Permitted activities and restrictions
What you can and cannot do while on a Standard Visitor visa.
What you can do on a Standard Visitor visa
As a Standard Visitor in the UK you are permitted to:
- study for up to 6 months at an accredited institution (but you cannot study at a state funded school or academy)
- study optional modules (electives) relevant to your course of study overseas, providing these are unpaid, involve no treatment of patients, and you are:
- aged 16 years or over and
- enrolled on a course of study abroad equivalent to at least degree level study in the UK and
- studying medicine, veterinary medicine and science, nursing or dentistry as your main course of study
- undertake research or be taught about research at a UK institution relating to a course of study you are enrolled on abroad and that is equivalent to at least degree level study in the UK
- visit friends and family, or take a holiday (outside of the times you are expected to study)
- attend meetings, conferences, seminars or interviews
This is not the full list of permitted activities. You can find the full information on what you can do on a Standard Visitor visa in the visitor appendix of the immigration rules. You can also contact us.
Immigration rules, appendix Visitor - permitted activities
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What you cannot do on a Standard Visitor visa
As a Standard Visitor who comes to the UK for the purpose of study you must not:
- work in the UK, including:
- taking up employment in the UK
- doing work for an organisation or business in the UK
- establishing or running a business as a self-employed person
- doing a work placement or internship
- direct selling to the public
- providing goods and services
- access medical treatment (except in limited circumstances), other than private medical treatment or to donate an organ
- get married or form a civil partnership, or give notice of intention to marry or form a civil partnership
- receive payment from a UK source for any activities undertaken in the UK, except for:
- reasonable expenses to cover the cost of travel and subsistence
- prize money
This is not the full list of activities, which are not possible on a Standard Visitor visa. You can find full information on Standard Visitor visas in the visitor appendix of the immigration rules. You can also contact us.
Immigration rules, appendix Visitor
Contact us through our enquiry form