UK Tourist Visa | Everything you need to know

Want to visit the UK but not sure where to start? Here’s everything you need to know about the UK tourist visa!

The first thing that’s confusing is just that: a UK tourist visa. For most passport holders, you do not need to apply for a special tourist visa to visit the UK. You can just arrive like any other tourist and enjoy a holiday in the UK. While maybe foreigners ask about the “UK tourist visa” it’s not necessarily needed.

Most visitors can stay in the UK as a tourist for up to 6 months without a visa

If you’re not sure if that applies to you, you can complete this quiz to see if you require a visa based on your nationality and your reason to visit the UK.

UK Tourist Visa: Explained

What you can do as a tourist in the UK

The general rule of thumb is that as a tourist, you can visit the UK on holiday or to spend time with family and friends up to 6 months.

Think of this like you’re going on vacation to Spain or Italy.

There is something extra called a Standard Visitor visa which you apply for and pay for – this allows you some extra freedoms. However I’ll talk about that in a different post. Today we’re focusing strictly on tourists arriving without a visa.

While in the UK as a tourist, you cannot:

  • do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person
  • claim public funds or benefits
  • live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent or successive visits
  • marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership. You’ll need a Marriage Visitor visa instead

What you need at the UK border

You must provide a valid passport or travel document. Your passport should be valid for the whole of your stay in the UK.

You may also be asked to prove that:

  • you’re visiting for tourism
  • you’re able to support yourself and your dependents during your trip (or have funding from someone else to support you)
  • you’ve arranged accommodation for your stay
  • you’re able to pay for your return or onward journey (or have funding from someone else)
  • you’ll leave the UK at the end of your visit

Basically customs wants to make sure you’re going to be OK to visit the UK and you’re not trying to stay. To be fair, I’m typically only asked why I’m visiting the UK and how long I’ll be staying for, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have the same experience.

Use the eGates for quicker entry

There are over 270 eGates in place at 15 air and rail ports in the UK to enable quicker travel into the UK. I love eGates and I always use them when I return to the UK.

You can normally use eGates if you:

  • have a biometric symbol on the cover of your passport
  • are aged 10+ (10 to 17 year olds must be accompanied by an adult)
  • are either:
    • a British citizen
    • a national of an EU country, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA
    • a member of the Registered Traveller Service

Expat tip: If you’re arriving in the UK for the first time on a visa, it’s advisable to speak to a border agent instead. Sometimes you need your passport stamped at the start of your visa which won’t happen if you use an eGate.

And that’s it! You’re ready to visit the UK as a tourist. I hope you have a wonderful time here and can enjoy all that the UK has to offer.