It is required by law that any visa national visiting the United Kingdom on a short term basis must first be granted a valid visitor visa. There are a number of options which fall within this category.

 

Standard Visitor Visa

If you would like to travel to UK to visit for up to six months then you should look at applying for a general visitor visa. You may stay for a period of up to 12 months if you are traveling as an academic.​

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You can apply for a Standard Visitor visa if you want to visit the UK:

• for leisure, eg on holiday or to see your family and friends

• for business, or to take part in sports or creative events

• for another reason, eg to receive private medical treatment

 

In April 2015, The Standard Visitor visa has replaced the:

• Family Visitor visa

• General Visitor visa

• Child Visitor visa

• Business Visitor visa, including visas for academics, doctors and dentists

• Sports Visitor visa

• Entertainer Visitor visa

• Prospective Entrepreneur visa

• Private Medical Treatment Visitor visa

• Approved Destination Status (ADS) visa

 

Parent of a Child Student Visa
You can apply for a Parent of a Child Student visa if your child has or is applying for a Child Student Visa. Your child must be aged between 4 and 11 when you apply, and be attending an independent school in the UK..

 

In this category, the applicant is not allowed to do the following;

• switching into a different immigration category,

• getting public funds

• making your main home in the UK

• taking paid work, or attending school

• bringing your family members under the same application (they must apply separately)

Permitted Paid Engagement visa

If you wish to come to the UK to do specific paid work without having to be sponsored under the points-based visa system, you may apply to this category. This category has detailed lists on what you can and cannot do.

 

Marriage Visitor visa

You must apply for a marriage visitor visa if you want to get married, register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership in the UK. You can visit the UK for up to 6 months with this visa. You must leave the UK at the end of the visa and you are not able to extend/ switch to another visa in the UK.

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Visit the UK in a Chinese tour group

You can come to the UK for up to 30 days as part of a tour group through the approved destination status agreement (ADS) if you are a Chinese citizen. You must enter the country as part of your tour group (minimum 5 people) and stay with the group for the entire duration of your visit. 

 

You have to leave the UK when your ADS visa expires. This visa is not possible to extend.