UK Business Visa: Which One Do You Need?

Quick answer

Short business trips of up to 6 months, such as meetings, conferences and signing contracts, fall under the visitor rules.
Depending on your nationality, you need a Standard Visitor visa (£135) or an electronic travel authorisation (ETA, £20) before you travel.
To work for a UK business you need a work visa, usually Skilled Worker. To start an innovative business, look at Innovator Founder.
Global Business Mobility visas let overseas companies send staff to the UK, but they do not lead to settlement.

There is no single UK business visa. For short trips, such as meetings, conferences or signing a contract, you come as a visitor for up to six months, with a Standard Visitor visa or an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), depending on your nationality. To work for a UK business or set one up here, you need a work visa.

Which "business visa" do you need?

Start with what you will actually do in the UK:

Meetings, conferences, negotiations, site visits, training: the visitor rules. You need a Standard Visitor visa or an ETA.
A paid one-off engagement as an expert, such as a lecture: also the visitor rules, as a permitted paid engagement.
A job with a UK employer: usually the Skilled Worker visa.
Starting a new, innovative business: the Innovator Founder visa.
Being sent by your overseas employer to its UK branch, or to set up its first UK branch: one of the Global Business Mobility visas.

Short business trips: the visitor rules

You can come to the UK as a business visitor for up to 6 months at a time. Under the visitor rules you can:

attend meetings, interviews, conferences and seminars
negotiate and sign deals and contracts
attend trade fairs to promote your business, but not sell
carry out site visits and inspections
get work-related training if you are employed overseas
oversee the delivery of goods or services provided by a UK company
deliver training or share knowledge on internal projects with UK colleagues
give a one-off talk, or a short series of talks, that is not for profit

As a visitor you cannot:

do paid or unpaid work for a UK company, or work here as a self-employed person, unless it is a permitted paid engagement
claim benefits
live in the UK through frequent or back-to-back visits

If what you plan goes beyond the list above, you need a work visa, even if you are not being paid in the UK.

Do you need a visa or an ETA?

It depends on your nationality. The government's online checker at gov.uk/check-uk-visa tells you which applies.

If you need a visa, apply for a Standard Visitor visa. It costs £135 for up to 6 months. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.
If you do not need a visa, you usually need an ETA instead. That usually includes visitors from Europe, the USA, Australia and Canada. It costs £20 and lasts 2 years, or until your passport expires if sooner, and you can use it for as many trips as you like. Most decisions arrive within a day, but allow up to 3 working days.
British and Irish citizens do not need either, nor do people who already have permission to live, work or study in the UK.

Every traveller needs their own ETA, including babies and children. Bear in mind that an ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK.

Working for a UK business: the Skilled Worker visa

If you will be employed by a UK business, the usual route is the Skilled Worker visa. You need:

a job offer from an employer the Home Office has licensed as a sponsor
a certificate of sponsorship from that employer
a job on the list of eligible occupations
a salary of at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher (some roles qualify from £33,400)
English at level B2 (B1 if you already held this visa before 8 January 2026 and are extending)

The application fee from outside the UK is £819 for a visa of up to 3 years, plus the immigration health surcharge. The visa can last up to 5 years before you extend it. Under the current rules, Skilled Worker can lead to indefinite leave to remain after 5 years, though the government has proposed lengthening the standard qualifying period.

Starting a business: the Innovator Founder visa

The Innovator Founder visa is for people setting up a business in the UK that is new, innovative and scalable.

Before you apply, an approved endorsing body must assess and endorse your business idea. The endorsing body charges its own fees.
There is no minimum investment set by the Home Office.
You must have at least £1,270 in savings, held for 28 days in a row, unless you have already been in the UK for a year.
You can stay for 3 years, and may be able to apply for settlement after 3 years.
You can do other work outside your business, as long as it is a job needing at least a level 3 qualification.

The application fee from outside the UK is £1,357, plus the health surcharge.

If you are a leader in your field, a different route may suit you better. See our guide to the Global Talent visa.

Sending staff from an overseas company: Global Business Mobility

If an overseas business is sending its own people to the UK, look at the five Global Business Mobility visas:

Senior or Specialist Worker — for senior managers or specialists assigned to a UK branch of their employer. The minimum salary is £52,500.
UK Expansion Worker — to set up the first UK branch of an overseas business that has not started trading here. You can stay 12 months and extend once, up to 2 years in total.
Graduate Trainee — for graduate trainees on a placement at a UK branch.
Service Supplier — for workers delivering a contract covered by a UK trade commitment.
Secondment Worker — for workers seconded under a high-value contract with a UK business.

None of these leads to settlement, and time on them does not count towards it.

The old Sole Representative visa is no longer open to new applicants, except employees of overseas newspapers, news agencies and broadcasters. Sole representatives already in the UK can still extend. A business setting up its first UK branch now uses the UK Expansion Worker visa.

How to apply

Pin down what you will do in the UK. The activity decides the route, not your job title.
Check whether you need a visa or an ETA for a visit, using gov.uk/check-uk-visa.
For a work route, line up the sponsor or endorsement first. A Skilled Worker or Global Business Mobility application needs a certificate of sponsorship; Innovator Founder needs an endorsement.
Gather the evidence the route asks for: identity, English, funds and the documents from your sponsor or endorsing body.
Apply online, pay the fee and the health surcharge where it applies, and give your fingerprints and photo if asked.

Check every document against the route's requirements before you submit. A missing document is one of the easiest ways to lose an application.

Questions people ask

What is a UK business visa?

There is no single visa with that name. Short business trips of up to 6 months fall under the visitor rules, with a Standard Visitor visa or an ETA. Working in the UK or setting up a business here needs a work route, such as Skilled Worker, Innovator Founder or a Global Business Mobility visa.

Do I need a visa for a business trip to the UK?

It depends on your nationality. Some visitors need a Standard Visitor visa, which costs £135 for up to 6 months. Most others, usually including Europeans, Americans, Australians and Canadians, need an ETA, which costs £20. British and Irish citizens need neither. Check at gov.uk/check-uk-visa before you book.

Can I work in the UK on a visitor visa or an ETA?

No. Visitors can attend meetings, negotiate and sign contracts, attend trade fairs and do certain training, but cannot do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or work here as self-employed. The exception is a permitted paid engagement, such as a paid lecture as an expert. Anything more needs a work visa.

How much does a UK business visa cost?

A Standard Visitor visa is £135 for up to 6 months, and an ETA is £20. From outside the UK, a Skilled Worker visa of up to 3 years is £819 and an Innovator Founder visa is £1,357. Work visas also carry the immigration health surcharge, and Innovator Founder carries endorsement fees.

Which visa lets me start a business in the UK?

The Innovator Founder visa, if an approved endorsing body agrees your business is new, innovative and scalable. You can stay 3 years and may then apply to settle. If an existing overseas company is setting up its first UK branch, a senior employee can come on the UK Expansion Worker visa instead.

Does a business visa lead to settlement?

A visitor visa or ETA never does. Under the current rules, Skilled Worker can lead to indefinite leave to remain after 5 years and Innovator Founder after 3 years. Global Business Mobility visas do not lead to settlement, and time on them does not count. The government has proposed lengthening the standard qualifying period.