UK Business Visa From Germany

If you are a German citizen, you may need to apply for a Business Visa for the UK from Germany depending on how long you want to stay and what you intend to do. German citizens don’t need to apply for a visa if they plan to stay in the UK for 6 months or less. You can attend business conferences, meet with a business partner or potential client and even survey the UK to see if it is a viable country for your business.

There are limits, however, when you enter the UK this way. You are regarded as a visitor and can only carry out unpaid work. You’ll also need to leave the UK once you have stayed up to 6 months. You’ll need to apply for an appropriate UK business visa to get more time to carry out business activities and earn from it. There are various UK Business visa types. See the options below for the one that suits your plans.

Page Contents

• Who Needs a UK Business Visa?
• Types of UK Business Visas
• Eligibility Criteria for UK Business Visa
• UK Business Visa Application Process
• UK Business Visa Application Fees
• Sponsor Employees from Overseas
• How Can Total Law Help
• Frequently Asked Questions

You can apply for the following Business visas, depending on your situation:

Innovator Founder Visa

German citizens can apply for the Innovator Founder visa to start a business in the UK. The company you intend to start must be innovative and new. Furthermore, before applying for this visa, you must show the Home Office that an eligible endorsing body has approved your business idea. You can live in the UK for 3 years, after which you can extend or settle permanently in the UK. If your visa is approved, you must meet with the endorsing body that approved your idea every 12 months. You have to show proof that your business is progressing. You can move to the UK with your family on this visa.

Global Talent Visa

The Global Talent visa is for Germans who are leaders or talents in their fields. You can also apply if you show promise as a potential talent or leader in your field. The fields considered in this application are digital technology, research and academia, and arts and culture. German citizens who want to apply for this visa must get approval from an eligible endorsing body in the UK. You can also apply for this visa if you have won an eligible award. With the Global Talent visa, you can live in the UK for up to 5 years. You can extend your stay or apply to settle in the UK permanently. While there is no strict requirement on what you can do with the Global Talent visa, you’ll need to set up a UK company in your field. You can also move to the UK with your family.

Global Business Mobility (UK Expansion Worker Visa)

You can move to the UK and set up a branch of your business already trading in Germany. To do this, you must be the German company’s owner, specialist employee or senior manager. You can stay in the UK for up to 12 months. It is possible to extend the visa for another 12 months. You can only spend 2 years in the UK on the UK Expansion Worker visa. You can also bring your family to the UK on this visa.

Here are the requirements for Business visa in the UK.

Innovator Founder Criteria

• You must be at least 18 to apply.
• You must prove that an endorsing body has approved your business idea.
• You must show you have enough money (£1,270) to cover living expenses in the UK.
• You must prove to the endorsing body that you have enough funds to start the business. You’ll also need to prove where the money is from.
• You must prove that your business idea is new, innovative, viable and scalable.
• You must have sufficient knowledge of the English language.

Global Talent Visa Criteria

• You must be at least 18.
• You must provide an endorsement letter.
• You must prove that you won an eligible award if you apply via the award route.

UK Expansion Worker Visa Criteria

• You must have a certificate of sponsorship (CoS) from the employer.
• You’ll need to prove you’ve worked for the employer in Germany for at least 12 months, except if you’re being paid up to £73,900 yearly.
• You must have a job that pays you the minimum salary requirement of £48,500 yearly.
• Your job must be on the approved occupations list.

To apply for the UK Business visa, you’ll need to do the following:

• Check the kind of Business visa that suits your immigration plans.
• Prepare your supporting documents.
• Get the endorsement letter, an eligible award or a certificate of sponsorship.
• Pay the required application fee online.
• Submit your application at the relevant portal on the Home Office website.
• Schedule biometric capture with TLScontact at Berlin, Dusseldorf or Munich.
• Attend your appointment with the visa application centre and submit your passport, fingerprints and photos. They will transmit them to the Home Office.
• Wait for 3 weeks for your application to be processed.

Here are the UK Business visa fees:

• £1,274 for the Innovator Founder visa.
• £205 for the Global Talent visa.
• £319 for the UK Expansion Worker visa.
• £1035 as the healthcare surcharge for a year. You’ll have to pay this no matter the type of Business visa you’re applying for.

If you succeed in setting up a business in the UK, you can hire local UK employees or from overseas. However, if you want to hire from abroad, you must apply for and get a valid sponsor licence. This licence from the Home Office permits you to get foreign nationals to work for you in the UK. Without it, you’ll have to hire only UK citizens in your company.