Entering UK for leisure while holding a business visa
I am holding a valid UK business visa and have visited UK for business purposes on prior visits. Am I allowed to enter UK with the same (business) visa if I am travelling to UK for leisure now?
Best Answer
There are two sides to this question...
If you are in the UK on a business visa, and you want to add some time for recreation and you can demonstrate that it is not the principal part of your visit, it is ok. It's reasonable for an individual to spend time in that way and no one will object.
If you are outside of the UK with unspent leave on your business visa and you want to engage solely in a tourist visit, it falls within the cognizance of the Immigration Officer to allow or disallow; it's spelled out in Paragraph 46HI of the Immigration Rules. This is because you want to do something different that what your visa was issued for. However, if you provide a satisfactory explanation to the IO, you will not have a problem. There is no way to tell the outcome in advance for a situation that falls within the discretion of an IO.
In all cases, you are bound by Paragraphs 41 of the Immigration Rules for any tourist/recreation activities you undertake.
A lot of people have this question and UKVI will be updating their web guidance early this year so as to leave no doubt on mixing business and recreation. This answer is consistent with their guidance.
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Can I enter UK on business visa?
The Business Visit Visa is for individuals who wish to come to the UK for the purpose of carrying out a permitted short-term unpaid business activity. The Business Visit Visa is a sub-category of the Standard Visitor route, which is a route for persons who wish to visit the UK for a temporary period of up to 6 months.What are three 3 activities you can do if you have a visitor visa business or tourism )? What are three 3 activities you Cannot do with a visitor visa?
And generally, tourists CAN:- Visit family and/or friends in the U.S.;
- Receive medical treatment in the U.S.;
- Attend social events, such as weddings, conventions, conferences, etc.;
- Join spouse/parent member of foreign military in the U.S. on temporary assignment;
How many days we can stay in UK on business visa?
Validity & Stay period: Usually, the UK business visa duration is around 1-3 weeks but certainly not more than 180 days! You can also apply for a longer-term UK Visa if you travel regularly to the UK. These UK Visas are valid for up to 2-10 years and allow multiple entries for up to 6 months on each trip.Can business people travel to the UK?
Business travel to the UK Like all other non-UK nationals, in most cases they are permitted to spend up to six months in the UK for tourist and/or business purposes. EEA and Swiss nationals do not need to apply for a Visitor visa ahead of their trip, as they are not considered \u201cvisa nationals\u201d.UK Business Visa Types 2021 | The Migration Bureau
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