Updated 9 September 2026
How long does a UK visa take?
Knowing the expected wait helps you plan work, study and family commitments. Start with your visa route and whether you are applying inside or outside the UK.
Browse every route's processing time
Visit visa
- Standard Visitor8 weeks
Study visas
- Student8 weeks
- Child Student8 weeks
- Student3 weeks
- Child Student3 weeks
- Study English in the UK: Short-term student (6 to 11 month English language courses)3 weeks
Family visas
- Partner or spouse (meeting minimum income and English language requirements)8 weeks
- Partner or spouse - private life (minimum income and English language not required)12 months*
- Parent12 months*
- Child8 weeks
- Adult coming to be cared for by a relative8 weeks
- Partner or spouse12 weeks
- Parent12 weeks
- Child12 weeks
- Adult coming to be cared for by a relative12 weeks
Ukraine visas
- Ukraine Permission Extension scheme8 weeks
- Homes for Ukraine3 weeks
Popular work visas
- Skilled Worker8 weeks
- Health and Care Worker3 weeks
- Skilled Worker3 weeks
- Health and Care Worker3 weeks
Temporary work visas
- Government Authorised Exchange8 weeks
- Charity Worker8 weeks
- Creative Worker8 weeks
- International Agreement8 weeks
- Religious Worker8 weeks
- Government Authorised Exchange3 weeks
- Charity Worker3 weeks
- Creative Worker3 weeks
- International Agreement3 weeks
- Seasonal Worker3 weeks
- Religious Worker3 weeks
Work visas you can apply for without a job offer
- Global Talent8 weeks
- Graduate8 weeks
- Overseas Domestic Worker8 weeks
- High Potential Individual (HPI)8 weeks
- UK Ancestry8 weeks
- Global Talent3 weeks
- Youth Mobility Scheme3 weeks
- India Young Professionals Scheme visa3 weeks
- UK Ancestry3 weeks
- High Potential Individual (HPI)3 weeks
Work visas to start a business
- Innovator Founder8 weeks
- Start-up3 weeks
- Innovator Founder3 weeks
- Start-up3 weeks
Work visas for an overseas employer
- Overseas Domestic Worker8 weeks
- Secondment Worker8 weeks
- Senior or Specialist Worker8 weeks
- Representative of an Overseas Business8 weeks
- Service Supplier8 weeks
- UK Expansion Worker8 weeks
- Overseas Domestic Worker3 weeks
- Graduate Trainee3 weeks
- Secondment Worker3 weeks
- Senior or Specialist Worker3 weeks
- Representative of an Overseas Business3 weeks
- Service Supplier3 weeks
- UK Expansion Worker3 weeks
Other visas and permits
- British National (Overseas)12 weeks
- Entrepreneur8 weeks
- International Sportsperson8 weeks
- Investor8 weeks
- Minister of Religion8 weeks
- Scale-up Worker8 weeks
- Turkish Businessperson6 months
- Turkish Worker6 months
- British National (Overseas)12 weeks
- International Sportsperson3 weeks
- Minister of Religion3 weeks
- Returning Resident visa3 weeks
- Scale-up Worker3 weeks
Visit visas
- Standard Visitor3 weeks
- Marriage Visitor3 weeks
- Chinese tour group3 weeks
- Transit3 weeks
A timeframe ending in “*” means gov.uk states no fixed service standard applies for that category — check the official page before relying on it. This tool provides guidance only. Always consult a licensed immigration advisor for official advice.
The table above shows UKVI's published times for each application type. These reflect current application volumes and are a planning guide, not a guaranteed decision date.
Wait for your decision before booking travel. UKVI does not cover travel costs or other expenses caused by a delay or refusal. Official processing-time guidance.
Check when your waiting time starts
Submitting a form is not always the start of the processing period. For standard applications, UKVI generally starts the clock when you complete the required identity and document steps through the ID Check app, or attend your biometrics appointment.
Use that starting point when comparing your wait with the published time. UKVI will tell you by letter or email when a decision has been made and explain what happens next. When processing starts and ends.
Plan the cost alongside the wait
Your application timeline is only one part of planning. Understanding the likely cost can help you prepare your budget before you apply.
How to reduce avoidable delays
Check your answers against your documents
Review names, dates and other details before submitting. Explain relevant differences rather than leaving UKVI to resolve them.
Provide the evidence your route asks for
Check the document requirements carefully, including financial evidence where required. Missing information can mean additional requests and a longer wait.
Make documents clear and complete
Follow the upload and translation instructions for your application. UKVI may still need to verify documents, even when you have supplied everything requested.
Watch for requests and appointments
Check your email, including spam, and respond within the stated deadline. If you are asked to attend an interview, follow the instructions or contact UKVI promptly if you cannot attend.
Answer questions about your circumstances fully
Give the information requested, including relevant personal circumstances. If you are unsure what must be disclosed, get regulated advice rather than guessing.
Allow room for delays outside your control
Extra checks, high demand and technical problems can lengthen the wait even when you have prepared carefully. Good preparation can reduce avoidable back-and-forth, but it cannot remove every delay.
Frequently asked questions
How long does ILR — or settlement — take?
It depends on the settlement route and service you use. For Skilled Worker settlement, GOV.UK currently says a decision usually arrives within six months of providing your fingerprints and photograph. Check your own route's guidance, including whether a faster service is available.
Can I pay to speed up my visa decision?
Sometimes: priority and super priority services are available for eligible applications. Availability and timing depend on your route, where you apply and how you prove your identity. Paying for a faster service does not guarantee approval or remove the possibility of further checks.
What should I do if my visa is taking longer than the stated time?
Check the current time for your route and service, counting from the correct starting point. If that time has passed and UKVI has not contacted you about the delay, use its official contact service. If you have received a request for information, respond by the deadline given.
Should I book travel before I get a decision?
No — wait for the decision before booking. A published processing time is not a promise that your application will finish before your departure date. If you are applying from inside the UK, travelling while you wait can also affect the application itself.
Does applying inside the UK take longer or shorter than outside?
There is no single answer: compare the published times for your particular route and service. Some differ by application location, and the rules about where you can apply also matter. A faster overseas time does not mean you can move an existing UK application abroad.
What if I need to travel urgently while my application is pending?
Get advice about your application and immigration status before leaving. For an application to stay covered by paragraph 34K, leaving the Common Travel Area — the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man — means the application is treated as withdrawn. Separately, if your permission is being extended by section 3C while you wait, that protection ends when you leave the UK, even for travel within the Common Travel Area. An urgent reason for travel does not automatically make either consequence disappear.
Inside-UK processing guidance · Outside-UK processing guidance. For urgent travel while an application is pending, see the travel and withdrawal rule and section 3C guidance.
Give your application a clearer budget
Now you have an idea of the wait, check the likely application costs with SettleWell's visa-cost calculator.
General information. Processing times can change and individual applications may take longer. Editorial sources checked on 15 September 2026. Guidance in plain English, not legal advice.