UK Visitor Visa

Apply for a UK Visitor Visa from Thailand

If you need a visa to enter the United Kingdom short-term for tourism, visiting friends and family, or other temporary activities, then the UK Visitor Visa is what you need. Also known as a Standard Visitor Visa and UK Tourist Visa, this UK Visa allows you to stay in the country for up to 6 months, giving you the opportunity to engage in various activities during your stay.

Continue reading to find out what you can do on a UK Visitor Visa, what the eligibility requirements are, and how to apply for it.

Eligibility Requirements

As a UK Tourist Visa applicant, you need to meet the following eligibility requirements:

• You must intend to stay in the UK only for the duration specified in your visa. For instance, if you are on a standard visitor visa, you can stay in the UK for no longer than 6 months and must show intent to return home.
• You must have enough funds to sustain yourself during your visit without having to rely on employment or government support to survive.
• You must provide evidence that you have enough funds to be able to make the trip to the UK as well as book a return flight.
• If you will be staying with relatives or friends in the UK, they must provide a statement confirming their legal presence in the country (or that they will be there at the time of your arrival) and that they will accommodate you during your stay.

Required Documents for a UK Visitor Visa

If you want to apply for a UK Tourist Visa from Thailand, you will need to provide the following documentation:

• Completed online UK Visitor Visa application form
• Valid passport
• Proof of finances (such as a recent bank statement)
• Evidence of strong ties to your home country or reasons for why you will be returning. Some examples include a proof of address document, an employment letter, and a bank statement (with information about your assets).
• Other supporting documents relevant to the application

If someone is sponsoring you for a UK Tourist Visa, you need to submit some additional documents as part of your application journey. In the case of a sponsorship, you must provide:

• Letter of invitation (by a UK citizen or permanent resident)
• Letter of sponsorship (by a UK citizen or permanent resident)
• Proof of stable employment and financial stability of the UK sponsor

Activities Permitted on a UK Visitor Visa

The UK Visitor Visa does not just allow you to take a vacation in the United Kingdom, it also permits you to partake in various activities and visit the country for different reasons. Some of the activities you can take part in while on this visa consist of the following:

• You can stay with and visit your friends and family members in the UK.
• You can volunteer at a registered charity for 30 days.
• You can transit through the UK to another country.
• You can access the UK for certain business purposes such as attending a job interview or corporate meeting.
• You can attend certain events such as conferences, training sessions, and seminars among other examples.
• You are allowed to take part in an exchange program for an educational institution.

Depending on your current circumstances or intentions for visiting the UK, you can extend your UK Tourist Visa validity beyond the default 6-month duration. For these, you will need to provide additional documentation and proof that you are arriving in the UK for these specific reasons (such as an enrollment letter if going there to study). This includes:

• Needing to go to the country for medical treatment
• Attending a UK educational institution for study purposes
• Flying to the UK as an academic, senior doctor, or dentist

Activities Not Permitted on a UK Visitor Visa

While on a UK Visitor Visa, there are certain activities that all foreign nationals, Thai citizens included, are restricted from partaking in during their temporary stay in the country:

• You cannot use the tourist visa to extend your stay or live in the UK by making repeated visits.
• You must not work in the United Kingdom, regardless of whether the job is paid or unpaid.
• You cannot produce and sell goods, or provide services.
• You must not intend to marry or register a civil partnership with a partner in the UK.
• You must not use the visa to transit to a country outside the Common Travel Area.

Failure to comply with these rules can lead to deportation back to Thailand or your home country, and difficulty obtaining UK visas of any kind in the future. In the worst case, you may even be prosecuted.

How to Apply for a UK Visitor Visa

You can apply for a UK Tourist Visa by completing an online application on the UK government’s website and uploading all your required documents. If you do not want to apply online, you can complete a paper form and submit it to VFS in person. VFS is the UK Visa Application Centre and is operated by a government-contracted entity, not the British government.

Once submitted, your application is forwarded to the UK VFS in Bangkok, which is authorized by UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) to handle all British visas, regardless of category.

It will then be forwarded to the UKVI and a final decision will be made on whether to grant you the visa or not. After being approved, you will be notified about it accordingly and will need to collect your passport (which will have the UK Visitor Visa in it) at the Visa Application Centre in Bangkok. You can also pay for a courier service to obtain your passport at your home address in Thailand.

Meet Our UK Visa Team

What Siam Legal Can Do For You

Reach out to Siam Legal’s foreign visa team to streamline the UK Visitor Visa application, which can be challenging if applying without any professional support. Our full-service law firm and visa consultancy have been in operation for over 20 years in Thailand, meaning our team has the knowledge and experience needed to streamline your application and give it the maximum chances of approval. With our help, you can finish every step of your application and easily obtain your visa as quickly as possible, meaning you’ll have one less thing to worry about on your trip to the United Kingdom.

Contact Siam Legal today to secure your UK Visitor Visa and ensure your journey to the United Kingdom is smooth and hassle-free.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the difference between a UK Visitor Visa and a Schengen Visa?

While also considered a tourist visa, the UK Visitor Visa is different from a Schengen Visa. The UK Visitor Visa only allows you to visit the United Kingdom and the countries that are a part of it including England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

On the other hand, the Schengen Visa permits you to travel to 27 countries in the European Union. As the United Kingdom is no longer a part of the EU and is not party to the Schengen Agreement, you cannot use this visa as a substitute for a UK Visitor Visa.

My passport expires soon, can I still get a UK Tourist Visa?

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months when you apply and cover the entire duration of your stay in the United Kingdom while on the visa. There must also be at least 1 blank page in the passport for the visa sticker to be affixed.

When can I apply for my UK Tourist Visa?

You should apply for the visa 90 days before your desired travel date. To speed up the process, it's recommended that you apply as early as possible. Ensure you have not booked your flight yet until you have received the UK Visitor Visa.

What is the timeline for a UK Visitor Visa?

The processing time for a UK Visitor Visa is around 3 weeks but can be shortened if you provide all the right documents for the application. Missing, incomplete, or incorrect documents will cause delays. However, the amount of time it takes also varies depending on factors such as nationality, time of year, and the complexity of your application.

As a frequent traveller to the UK, can I stay beyond 6 months on a Visitor Visa?

As a frequent traveler, you can apply for one of the following long-term standard tourist visas if you want to stay longer in the UK:

• Standard Visitor Visa for Medical Reasons: Valid for 11 months and available if you have an official appointment with a medical centre or hospital
• Standard Visitor Visa for Academics: Valid for 12 months and available if you are enrolled in an educational program
• 2-Year Long-Term Standard Visitor Visa: Valid for 2 years, but allows you to stay consecutively for 6 months per arrival
• 5-Year Long-Term Standard Visitor Visa: Valid for 5 years, but allows you to stay consecutively for 6 months per arrival
• 10-Year Long-Term Standard Visitor Visa: Valid for 10 years, but allows you to stay consecutively for 6 months per arrival

Regardless of how long your tourist visa is, you are only permitted to stay in the UK no longer than 180 days per visit.

If there are no funds in my bank account, can I still apply for a UK Visitor Visa?

No, you must have sufficient funds in your bank account to cover the costs of your visit in order to apply for a UK Visitor Visa. This has to be done regardless if you are being sponsored.

What can I do if the UK immigration authorities reject my application?

If the UKVI has rejected your visa application, then reach out to Siam Legal for additional support on what to do next. Depending on the reason your application was rejected, you may have a chance to reapply for the UK Tourist Visa. If so, Siam Legal’s foreign visa staff will assist you with reapplying.

How much do I have to pay if I want to use your UK Visa service?

To leverage Siam Legal’s UK visa services in Thailand to help you acquire your UK Visitor Visa, our team charges around 24,500 baht (or the international equivalent) plus value-added tax (VAT). This fee covers our end-to-end services from initial consultation to receipt of your visa, but does not include the government fees required for the visa or the Visa Application Centre.

Can I receive a checklist for the UK Visitor Visa application?

Yes. If you need help preparing the right documents for the application, you can request a checklist detailing all the necessary items for the UK Visitor Visa. Additionally, our staff will work alongside you to gather these documents.

Can I expedite the UK Visitor Visa application?

Yes. If you want to speed up your application, you can apply for a priority service or a super-priority service.

• The priority service costs £500 (or the international equivalent) and reduces the time it takes for your visa to be fully processed down to 5-30 business days.
• The super-priority service costs £1,000 (or the international equivalent) and allows you to receive your visa as early as 1 working day. 

What Our UK Visitor Visa Clients Have to Say: