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🇬🇧 UK · Tourist / Visitor visa

UK Tourist / Visitor visa approval odds

A UK Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to 6 months (2026) and covers tourism, visiting family, and permitted business activities. There is no fixed bank-balance rule — caseworkers assess whether you are a genuine visitor who will leave the UK, based on your funds, ties, and a credible plan.

Last reviewed July 2026 per our editorial standards. Source: GOV.UK — UK Home Office .

UK assesses a tourist visa on whether you are a genuine visitor who will return home on time. As an approximate starting point, this route runs near a 82% base approval — your finances, ties and history then push your personal odds up or down.

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Your trip

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Key requirements

  • Passport valid for the whole of your stay
  • Online application, up to 3 months before you travel
  • £135 fee for a standard 6-month visit visa (2026)
  • Proof of funds, accommodation, and plans to leave the UK
  • Evidence of ties (work, family, studies) that draw you home

Visa fee (cost)

£135 for the standard 6-month visitor visa (April 2026 rate).

Money & funds

No set minimum. Show you can cover the trip without working in the UK and have clear reasons to return home.

Typical timeline

Apply online and provide biometrics; standard visit-visa decisions take around 3 weeks from many countries.

Common refusal reasons

  • Doubt that you will actually leave the UK
  • Funds not credibly explained or recently deposited
  • Inconsistent or unsupported trip purpose
  • Previous UK or immigration breaches
  • A host or sponsor who is not credible or well documented

UK tourist visa refusal rates by nationality (year to March 2026)

Home Office decisions on entry clearance applications, by the applicant's nationality and visa type, for the year to March 2026. Withdrawn and lapsed applications are excluded. None of these predicts an individual decision — they show how strictly the bar has been applied.

UK tourist visa outcomes in year to March 2026, best to worst, for the nationalities we publish pages for.
NationalityRefusedIssuedDecided
South Africa3.9%96.1%79,168
Saudi Arabia5.5%94.5%456
Russia6.7%93.3%51,420
Belarus6.9%93.1%8,831
China8.2%91.8%530,487
Armenia8.7%91.3%4,772
Indonesia10.2%89.8%42,801
Turkey10.5%89.5%265,218
Thailand10.8%89.2%54,461
Cambodia11.6%88.4%3,043
Dominican Republic12.8%87.2%2,611
the Philippines14.3%85.7%55,258
Vietnam14.4%85.6%21,838
Lebanon14.5%85.5%14,807
Ecuador16.3%83.7%6,219
Mongolia16.3%83.7%3,807
Laos16.4%83.6%726
India18.1%81.9%661,624
Jordan18.1%81.9%16,457
Cuba19.9%80.1%1,002
Azerbaijan22.3%77.7%9,976
Namibia22.3%77.7%1,370
Madagascar23.6%76.4%626
Fiji23.7%76.3%1,150
Egypt23.9%76.1%40,166
Turkmenistan23.9%76.1%1,167
Mozambique24.2%75.8%1,165
Tunisia25%75%8,016
Kyrgyzstan27.1%72.9%1,996
Haiti28%72%421
Sri Lanka28.8%71.2%31,741
Zambia29.5%70.5%3,615
Gabon29.9%70.1%448
Nepal31.1%68.9%16,703
Uzbekistan31.2%68.8%10,733
Bolivia31.7%68.3%2,640
Jamaica32.9%67.1%8,883
Tanzania33.7%66.3%5,207
Malawi33.7%66.3%2,049
Rwanda33.7%66.3%1,829
Kazakhstan33.9%66.1%16,684
Kenya34.7%65.3%20,947
Morocco34.8%65.2%35,047
Libya35.5%64.5%4,248
Zimbabwe35.8%64.2%16,424
Angola36.4%63.6%2,180
Tajikistan36.6%63.4%1,406
Nigeria38.6%61.4%173,256
Mali43.2%56.8%680
Ghana43.4%56.6%46,695
Cameroon43.4%56.6%6,531
Algeria43.9%56.1%20,038
Iraq44.7%55.3%20,839
Iran44.8%55.2%14,600
Pakistan44.9%55.1%160,668
Sierra Leone45.7%54.3%3,044
Burkina Faso47.2%52.8%534
Botswana47.4%52.6%924
Benin48.1%51.9%842
Burundi52.9%47.1%314
Guinea53.1%46.9%1,865
Syria53.3%46.7%4,069
Bangladesh54.1%45.9%42,447
Uganda54.3%45.7%9,651
Ethiopia57.2%42.8%5,238
Togo57.5%42.5%808
Yemen59.8%40.2%3,359
Sudan61.6%38.4%5,637
Senegal62%38%4,425
Eritrea62.6%37.4%720
Somalia66.3%33.7%1,053
Afghanistan66.5%33.5%3,421

Source: UK Home Office — outcomes of entry clearance visa applications by nationality and visa type (Vis_D02) . Every nationality above links to its own page with the year-on-year movement and a comparison across destinations.

What actually moves the needle

Strong ties to home — a stable job, family, or property

This is the heart of tourist decisions for UK. Make it concrete and documented rather than assumed.

Funds that clearly cover the whole trip

Officers weigh this alongside everything else — gather clear evidence before you apply.

A specific, time-limited plan with bookings

Officers weigh this alongside everything else — gather clear evidence before you apply.

Avoid the common pitfall

The most frequent reason this route fails is a vague itinerary or thin finances that make your return look uncertain. Address it directly and you remove the biggest doubt.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a UK visitor visa in 2026?

A Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for a stay of up to 6 months. Long-term visit visas (2, 5, 10 years) cost more.

Can I study on a UK Standard Visitor visa?

Yes, for short courses of up to 6 months. Longer study needs the Student route.

Why are UK visit visas refused?

Most refusals come down to the caseworker not being satisfied you will leave — weak ties, unclear funds, or an unconvincing purpose.

How long does a UK visitor visa take?

Standard processing is around 3 weeks in many countries, though it varies. Priority services can be faster where available.

Explore related visa odds

UK tourist visa odds by nationality

Helpful guides

UK ETA 2026: who needs it, cost (£20) and how to apply → How long does a visa take? US, UK, Canada & Schengen (2026) → How to prepare for a tourist visa interview → How to build a travel history that strengthens your visa applications → Invitation and sponsorship letters that actually help → How to read visa approval and refusal rates →