UK business visitor visa: what you can and cannot do

You cannot take a job, fill a role in a UK company, provide services directly to UK clients for payment, or sell goods to the public. Being paid by a UK organisation is only possible for a permitted paid engagement. If your company sends you to work at its UK branch, look at the Senior or Specialist Worker visa; employers hiring you need the Skilled Worker route.

As a business visitor employed or self-employed outside the UK you may attend interviews, meetings, conferences and seminars; negotiate and sign contracts; attend trade fairs to promote (not sell); carry out site visits and inspections; receive work-related training if employed overseas; and train or share knowledge on internal projects with UK colleagues of your overseas employer. Specific extra activities are allowed for listed overseas roles such as drivers, journalists, scientists, tour group couriers and film crew, as set out in the Visitor Rules.

A letter from your employer confirming your role, salary, the purpose and dates of the trip and who pays is the core document, together with an invitation from the UK company or event organiser. Company owners can add trade registry records, tax documents and evidence of the business relationship. Frequent business travellers can apply for 2, 5 or 10-year visas.

£135 for up to 6 months; £506, £903 or £1,128 for long-term visas. Decisions usually take 3 weeks from the biometric appointment; some visa application centres offer paid priority (£500) or super priority (£1,000) handling for visit visas.

There is no appeal and no administrative review against a Standard Visitor refusal. The refusal notice lists the requirements UKVI found unmet, most often doubts about your intention to leave, the source of funds or the purpose of the trip. You can apply again at any time with a new fee and evidence that answers those points.