UK visa for business - how to apply

Non-UK residents from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland can apply for a Business Visitor visa if they need to visit the UK for a short period of time for any business-related activities. EEA and Swiss nationals do not need a UK visa.

The need for a visa will apply if you have set up a UK limited company and you wish to travel to the UK to open a business bank account, meet with service providers and suppliers, or carry out site visits, etc. You cannot apply for this type of UK visa if you qualify for British citizenship or dual nationality. In these cases, you must apply for British citizenship instead.

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 visas are known as Tier 1 visas and they are available to entrepreneurs, graduates, and investors. However, strict criteria must be met to be eligible for this type of UK visa.

Business Visitor visa

A Business Visitor visa lasts for up to 6 months, or up to 1 year for academic visitors, but you can apply to extend your visa if the total time spent in the UK is less than 6 months.

If you need to make repeat visits to the UK over a longer period of time, you can apply for a long-term visit visa if you can prove your need to make repeat visits. This type of visa can last for 1, 2, 5, or 10 years and it will allow you to stay for up to 6 months per visit.

How long does it take to get a UK visa?

You can apply for a Business Visitor visa online up to 3 months before your planned date of travel to the UK. It will take approximately 3 weeks to get a decision on your visa application, but the processing times do vary, depending on where you are making an application from.

How much does a UK visa cost?

A Business Visitor visa costs £85 per person. Long-term visit visa fees are as follows:

1 year – £324
2 years – £324
5 years – £588
10 years – £737

Eligibility for a Business Visitor visa

To qualify for a Business Visitor visa, you must meet all of the following criteria:

Reside outside the EEA or Switzerland
Be at least 18 years old
Receive a salary from abroad and be able to support yourself for the duration of your visit
Not be in transit to another country, with the exception of Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands

You must also meet one of the following criteria to be eligible for a Business Visitor visa:

An employee on secondment to a company office in the UK that is not part of the same group of companies as your employer
A business advisor or trainer
An academic on sabbatical, conducting research or accompanying students on a study abroad programme
A doctor or dentist undertaking clinical attachments or clinical observer posts, or taking the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test
An overseas qualified nurse taking the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
A member of an overseas film crew coming to the UK for a location shoot
A representative of a new media organisation not based in the UK
A religious worker
A guide accompanying a tour group, but only if the company is based outside the UK
A driver delivering goods or carrying passengers
A visiting professor
An advisor, consultant, trainer, internal auditor, or troubleshooter coming to a UK branch, or a member of the same group of companies as your overseas employer
An employee of an international law firm that has offices in the UK, advising UK clients on litigation or international transitions
An overseas scientist or researcher advising or sharing knowledge on an international project that’s being led from the UK
Attending a pre-arranged meeting or interview, a conference, or a trade fair – but not selling products or services
Negotiating a business deal or trade agreement
Carrying out a fact-finding mission to explore potential markets or suppliers
Making a site visit
Providing certain services on behalf of a foreign manufacturer
Speaking at a single conference that is not for profit
Getting training for techniques and practices used in the UK

If you are applying for a long-term visitor visa, you must also prove that:

You have a frequent and ongoing need to travel to the UK to do business
The reason for your need to travel to the UK is unlikely to change significantly while the UK visa is valid
You plan to leave the UK at the end of each visit

Required documentation for a UK visa

To apply for a Business Visitor visa, you will have to provide each of the following documents:

A current passport or other form of valid travel identification
A passport size colour photograph
Evidence that you are able to support yourself for the duration of your trip to the UK – bank statements or payslips for the past 6 months will suffice
Details of your travel plans and where you intend to stay, however, do not pay for travel or accommodation until you receive your UK visa
Certified translation of any documents that are not in English or Welsh

UK visa application process

You must apply online for a Business Visitor visa. As part of the application, you will be required to have your fingerprints and photograph taken at your nearest visa application centre. However, if you are applying from North Korea you must download the relevant application form – you cannot apply online.

To apply online, you must:

Register for an account
Complete the application form in English
Pay for the visa fee online
Print out your form
Book and attend an appointment at the appropriate visa application centre
Get your fingerprints and photograph taken at the visa application centre
Have the original and a photocopy of all supporting documentation required for your UK visa
Translate any supporting documents and include them with the originals if they are not in English
You may have to get a TB test depending on where you are applying from

Long-term business UK visas

Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa

If you are a non-UK resident from outside the EEA and Switzerland and you wish to set up or run a business in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa if you have access to at least £50,000 investment funds.

This UK visa will allow you to:

Stay for a maximum of 3 years and 4 months
Set up or take over the running or one or more companies
Work for your business, including being self-employed
Bring family members with you
Apply to extend the visa for a further 2 years if you are already in this category
Apply to extend the visa for a further 3 years if you switch to it from another category

However, this visa will not allow you to work outside your own business (i.e. be employed by another company) or get public funds.

Eligibility for Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa

Have access to at least £50,000 investment funds – must be held in one or more regulated financial institutions and free to spend on business in the UK
Be able to support yourself during your stay
Score 95 points
Be at least 16 years old
Meet the English language requirement, unless you are a national of one of the following countries:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- The Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Canada
- Dominica
- Guyana
- Jamaica
- New Zealand
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- USA

How to apply for a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa

You must apply online for a Tier 1 visa by following these steps:

Register for an account
Complete the application form in English
Pay for the visa fee online
Pay a healthcare surcharge as part of your application
Print out your form
Book and attend an appointment at a visa application centre
Have your fingerprints and photograph taken at the application centre
Have the original and a photocopy of all supporting documents required for the UK visa
Translate any supporting documents and include them with the originals if they are not in English
Get a tuberculosis (TB) test, depending on where you are applying from
Collect your biometric residence permit within 10 days of your stated date of arrival in the UK

To be eligible, you must possess/provide the following:

A current passport or other form of valid travel identification
A passport size colour photograph
Evidence of the required investment funds available to you
A business plan
Evidence that you can support yourself for the duration of your stay in the UK (at least £3,310)
Proof that you meet the English language requirement
Your TB test results, if applicable
Certified translation of any documents that are not in English or Welsh

Evidence of investment funds

You will be required to provide the following evidence to show that you have access to the appropriate investment funds:

Official letter from the financial institution(s) holding the funds
If any money is held in the UK – a recent personal bank or building society statement from the UK financial institution holding the funds to confirm the sum of money available to you
If any money is provided by a venture capital firm or seed funding competition – a recent letter from an accountant confirming the sum of money made available to you or your business
If any money is provided by a UK government department. A recent letter from an accountant or authorised official confirming the amount of money made available to you or your business

Monthly business insurance. Pay for what you need, when you need it.

If any other third parties have contributed funds toward your application, or you have held the required investment funds for less than 90 days, you must provide:

Confirmation that the money has been made available to you to invest in a UK business; and
A letter from a legal representative confirming the signatures on the declaration are valid

Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa

You can apply for a Tier 1 visa as a graduate entrepreneur if you meet the following criteria:

Reside outside the EEA and Switzerland
Possess a UK-recognised bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or PhD awarded before your date of endorsement
Officially endorsed as having a genuine and credible business idea
Endorsement is from an authorised UK higher education institution issued in the past 3 months
Have at least £945 in savings if applying from inside the UK, or £1,890 if applying from outside the UK. Unless you have an endorsement from UK Trade and Investment stating you’ve been awarded funding to cover your maintenance
The required funds have been in your bank account for at least 90 days before your application
Satisfy the English language requirement
Have permission to remain in the UK from your financial sponsor if they are a government or an international scholarship agency and have paid your course fees and living costs in the past 12 months

How to apply

To apply for your visa, you must be outside of the UK, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. You will need to:

Register for an account online
Complete the application form in English
Pay the visa fee online
Pay a healthcare surcharge as part of your application
Print out your form
Book and attend an appointment at a visa application centre
Get your fingerprints and photograph taken at the visa application centre
Have the original and a photocopy of all supporting documents required for the UK visa
Translate any supporting documents and include them with the originals if they are not in English
Get a Tuberculosis (TB) test, if required
Collect your biometric residence permit within 10 days of your stated arrival date in the UK

Required documentation

You will have to provide a number of documents when you apply for your visa. These will depend on whether you are being endorsed by a UK higher education institution (HEI) or UK Trade and Investment (UKTI). Typically, however, these will include:

A current passport or another form of valid travel identification
1 or 2 passport size colour photographs
A letter of endorsement from UK HEI or UKTI
An original certificate of your academic qualification
Bank statements to prove you have sufficient funds to support yourself
TB test results
Proof that you meet the English language requirement
Certified translation of any documents that are not in English or Welsh

How much does the UK visa cost?

If you are applying for yourself from outside the UK, you will have to pay £335
If you are applying as a citizen of Turkey or Macedonia, you will have to pay £280
Visas for dependents cost £335 per person if you apply from outside the UK

How long will it take?

You should receive a decision on your visa application within 3-8 weeks, depending on the country you are applying from and whether you are being endorsed by UKTI or a UK HEI.

Tier 1 (Investor) visa

You can apply for a Tier 1 visa as an investor for a maximum stay of 3 years and 4 months if you:

Wish to invest £2,000,000 or more in the UK
Reside outside the EEA and Switzerland
Are at least 18 years old
Can prove the money belongs to you or your husband, wife, or unmarried or same-sex partner
Have opened a UK bank account
The funds are held in one or more regulated financial institutions and free to spend in the UK

Students with financial sponsorship may also be able to apply for this visa if they are currently residing in the UK and are:

A Tier 4 (General) visa holder
A student nurse
Studying, writing up a thesis, or re-sitting an exam
A postgraduate doctor or dentist
An overseas qualified nurse or midwife
A student sabbatical officer

If your course fees and living costs were paid by a government of an international scholarship agency, you must obtain an unconditional agreement in writing from the financial sponsor to re-enter or stay in the UK.

How to apply

You must apply online for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa by following these steps:

Be outside of the UK, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man when applying
Register for an online account
Complete the application form in English
Pay for the visa fee and healthcare surcharge
Print out the form
Book and attend an appointment at a visa application centre
Get your fingerprints and photograph taken at the visa application centre
Have the original and a photocopy of the required supporting documents
Translate any supporting documents and include them with the originals if they are not in English
Get a Tuberculosis (TB) test, depending on where you are applying from
Collect your biometric residence permit within 10 days of your stated date of arrival in the UK

Required documents

Current passport or another form of valid travel identification
Passport size colour photograph
TB test results, if applicable
Evidence of investment funds
Certified translation of any documents that are not in English or Welsh

How much does the visa cost?

A Tier 1 (Investor) visa costs £1,500. You will also have to pay an additional £1,500 for each dependant, if applicable. A healthcare surcharge will be charge as well.