Apply for your United Kingdom Visitor Visa easily and fast in the comfort of your home! The UK Standard Visitor Visa, also known as the UK Tourist Visa, is the perfect visa for travelers who want to visit the United Kingdom for tourism, business, medical reasons, or to visit their relatives and friends.
At iVisa, they created a simplified form by making it 50% shorter, faster, and very easy to answer, so you can forget about all the paperwork and get your UK Visa online without stress.
Their team does the entire application for you, and they also assign you an iVisa Expert who will guide you throughout the process from start to end, to help you avoid rejections from the government.
In 90% of the cases, the UK immigration authorities take no longer than 15 business days to decide on your UK Visitor Visa application, so if you want to visit the UK, keep in mind not to apply at the last minute.
For Greeks / EU citizens:
| What you need | UK ETA (NOT a Standard Visitor Visa) |
| Mandatory from | 2 April 2025 |
| Cost | £20 (since 8 April 2026) |
| Valid for | 2 years or until passport expires |
| Stay per entry | Up to 6 months |
| Multiple entries | ✅ Yes |
| Processing | Usually minutes (automated decision) |
| Apply | 👉 gov.uk or UKVI app |
| Exempt | British/Irish citizens, settled/pre-settled status holders |
For non-EU nationals who need a visa:
| Visa type | Standard Visitor Visa |
| Cost (up to 6 months) | £135 (from April 2026) |
| Long-term (2 years) | £432 |
| Long-term (5 years) | £771 |
| Long-term (10 years) | £963 |
| Apply via iVisa | 👉 iVisa.com |
UK ETA — What EU Citizens Need
Following Brexit, the United Kingdom introduced the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), a digital pre-travel permission system similar to the US ESTA. From 2 April 2025, all EU citizens are required to hold one before travelling to the UK.
UK ETA key facts:
- Cost: £20 per application (increased from £16 on 8 April 2026), non-refundable
- Valid: 2 years from approval, or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner
- Multiple entries: Yes, unlimited within the validity period
- Stay per entry: Up to 6 months
- Processing: Usually minutes, rarely more than 3 working days
⚠️ Critical points:
- Without an approved ETA, you will be denied boarding (plane, Eurostar, ferry)
- Required even for transit through UK passport control
- Every traveller, including infants and children, needs their own separate ETA
- An ETA does NOT guarantee entry; Border Force makes the final decision on arrival
ETA exemptions:
- British and Irish citizens
- Holders of settled or pre-settled status (EU Settlement Scheme)
- Holders of a valid long-term UK visa
Standard Visitor Visa — For citizens who need a Visa
If your country is NOT on the UK’s visa-exempt list, e.g., India, China, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Russia, you need a Standard Visitor Visa
This document is a multiple-entry visa that you can use to stay in the UK for no more than 6 months. To visit the United Kingdom regularly, the government also offers Long-Term Standard Visitor Visas that last 2, 5, or 10 years, each with a different fee.
Read our guide for England if you are preparing your trip there
Standard Visitor Visa costs:
- Up to 6 months: £135
- Long-term 2 years: £432
- Long-term 5 years: £771
- Long-term 10 years: £963
Processing: 90% of applications within 15 working days
What you can do with the UΚ Visitor Visa
● You can visit the UK for tourism, for a holiday, or for a vacation.
● You can see your family or friends.
● You can make stopovers at the airport.
● You can sign contracts.
● You can attend business meetings and other business activities.
● You can volunteer for up to 30 days with a registered charity.
● You can take part in a school exchange program.
● You can do a recreational course of up to 30 days, for example, a dance course.
● You can participate in fairs.
● You can participate in congresses as a listener or as a speaker (without charging fees).
● You can receive medical treatments.
● You can attend consultations with a British doctor.
What you CAN NOT do with the United Kingdom Visitor Visa
● You can not work.
● You can not take long courses or study for long periods of time.
● You can not reside permanently in the country.
● You can not live in the UK for frequent or successive visits.
● You can not claim public funds.
● You can not marry or register a civil partnership.
● You can not get a driver’s license.
Benefits of getting your UK Visitor Visa with iVisa
● Application is 100% Government Compliant. The team of iVisa Experts will review each one of the answers you give on the form and adjust them to be 100% compliant with the government requirements.
● Unlimited Access to your iVisa Expert. They assign you an expert to guide you through the entire application from start to end and to answer any questions you may have about the process.
● Simplified Form. While on the Embassy website, you will have to answer 150 confusing and tedious questions; at iVisa, you will only have to answer a 50% shorter form with clear questions. It will be like filling out a short survey.
● Fill out the form at your own pace. You can fill out the form at your own pace, make changes whenever you want, and save your progress, so you do not have to start from scratch, unlike the embassy website, which cuts you off from their website every time you take a break.
● Didactic Manual. Once you apply, at iVisa, they give you a Didactic Manual with all the tips you need to know to answer the difficult sections and the step-by-step of what you need to do to get your new visa without problems.
What is the process to apply for the UK Visitor Visa with iVisa?
To get the United Kingdom Standard Visitor Visa with iVisa, you just have to follow these steps:
1. Fill out the simplified iVisa form
2. Receive support from your iVisa Expert from start to end.
3. Submit the required documents according to the instructions they will give you.
4. Attend the mandatory visa interview.
5. Receive your new visa, and get ready to travel! Before your interview, they will send you a “Document Checklist” with the list of documents you should bring to the interview. After your interview, the UK immigration authorities will hold your passport to stamp your visa.
Where can I learn more?
In case you have any questions about the UK Standard Visitor Visa or any other travel document, you can reach out to their customer support team online or by email: help@ivisa.com. They are available 24/7 to assist you in case you run into any difficulties.
Important Instruction
● The UK Visitor Visa is a multiple-entry visa valid for 6 months.
● With the UK Visitor Visa, you can stay in the country for a maximum of six months after arrival.
● You may be able to apply for a visa extension if you are traveling for medical or academic purposes.
● The UK Visitor Visa is for tourism, business, taking short courses for no more than 30 days, or for medical reasons.
● You can also use the UK Visitor Visa for stopovers at the airport.
● You cannot do paid or unpaid work or get married while visiting the UK with the Visitor Visa.
● You do not need to book a flight to apply for your visa.
● They recommend travelers apply 3 months before their intended trip to the UK. The processing time for a Visitor Visa is, on average, three weeks after submitting your application.
UK Visa & ETA 2026 FAQ — Everything you need to know
No full visa is needed, but a UK ETA is mandatory since 2 April 2025. Cost: £20 (since 8 April 2026). Apply via the official UKVI app or gov.uk. Without an approved ETA, you cannot board your flight, Eurostar, or ferry to the UK. Valid 2 years, multiple entries, up to 6 months per stay.
The UK ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) is a digital pre-travel permission, similar to the US ESTA or Canadian eTA. It is NOT a visa. It authorises you to travel to the UK but does not guarantee entry. Border Force makes the final decision on arrival. It costs £20, takes minutes to apply for, and is valid for 2 years.
Citizens of countries NOT on the UK’s visa-exempt list, including India, China, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Russia, and many others. Cost: £135 for up to 6 months. Long-term options: £432 (2yr), £771 (5yr), £963 (10yr). Apply via iVisa or the official UK visa portal.
Up to 6 months per entry. The ETA itself is valid for 2 years (or until your passport expires). You can make unlimited trips within those 2 years, each up to 6 months.
Download the official UKVI app or visit gov.uk. Scan your passport, take a selfie, answer security questions, and pay £20. Decision usually made within minutes. Apply at least 3 working days before travel. Your ETA is linked to your passport; a new passport means a new ETA.
