Visa requirements vary depending on your nationality, travel purpose, family circumstances, and intended length of stay in the UK.
Understanding your specific immigration needs is the first step toward a successful visa application. If a visa is required, please ensure you apply for and receive approval before traveling to the UK.
You are likely to need a visa if you are coming to the UK for employment, study, or to undertake research. For example, researchers may enter under a Standard Visitor visa for up to 6 months, or apply for a longer stay (up to 12 months) if eligible as an academic visitor.
Before travelling, it is essential to check whether you need a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). You can find detailed guidance on visa types, eligibility, and application procedures on the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) website.
If a visa is required, you must apply for and obtain it prior to travelling to the UK. You should also ensure that you meet any additional requirements, including providing financial evidence, demonstrating English language proficiency, and supplying documentation for any dependants or family members.
Family members - including your spouse or partner, children under 18, and children over 18 if they are dependants - may need a visa to enter or remain in the UK. The specific requirements depend on your immigration status, your family’s nationality, and the length of their intended stay.
If you hold a valid work or student visa, your family members must apply for a visa to join or remain with you. This applies whether they are entering the UK for the first time or extending their stay. Family visas: apply, extend or switch: Overview - GOV.UK
If you are an EEA or Swiss national, but your family members are not, they will likely need a visa or an EU Settlement scheme family permit to enter the UK. You may also be able to bring extended family members - such as parents - under certain conditions.
For full details on eligibility, application procedures, and costs, please visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
There are strict regulations for bringing animals into the UK.
If you plan to bring a pet - such as a dog, cat, or ferret - into Great Britain (England, Wales, or Scotland), you must follow specific steps including microchipping, rabies vaccination, and obtaining the correct pet travel documentation. Dogs may also require tapeworm treatment before arrival. Rules for Northern Ireland are different and can be found at the webpage below.
Failure to meet these requirements may result in your pet being quarantined for up to four months or refused entry altogether.
For comprehensive guidance - including rules for other types of animals, travel routes, and exceptions for guide or assistance dogs - please visit:
For Great Britain: Bringing your pet dog, cat or ferret to Great Britain: What you need to do - GOV.UK
For Northern Ireland: Travelling with Pets | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
If you are a national from a country in the EU, European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you may need to apply under the UK’s points-based immigration system if you are moving to the UK. This system has been in effect since 1 January 2021, following the end of free movement after Brexit.
The UK’s points-based immigration system: information for EU citizens - GOV.UK
If you have settled or pre-settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme, your rights to live, work, and study in the UK are protected and unchanged.
If you or your close family members started living in the UK before 1 January 2021, you may still be eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. Otherwise, you are likely to need a visa to work, study, or do business in the UK, depending on the length and nature of your stay.
Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme, as their rights are protected under the Common Travel Area arrangements.
For full details and to check your visa requirements, visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.