business Visitor
Visa

Under UK immigration rules, foreign nationals can visit the UK for temporary periods to carry out certain permitted activities, including certain business activities.

Depending on your nationality and your individual circumstances, you will either:

• Have to apply for a Business Visitor visa before you travel to the UK.
• Be able to visit the UK for a business trip for up to 6 months without needing a visa.

You can check if you need a visa before you apply.

To apply for a Business Visitor visa, you will need to meet the general eligibility requirements for a Standard Visitor visa.

You must be able to show that:

• You will leave the UK at the end of your visit.
• You are able to support yourself and your dependants during your trip (or have funding from someone else to support you).
• You are able to pay for your return or onward journey (or have funding from someone else to pay for the journey).
• You will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK your main home.

note:

You must have a passport or travel document that is valid for the whole of your stay in the UK. 

On a UK Business Visitor visa, you are permitted to carry out certain business activities including:

• Attend interviews, meetings, conferences and seminars.
• Negotiate and sign deals and contracts.
• Attend trade fairs to promote your business (but you cannot sell things).
• Get work-related training if you are employed overseas and the training is not available in your home country.
• Give a one-off or short series of talks, as long as they are not for profit or a commercial event.
• Carry out site visits and inspections.
• Oversee the delivery of goods and services provided by a UK company to your overseas company or organisation.
• Deliver training or share knowledge on internal projects with UK employees of the company you work for overseas.
• Install, dismantle, repair, service or advise on equipment, computer software and hardware, if your overseas company has a contract with a UK company or organisation.

note:

On a Business Visitor visa, you cannot work for a UK company or as a self-employed person unless you’re coming to the UK for a permitted paid engagement.

You will need to apply for a work visa if you want to do any other paid or unpaid work that’s not included in the business activities listed in the Immigration Rules: Appendix Visitor.

It costs £115 to apply for a Business Visit visa to visit the UK for up to 6 months.

Higher fees apply in certain circumstances, for example if you are applying for a long-term Standard Visitor visa.

If you need a Business Visitor visa, you must apply online before you travel to the UK and attend an appointment at a visa application centre. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.

At your appointment, you will need to:

• Prove your identity with your passport or travel document.
• Have your fingerprints and photograph (known as ‘biometric information’) taken.
• Provide the required documents that show you’re eligible for this visa.

Once you have applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you will usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.

A Business Visitor visa is intended to facilitate short-term business trips to the UK, and is usually valid for up to 6 months.

If you visit the UK regularly, you can choose to apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa instead. You can apply for a 2 year, 5 year or 10 year long-term Standard Visitor visa, each with a maximum length of stay of 6 months per visit.

note:

If you want to work in the UK long-term, you may need to apply for a work visa.

The Business Visitor visa is one of the most common categories in which the Home Office issues visa refusals, therefore it is important to get your application right the first time to avoid having to invest extra time and money to apply for a second time.

We recommend seeking advice from a qualified immigration advisor if you are unsure about any part of the application process. If you require support with submitting a new application, Smith Stone Walters can help. To speak to an immigration advisor, please contact us today.