Visiting the UK is covered by a family of routes, each for a different purpose. There are seven main ways to enter the UK as a visitor, including the non-visa ‘ETA‘ route. Picking the right one matters, as applying under the wrong route is a common reason for refusal or trouble at the border. 

Do you need a visa, or an ETA? 

Whether you need a full visa or a lighter digital permission depends on your nationality. 

If you’re a “Visa National“, you must apply for a visitor visa before you travel. If you’re visa-exempt, you don’t need a visitor visa, you need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), a £20 digital permission applied for through the UK ETA app. 

The UK has strictly enforced this since the 25th February 2026, so you may not be able to board if you don’t have the right permissions before you get to the UK. You can check whether you need a visitor visa or an ETA on the UK government website. 

The routes at a glance

Route	Who it’s for / Purpose	Max stay	Fee (2026)
Standard Visitor	Tourism, visiting family or friends, business meetings, and short study up to 6 months The most common route: most visitors need this one.	6 months per visit	£135 (6 months) £506 (2 years) £903 (5 years) £1,128 (10 years)
Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)	Visa-exempt nationals (US, EU, Canada, Australia, etc.) for ordinary short visits	6 months per visit	£20 (valid 2 years)
Marriage / Civil Partnership Visitor	Getting married or registering a civil partnership in the UK, with no plan to settle Needed even to give notice. You can’t marry on a Standard Visitor visa.	6 months	£135
Standard Visitor (medical)	Coming to the UK for private medical treatment Longer stay allowed for treatment.	Up to 11 months	£234
Permitted Paid Engagement (within Standard Visitor)	A specific paid engagement by an invited expert, e.g. a lecture, performance or examining	Up to 6 months, but engagement must be within 30 days of entry	£135
Short-term study	Studying an English language course of more than 6 and up to 11 months	6-11 months	£228
Visitor in Transit	Passing through the UK (landside) on the way to another country, up to 48 hours	48 hours	£74.50
Direct Airside Transit	Changing flights without passing through UK border control (for listed nationalities)	Airside only	£41.50

Standard Visitor 

The broadest route, and the one most people use. It covers tourism, visiting family and friends, business meetings and conferences, private medical treatment, and short study courses up to six months. Each visit is capped at six months, and longer 2, 5 and 10-year versions exist for frequent travellers, though each individual stay is still six months. If you apply for this visa on the basis of medical reasons, you can stay for up to 11 months; the fee is raised as a consequence of this. You can’t work for a UK business or claim public funds on this visa.

Case example: Priya, from India, wants to spend three weeks in the UK visiting her sister and doing some sightseeing. She applies for a Standard Visitor visa, shows her job and family ties back home and evidence she can fund the trip, and travels without issue.

For an English language course of more than six and up to eleven months, you may require a short-term study visa. The Standard Visitor route covers shorter courses under six months. Longer or formal qualification courses need a Student visa instead.

Marriage / Civil Partnership Visitor 

For couples coming to marry or register a civil partnership in the UK without staying afterwards. You need this route even just to give notice, you can’t marry on a Standard Visitor visa. It lasts six months. You cannot extend this visa, and you can’t switch to a family visa from inside the UK. If you intend to settle here after marrying, a Spouse or Fiancé route is the right one instead.

Case example: Daniel, from the US, and his partner plan to marry in London but then return home to live. Because they’re getting married in the UK, Daniel needs a Marriage Visitor visa, not a Standard Visitor visa or his usual ETA, even though he only needs it for the wedding itself.

Permitted Paid Engagement 

A narrow option within the Standard Visitor route for invited experts doing a specific paid piece of work, a lecture, a performance, examining, advocacy. You must complete the engagement within 30 days of arrival. Anything longer, or where paid work is the main purpose, needs a proper work visa, so take advice if your situation doesn’t clearly fit.

Case example: Sofia, a professor from Brazil is invited to give a paid guest lecture at a UK university. Because it’s a specific, invited engagement completed within 30 days of arrival, she can do it under the permitted paid engagement rules rather than needing a full work visa.

Transit routes 

If you’re only passing through the UK to somewhere else, you may need a transit route rather than a visitor visa. The Visitor in Transit visa is for a short landside stopover of up to 48 hours. You can check your eligibility here.

Case example: Lin, travelling from China to Canada, has an overnight stop in London and wants to leave the airport to rest at a hotel. Because she’s passing through the UK for under 48 hours, she applies for a Visitor in Transit visa.

The Direct Airside Transit visa is for changing flights without passing through UK border control, and applies to certain nationalities. Check which, if either, applies to you. 

Case example: Marcus, connecting through Heathrow on his way from another country, stays airside and never passes UK border control. Depending on his nationality, he may need a Direct Airside Transit visa just to change planes.

The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) 

Not a visa, a digital pre-travel permission for visa-exempt nationals. It costs £20, lasts two years (or until your passport expires), and allows multiple visits of up to six months each. It permits the same activities as a Standard Visitor visa. If you’re visa-exempt but have a previous refusal or a criminal record, it can sometimes be worth applying for a full Standard Visitor visa instead, so you can explain your situation before travelling. 

Case example: Emma, from Australia, is coming to the UK for a two-week holiday. As an Australian citizen she doesn’t need a visa, but she does need a £20 ETA, applied for on the UK ETA app before she flies.

Getting it right 

Whatever the route, you must be a genuine visitor who will leave at the end of your stay, and you can’t use visits to live in the UK. A visa or ETA doesn’t guarantee entry; Border Force can still refuse you if they doubt you’re a genuine visitor. The most common reason any visitor application fails is weak evidence that you’ll return home. 

Picking the wrong route may cause problems for your visit, and a refusal can affect future applications. If you’re unsure which route fits, or you’ve been refused before, we at Cross Border Legal Solicitors would be happy to help you. 

You may contact us by filling out our Quick Enquiry Form any time you need professional support or have any questions. Alternatively, you can call us during office hours on 07544669131 / 0116 3800 744. 

Cross Border Legal Solicitors Ltd is a UK Solicitor law firm regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. It is headed by Mr Tito Mbariti, a UK Immigration and Human Rights Solicitor, practising lawyer and member of the Law Society of England and Wales.