UK visitor visa: what are the 6-month, 2, 5 and 10-year options, the fees and the decision time?

Who does this apply to?

• This is general information. It does not assess anyone's personal situation. It is based on the GOV.UK Standard Visitor page as of October 2026. Fees can change, so check the page before you pay.

Length and fee options

• Standard Visitor visa: up to 6 months, £135.
• Long-term Standard Visitor visas: 2 years £506, 5 years £903, 10 years £1,128. On these, each visit can last up to 6 months.
• A visa for medical reasons (£234) is up to 11 months, and an academic visitor visa (£234) is up to 12 months.

What to know

• You can be given a shorter visa than you asked for. GOV.UK says this can happen if the applicant is not seen to meet the requirements for the full period. The fee is not refunded.
• Frequent and long stays can lead to the visa being cancelled. A long-term visa lets you visit many times for up to 6 months each, but it is not permission to live in the UK.
• If someone under 18 applies for a long-term visa, it is valid only until 6 months after their 18th birthday. The fee is not refunded. Separate rules for children are on the GOV.UK "If you're under 18" page.
• Each family member makes their own application, pays their own fee and has their own appointment.
• You can apply up to 3 months before travel. A decision usually comes within 3 weeks, and can take longer if extra checks are needed. People in groups report anything from 3 days to a few weeks.

Passport validity

• The GOV.UK page requires a passport valid for the whole stay. It does not say whether a long-term visa is shortened to match the passport expiry date.
• People in the group gave different information. If someone's passport expires soon and they are considering a long-term visa, it is safer to look at renewing the passport first, together with the travel dates. If in doubt, check the official page and the application centre.

Points to watch

• Whether to take a few short visas first or go straight to a long one depends on the person. There is no general rule.
• Official pages and fees change. This post is a general summary.

What can you do?

• On Apply for a Standard Visitor visa, read the "Long-term Standard Visitor visas" and fee sections.
• For personal immigration questions, find a registered adviser: GOV.UK: Find an immigration adviser. Money paid to an unregulated adviser cannot be recovered.