculosis test results, if you are from a listed country where this test is required
• a certified translation of any documentation that is not in English or Welsh

Additional documents may be required, depending on your individual circumstances, and you will also need to prove your identity.

If you’re applying from outside the UK, you should get a decision within approximately three weeks. However, it can take up to eight weeks if you are inside the UK and applying to extend your existing visa, or switch from a different visa.

2. Global Talent visa

The Global Talent visa replaced the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa. You can apply for a Global Talent visa if you are a leader or potential leader in one of the following areas:

• Academia or research
• Arts and culture
• Digital technology

With this visa, you can live and work in the UK for up to five years at a time as an employee, a self-employed person, or the director of a company. You don’t have to be sponsored by an employer, and there are no restrictions on the type of work that you can do within your field.

However, your application must be endorsed by a relevant authority with expertise in your field, unless you have won an eligible award. It costs £716 per person to apply, and you will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge.

Eligibility requirements

You may be eligible for a Global Talent visa if you have one of the following:

• an eligible job offer as either an academic or a researcher
• an individual fellowship
• a research grant approved by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
• an eligible award

Alternatively, you can apply by having your application peer-reviewed, but this takes longer.

Applying for a Global Talent visa

You can apply for a Global Talent visa online. To do so, you will need to provide:

• a valid passport or other document showing your identity and nationality
• proof of your relationship to any dependants (i.e. your partner and/or children) who are applying with you
• your tuberculosis test results, if you are from a listed country where this test is required
• a certified translation of any documents that are not in English or Welsh

If you won an award or scholarship to study in the UK in the last year, you must also provide written permission to apply for this visa from the awarding agency or government.

Additional documentation may be required and will also have to prove your identity. You should get a decision on your application within three weeks, but it may take longer, depending on your individual circumstances.

There are slightly different requirements if you are inside the UK and wish to extend your Global Talent visa, or switch to a different type of visa.

3. UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)

The UK Expansion Worker visa replaced the Representative of an Overseas Business visa. One of several Global Business Mobility routes, this visa is designed for overseas workers assigned to the UK to set up a branch of an overseas firm that is not currently trading in the UK.

To apply for a UK Expansion Worker visa, you must currently work for the overseas firm as a senior manager (e.g. a CEO or company director) or a specialist employee.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for this UK business visa, you must:

• have a valid ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from the business
• have worked for the business outside the UK for at least 12 months (exceptions apply)
• perform a job that is featured on the list of eligible occupations
• be paid an annual salary of at least £45,800, or the ‘going rate’ for your particular job (whichever is higher)

When you apply, you will need to have enough money to cover the following fees and costs:

• £298 application fee
• the healthcare surcharge of £624 per year
• at least £1,270 in your bank account, to support yourself upon arrival in the UK

You will be told exactly how much you need to pay when you make your application.

Applying for a UK Expansion Worker visa

You must apply for a UK Expansion Worker visa online. To do so, you will need to provide:

• the reference number for your certificate of sponsorship
• a valid passport or other document showing your identity and nationality
• your job title and annual salary
• the occupation code for your particular job
• the name of the overseas firm and its sponsor licence number
• evidence that you have enough money to support yourself in the UK (e.g. bank statements)
• proof of your relationship to any dependents who are applying with you
• your tuberculosis test results, if you are from a listed country
• a certified translation of any documents that are not in English or Welsh

In certain situations, you may be asked to provide other information or documentation. Once you have submitted your application and supplied all of the necessary information, you should get a decision within approximately three weeks.

4. High Potential Individual visa

The High Potential Individual (HPI) visa is designed to attract recent graduates from top-tier universities to the UK. If you have been awarded a qualification by an overseas eligible university in the last five years, you may be able to apply for this visa.

With an HPI visa, you can stay in the UK for two years, or three years if you have a PhD or other doctoral qualification. You can work as an employee or set up a business. There is no requirement to have a job offer or any type of business plan before applying.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for the High Potential Individual visa, you must:

• have a qualification from an eligible university that is the equivalent of a UK bachelor’s degree, postgraduate degree, or PhD or doctorate
• have obtained your qualification in the last five years
• prove your knowledge of English
• prove that you have sufficient personal savings to support yourself in the UK, unless you have been living here with another valid visa for at least one year
• not have already been given a Graduate visa or come to the UK as a Doctorate Extension Scheme student

When you apply, you will need to have enough money to cover the following fees and costs:

• £210 for Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC) to check that your qualification is valid. If you are applying from the UK, the fee is £252
• £822 application fee
• the healthcare surcharge – usually £1,248 for two years, or £1,872 for three years
• at least £1,270 in your bank account (unless exempt), to support yourself upon arrival in the UK

You will be told exactly how much you need to pay when you make your application.

Applying for a High Potential Individual visa

You must apply for a High Potential Individual visa online. To do so, you will need to provide:

• a valid passport or other travel document showing your identity and nationality
• proof of your knowledge of English
• the statement that Ecctis provided to you when they verified your qualification
• your biometric residence permit or proof of your immigration status, if you are switching from another visa
• proof of your relationship to any dependents who are applying with you
• your tuberculosis test results, if you are from a listed country
• a certified translation of any documents that are not in English or Welsh

Once you have applied online and provided all of the necessary documents, you should get a decision within approximately three weeks.

If you want to set up a UK limited company

In most cases, you don’t need a UK business visa to set up a UK limited company as a non-resident. You can complete the incorporation process online and run your business from anywhere in the world, so there is no requirement to travel to the UK at any time or apply for a UK business visa.

However, this does not automatically give you the right to work in the UK. You will have to apply for a visa if you intend to perform certain business activities in the UK, or stay here for longer than six months at a time.

See also: UK company formation for non-residents See also: Non-UK residents: Proof of ID and address when forming a company See also: Business bank accounts for non-UK residents

If you want to set up a limited company in the UK as a non-UK resident, you’ll still have to provide proof of ID and address documentation. You will also have certain obligations, including:

• running your company in accordance with UK company law
• maintaining a UK registered office address
• registering with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for tax purposes
• paying Corporation Tax in the UK
• complying with various filing and reporting requirements for Companies House (the registrar of companies) and HMRC

At Rapid Formations, our Non-Residents Package is designed to suit the unique needs of non-residents who want to form a company in the UK. This package provides everything you need to register a company online and start trading, including a London registered office address and a UK business banking solution.

Thanks for reading

Whether you’re looking to visit the UK to undertake certain business activities, relocate here to start or expand a business, or set up and run a UK company from overseas, there are several routes available.

You can stay in the UK for up to six months as a Standard Visitor. However, depending on your plans and personal circumstances, you may have to apply for a UK business visa if you want to stay for longer, or carry out paid or unpaid business activities.

The eligibility requirements are strict and varied, and the application process can be complicated. Therefore, we recommend getting in touch with a UK immigration specialist for expert advice and assistance.

If you would like to speak to us about setting up a company as a non-UK resident, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.