UK visitor visa
The UK Standard Visitor visa allows a stay of up to six months on each visit for tourism, family visits and short business activity. Turkish citizens apply online before travelling; the fee is £135 and the published standard decision time is three weeks.
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Work, study and family visas are routes to living in the UK; the visitor visa replaces none of them and sets the limits of a short stay. The routes to long-term work are set out on UK work visas.
01
What is the UK visitor visa?
The UK visitor visa, officially the Standard Visitor visa, allows a stay of up to six months for tourism, family visits and short business activity. Turkey is on the visa national list, so Turkish citizens apply before travelling; the ETA does not apply.
GOV.UK lists the countries whose citizens need a visitor visa in an appendix to the Visitor rules, and Turkey is on that list. Citizens of countries not on it visit for up to six months with an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) or with no permission at all; neither option is open to Turkish citizens.
- Holidays and sightseeing
- Visiting family or friends
- Meetings, interviews, conferences and trade fairs
- A course or exam lasting up to six months
- Volunteering for up to 30 days with a registered charity
- Medical treatment (with a separate fee and length of stay)
02
How much does the UK visitor visa cost?
The UK visitor visa costs £135 for the standard six-month visa, paid on application. Frequent travellers can choose a two-year visa at £506, a five-year visa at £903 or a ten-year visa at £1,128, each capping a stay at six months.
| Visa | Fee | Maximum stay |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Visitor visa | £135 | 6 months |
| Visit for medical reasons | £234 | 11 months |
| Visit as an academic | £234 | 12 months |
| 2-year long-term visa | £506 | 6 months per visit |
| 5-year long-term visa | £903 | 6 months per visit |
| 10-year long-term visa | £1,128 | 6 months per visit |
The fee is not refunded if the application is refused. For long-term visas UKVI may issue a shorter visa than the one applied for, and the difference is not refunded either. A long-term visa issued to someone under 18 ends six months after their 18th birthday.
03
What documents does the UK visitor visa need?
A UK visitor visa application needs a passport valid for the whole stay, and the online form asks for travel dates, accommodation, trip cost, annual income and any criminal or immigration history. Fingerprints and a photograph are taken at the appointment.
- Travel history for the past ten years
- Your employer’s address and telephone number
- Your partner’s name, date of birth and passport number
- The name and address of anyone paying for the trip
- Names, addresses and passport numbers of family members in the UK
- A tuberculosis test certificate for visits longer than six months
GOV.UK asks for the items above depending on the applicant’s circumstances, and documents not in English or Welsh need certified translations. GOV.UK publishes no fixed bank balance for a visitor visa; the requirement is to show that the trip and the return journey are paid for, by the applicant or by someone funding them.
04
How long does a UK visitor visa take?
A UK visitor visa decision takes three weeks under the GOV.UK standard, counted from the identity appointment, and the result arrives by email. Applications open three months before travel at the earliest, and the passport is returned on the appointment day.
- Complete the online form and pay the fee.
- Book an appointment at a visa application centre.
- At the appointment, prove your identity, give fingerprints and a photograph, and hand in documents.
- Your passport is returned the same day; the decision is sent by email.
Each family member applies separately, pays their own fee and attends their own appointment. The fee is refunded if an application is cancelled before it has been processed, and not afterwards.
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05
Why is a UK visitor visa refused?
A UK visitor visa is refused when the applicant does not show the Visitor rules conditions: leaving at the end of the visit, paying for the stay and return journey, and not living in the UK through frequent visits. The refusal letter states the reason.
| Condition in the Visitor rules | What the application shows |
|---|---|
| Leaving the UK at the end of the visit | The purpose, length and return plan of the visit |
| Supporting yourself and any dependants | Income, or details of whoever is funding the trip |
| Paying for the return or onward journey | The cost of the trip and how it is paid |
| Not living in the UK for long periods | Travel history for the past ten years |
Home Office statistics put the visitor visa refusal rate for Turkish citizens at 10.3% between July 2025 and June 2026. How to read a refusal letter, the routes to challenge it and reapplying are covered on UK visa refusal.
06
Can you work in the UK on a visitor visa?
You cannot do paid or unpaid work for a UK company on a visitor visa, or be self-employed. GOV.UK lists attending meetings, signing contracts, promoting a business at trade fairs and volunteering for up to 30 days with a registered charity as permitted.
| Permitted | Not permitted |
|---|---|
| Meetings, interviews, conferences | Paid or unpaid work for a UK company |
| Negotiating and signing contracts | Self-employment |
| Promoting a business at a trade fair | Selling at a trade fair |
| A course of up to six months | Claiming public funds |
| Volunteering for up to 30 days | Marrying or giving notice of marriage |
Marrying or giving notice of marriage in the UK needs a separate route, the Marriage Visitor visa. Long-term work is covered by sponsored and unsponsored work visas, each with its own rules.
07
What does British Global do at this stage?
British Global does not prepare a visitor visa application or assess yours; it sets out the published conditions and document list in a written preliminary report, ordered by your travel plan. For an assessment it refers you to a regulated adviser or authorised solicitor.
Immigration advice is a regulated profession in the UK and giving it without registration is a criminal offence. How referral fees work is explained on our commercial relationships page.
08
Frequently asked questions
Can Turkish citizens visit the UK with an ETA?
No. Turkey is on the visitor visa national list, so Turkish citizens apply for a visitor visa before travelling.
How much money do you need in the bank for a UK visitor visa?
GOV.UK publishes no fixed amount. The requirement is to show that the visit and the return journey are paid for.
Can you study in the UK on a visitor visa?
A course lasting up to six months is a permitted activity. Longer study needs a Student visa.
Sources
- GOV.UK — A Standard Visitor can stay up to six months for tourism, business, study of up to six months and other permitted activities, and cannot work for a UK company, claim public funds or marry. Checked 2 October 2026.
- GOV.UK — The Standard Visitor visa costs £135; two, five and ten-year long-term visas cost £506, £903 and £1,128. Applications open three months before travel and a decision is usually made within three weeks. Checked 2 October 2026.
- GOV.UK — Turkey is on the list of countries whose citizens need a visa to visit the UK. Checked 2 October 2026.
- GOV.UK — Home Office table Vis_D02 records 28,040 refusals among 272,934 visitor visa decisions for Turkish citizens between July 2025 and June 2026. Checked 2 October 2026.
