Business Visa

Business visitors

The business visitor category is for people who want to come and do business in the UK for a short time. This includes academic visitors, visiting professors, overseas news media representatives and film crews on location.

Do you need a visa as a business visitor?

This page explains whether you will need to obtain a visa before you come to the UK as a business visitor. You will need a visa if you:

• are a visa national (see 'More information' below); or
• are stateless (you do not have a nationality); or
• hold a non-national travel document (a travel document which does not give you the nationality of the country that issued it); or
• hold a passport issued by an authority that is not recognised in the UK.

If you do not need a visa and you travel to the UK without one, the Documents page describes the documents that you should bring with you. If you cannot show that you meet the requirements for a general visitor, our officers at the UK border may refuse to let you enter the UK.

What documents do you need as a business visitor?

This page contains information about the documents that you may want to provide to support your application to come to the UK as a business visitor. If you apply for a visa, you should provide these documents with your visa application. If you travel to the UK without a visa, you should bring them with you so that you can show them to our officers at the border.

You should provide as many relevant documents as you can to show that you qualify for entry to the UK. If you do not provide them, we may refuse your application. You must decide which documents will best support your application. We advise you to consider providing documents that contain:

• information about you
• information about your finances and employment
• your accommodation and travel details
• information about your visit to the UK

How to apply

This page explains how to apply for a visa as a business visitor. Depending on where you live, you may be able to make your visa application online or by printing out and completing one of the following application forms:

• application form VAF1E - if you are applying as an academic visitor
• application form VAF2 - if you are a doctor undertaking a clinical attachment or taking the PLAB test, or a dentist undertaking a clinical observer post
• application form VAF1C - if you are any other type of business visitor

As part of your application, you will need to enrol your fingerprints and facial image (known as 'biometric information') at a visa application centre. Select your country in our country finder to find out:

• how to apply in your country
• the location of our visa application centres
• how long we generally take to process visa applications
• how your documents will be returned to you

                                             Print PDF