Applying for a Standard Visitor visa

A Standard Visitor visa won’t be suitable if you’re joining one of our Pre-Sessional English courses, even though some of these courses are less than six months.

• You can apply for a Student visa if you’re joining a Pre-Sessional English course for six, 10, 12 or 20 weeks
• You can apply for a Student visa or Short-term study visa if you’re joining a Pre-Sessional course for 30 or 40 weeks.

Please see our Applying for a Student visa from overseas page for more information.

If you’re studying with us for up to six months, the documents you’ll need to prepare to apply for a Standard Visitor visa include:

• A current passport that’s valid for the length of your proposed visit
• Proof of study, such as an offer letter or enrolment status letter. If you’re returning to the UK to re-sit exams or attend your viva, you should request a letter confirming this by emailing the Student Administration team at examsenq@liverpool.ac.uk
• Evidence of sufficient funds for your visit. There’s no official minimum amount although most guides recommend £70+ per day. An assessment will be made based on the information provided and likely travel and living costs for your intended stay
• If you’re studying certain areas in science, engineering or technology, an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate may be required, unless you’re from a country classed as exempt
• Evidence of parental consent if you’re under 18
• Evidence that you intend to return home at the end of your visit.

If your friends or family are planning to visit you in Liverpool and any of them require a Standard Visitor visa, they’ll need to prepare the following documents:

• A current passport that’s valid for the length of their proposed visit
• An enrolment status letter which confirms details of your course. Alternatively, if they're visiting to attend your graduation, you can request a graduation status letter, once you’ve enrolled for your ceremony, by emailing gradenq@liverpool.ac.uk
• A letter of invitation from you, outlining their relationship to you, the reasons for their visit, and how long they intend to stay 
• A copy of the photo page of your passport
• A copy of your current Student visa/biometric residence permit
• Evidence of suitable accommodation arrangements
• Evidence of sufficient funds for their visit. There’s no official minimum amount although most guides recommend £70+ per day. An assessment will be made based on the information provided and likely travel and living costs for their intended stay
• Evidence of parental consent if they’re under 18 and travelling alone (without someone over the age of 18)
• Evidence that they intend to return to their home country.

You’ll need to apply online at GOV.UK from overseas. If you're in North Korea, you must make a paper-based application using the VAF1D application form.  

The earliest you can apply is three months before you travel. The cost of a Standard Visitor visa, when applying from overseas, is £115.

Once you’ve submitted your application, you’ll usually need to attend an appointment at a visa application centre to submit your original documents and have your fingerprints and photo taken.

If your application is successful, a vignette will be added to a blank page in your passport. You can then travel to the UK during the validity period of your vignette, where your visa will be stamped and activated by a UK Border Force Officer upon arrival.

Apply for a Standard visitor visa

Please note, nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates can apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), instead of a Standard Visitor visa, for permission to enter the UK.

If you’re a non-visa national, you can usually apply for a Standard Visitor visa upon arrival in the UK. You’ll need to present your passport to a UK Border Force Officer. There's no fee for a Standard Visitor visa when you're applying on arrival.

Relevant supporting documents may still be requested from non-visa nationals so you should have these with you, in your hand luggage, ready to show, if asked to do so.

Certain non-visa nationals can use eGates on arriving at a UK port or airport. This includes nationals of any EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea or the United States.

If you use eGates, you’ll enter the UK as a Standard visitor but won’t receive a stamp in your passport. You should retain a copy of your flight booking and e-ticket or boarding card as proof of your date of arrival in the UK.