UK Visitor Visa 2026 for Visa Nationals: Fees, Documents and Long-Term Options

If your nationality needs a visa to visit the UK, you apply for a Standard Visitor visa before you travel. As of October 2026 it costs £135 for a stay of up to 6 months, and frequent visitors can choose a 2, 5 or 10-year visa. You apply online, attend a biometrics appointment, and usually get a decision in about 3 weeks, according to GOV.UK.

Key points

• Visa nationals need a visa; most visa-exempt visitors need an ETA instead.
• £135 for 6 months; £506, £903 or £1,128 for 2, 5 or 10-year visas.
• Each visit is normally up to 6 months, even on a long-term visa.
• Apply up to 3 months before travel; decisions usually take about 3 weeks.
• You must show you will leave, can support yourself and will not make the UK your main home.

Do you need a visa or an ETA?

The UK splits visitors into three groups:

1. Visa nationals need a Standard Visitor visa before travelling.
2. Visa-exempt nationals (for example from Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia) need an electronic travel authorisation for stays up to 6 months.
3. British and Irish citizens, and people with UK permission to live there, need neither.

Use the official GOV.UK visa checker to see which group you are in.

Countries newly added to the visa list

Several countries have moved from ETA to visa-required in the last two years through Statements of Changes to the Immigration Rules:

Country	Visa required from
Trinidad and Tobago	March 2025
Botswana	October 2025
Nauru	December 2025
Nicaragua	March 2026
St Lucia	March 2026

If you hold one of these passports, an ETA is no longer enough. Check /updates/ for any later additions.

What you can and cannot do as a visitor

According to GOV.UK, you can:

• go on holiday or visit family and friends
• volunteer for up to 30 days with a registered charity
• carry out certain business activities, such as attending meetings or conferences
• take part in certain permitted paid engagements, if you are an expert in your field
• study on a course of up to 6 months, or a recreational course of up to 30 days
• take part in Erasmus+ placements or school exchanges
• get private medical treatment
• transit through the UK

You cannot:

• do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as self-employed (unless it is a permitted paid engagement)
• claim public funds
• live in the UK through frequent or back-to-back visits
• marry or register a civil partnership (you need a Marriage Visitor visa)

Fees and visa lengths

Visa	Fee (as of October 2026)	Maximum stay per visit
Standard Visitor	£135	6 months
Standard Visitor for medical reasons	£234	11 months
Standard Visitor for academics	£234	12 months
Long-term, 2 years	£506	6 months
Long-term, 5 years	£903	6 months
Long-term, 10 years	£1,128	6 months
Visitor in Transit	£74.50	Transit only

Sources: GOV.UK apply page, fees table.

Optional priority (£500) and super priority (£1,000) services are available in some locations. They speed up the decision but do not change the rules.

Visitors staying 6 months or less from outside the UK do not pay the Immigration Health Surcharge.

Long-term visitor visas: things to know

• They suit people who visit often, for example to see family or for regular business meetings.
• UKVI can give you a shorter visa than you asked for if it is not satisfied you will meet the rules for the whole period. The fee is not refunded.
• If you are under 18 when you apply, a long-term visa is only valid until 6 months after your 18th birthday.
• The visa can be cancelled if your travel history shows you are living in the UK for long periods.

For a first application, many people start with a 6-month visa and build a good travel history before applying for a longer one. This is a common approach, not a rule.

Documents

You need:

• a passport or travel document valid for your whole stay
• details for the online form: travel dates, where you will stay, estimated trip cost, home address and how long you have lived there, parents’ names and dates of birth, your income, and any criminal, civil or immigration offences

You may also be asked for:

• up to 10 years of travel history
• employer contact details
• details of your partner, family in the UK, and anyone paying for your trip
• a tuberculosis (TB) test certificate if you are visiting for more than 6 months (where your country is on the TB testing list)
• extra documents for study, academic visits, Erasmus+ placements, paid engagements or medical treatment
• certified translations of anything not in English or Welsh

The core test is whether you will leave at the end of your visit, can support yourself and pay for your return journey, and will not make the UK your main home. Evidence of your job, studies, property, family ties and finances at home helps show this.

How to apply: step by step

1. Check you need a visa on the GOV.UK visa checker.
2. Choose the right visa length for your plans.
3. Apply online on GOV.UK. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.
4. Pay the fee.
5. Book and attend a visa application centre appointment. Your fingerprints and photo are taken. Your passport is returned the same day, but the centre may keep other documents.
6. Wait for a decision, usually about 3 weeks.

If you are refused

The fee is not refunded. Read the refusal letter carefully: it will explain which requirement the caseworker did not think you met. You can make a new application that deals with those concerns. If you have a history of refusals or immigration problems, get advice from a solicitor or an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority before reapplying.

What to do next

1. Confirm whether you need a visa or an ETA.
2. Gather evidence of your ties and finances at home before applying.
3. Apply 2 to 3 months before travel to allow for the appointment and the 3-week decision time.
4. Check the UK country hub for related guides, and the full fees table for other routes.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Fees and rules are as of October 2026.