UK Visitor Visa from Turkey
Turkish citizens who wish to come to the UK to visit, study, work, or see family will need to apply for a visitor visa to do so. All entry to the UK by Turkish citizens requires a visa; the type of visit visa will depend on the reason for the visa.
UK Visitor visa from Turkey can be complex, and this is why it is best to seek out the advice of an experienced legal advisor from Total Law. Our team members can assist in applications for a UK tourist visa from Turkey. Just call us at +44 (0)333 305 9375 or message us online.
Understanding The UK Tourist/Visit Visa
Turkish citizens can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for tourism, study for up to 6 months, business, and other types of permitted activities. On this visa, it is possible to stay in the UK for up to 6 months. However, it is possible to stay longer in some circumstances, such as for medical treatment.
Before applying, applicants should always check that what they plan to do in the UK is allowed on the Standard Visitor Visa. Applicants should also ensure they meet eligibility requirements, check if they will need to apply to visit the UK, and then apply online.
Do Turkish Citizens Need A Visa To Visit The UK?
A Standard Visitor Visa is required for all Turkish citizens who wish to travel to the UK. These visas are for brief visits to the UK, even for vacations. However, they cannot be used for work in the UK.
Page Contents
- Understanding The UK Tourist/Visit Visa
- Eligibility Criteria For Turkish Citizens Applying For A UK Standard Visitor Visa
- Required Documents For Turkish Citizens Applying For A UK Visitor Visa
- Types Of Visit Visa Category In UK
- How To Apply For A UK Visitor Visa In Turkey
- Duration Of Stay For Turkish Citizens With A UK Standard Visitor Visa
- UK Standard Visitor Visa Fees From Turkey
- Processing Times For The UK Visit Visa From Turkey
- Can You Extend Your Visit Visa In the UK?
- Common Reasons For UK Standard Visitor Visa Refusals In Turkey
- How Can Total Law Help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What You Can Do On A UK Standard Visitor Visa
Applicants from Turkey can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for the following reasons:
- For tourism, such as for a vacation or on holiday
- To visit family and friends
- To volunteer for up to 30 days with a charity registered in the UK
- To pass through the UK into a different country
- For some business activities, such as attending an interview or meeting
- To do a recreational course for up to 30 days
- To partake in a school exchange programme
- As an academic, dentist, or senior doctor
- To complete a study, take an exam, or do a placement
- For medical purposes
What You Cannot Do On A Standard Visitor Visa
Applicants cannot visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for the following reasons:
- To complete paid or unpaid work for a company in the UK or as a self-employed person
- To claim public funds
- To live in the UK for long periods via frequent or successive visits
- To marry, register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership. This could require a Marriage Visitor Visa
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Eligibility Requirements For Turkish Citizens Applying For A UK Visitor Visa
For a Turkish citizen to apply for a UK Standard Visitor Visa they will need to be able to meet the visa eligibility requirements. Applicants have to have a passport or travel document to enter the UK. The travel document or visa the applicant intends on using will need to be valid for the entirety of their stay.
Applicants will also need to show that they fit the other requirements:
- The applicant will need to show that they intend to leave the UK at the end of their visit.
- The applicant will need to show they can support themselves and any dependents for the duration of the trip or have funding from someone else to support them during this time.
- The applicant will need to show that they can pay for their return journey, or their onward journey, or that they have funding from someone else to pay for this.
- The applicant needs to show that they will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits to the UK and that they will not make the UK their main home.
There may be additional eligibility requirements for applicants to meet if they are travelling to the UK to study, take an exam, or complete a placement, as well as for those travelling as a senior doctor, academic, dentist, or for medical reasons.
Required Documents For UK Visitor Visa For Turkish Citizens
For a Turkish citizen to apply for a UK Standard Visitor Visa, they must prove their travel purpose and eligibility. This means that applicants will need to meet specific criteria, as shown above, and they will also need to provide certain documents to affirm that the eligibility criteria are met.
These documents include the following:
- A valid passport. This could be an ordinary passport or diplomatic passport with a validity of up to 6 months after the intended stay. However, alien passports, refugee passports, and travel documents cannot be used for an application.
- National ID.
- A completed Standard Visitor Visa application form.
- Proof of finances. Although no specific amount of money is required, applicants must be able to show that they can cover the total anticipated cost of the trip. This can be shown through bank statements, yearly incomes, or economic evidence of sufficient funds.
- Proof of residence. This could be shown through a green card, a residence permit, or a sticker on a passport if this is relevant to the applicant.
- Shown travel itinerary. This can be shown via a comprehensive plan that outlines the visitor’s purpose and schedules activities while in the UK.
- Details of accommodation. The applicant will need to show their travel arrangements, such as any hotel reservations or the invitation letter of a host.
- Proof of employment, if relevant. Applicants who are employed should provide a letter from their employer. This letter should state their position, salary, and approved leave.
- Disclose any criminal, immigration, and civil offences and the details of any of these offences that were committed.
It is possible that additional documents could be requested based on your circumstances.
Types Of Visit Visa Category In UK
There are several types of Visitor Visa to visit the UK, and these each serve an individual purpose. Depending on the type of Visit Visa the visa may last over 6 months.
Visit UK For Business Purposes
Turkish individuals can visit the UK for up to 6 months at a time for business activities, including:
- Attending conferences, meetings, seminars, and interviews.
- To negotiate or sign deals and contracts.
- To attend trade fairs for the promotion of a business, however, sales are not allowed.
- To obtain work-related training if employed overseas and the relevant training is not available in the country.
- To provide a one-off short series or talk, provided that they are not for profit and not for a commercial event, and also provided that the applicant is not paid for this.
- To carry out site visits and inspections.
- To oversee the delivery of services and goods provided by UK companies to an overseas company or organisation.
- To deliver training or to share knowledge on specific internal projects with UK employees of the same company that the individual works for overseas.
- To install, repair, dismantle, advise, or service computer software, equipment, or hardware, should the overseas company have a contract in place with a UK organisation.
Certain occupations may be able to do other additional activities in the UK on this visa. It is advisable to check if your job role is applicable for additional activity.
Visit the UK To See Your Family
It is possible to use the Visitor Visa to visit family in the UK. However, applicants need to prove that they will be visiting a family member. Relevant family members for this include:
- Spouses, civil partners, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters, and brothers.
- Grandparents or grandchildren.
- Spouses or a civil partner’s parents or siblings.
- The partner’s or civil partner’s children.
- Step-fathers, step-mothers, stepsons, stepdaughters, stepsisters, and stepbrothers.
- Unmarried partners with whom the applicant has been living in a genuine, subsisting relationship similar to marriage for at least 2 years before the application.
Applicants will also need to prove that they can support themselves and any of their dependents financially while in the UK.
Visit UK For Short Study
Applicants can visit the UK for up to 6 months to do the following:
- Study at accredited institutions, including English language courses.
- To do a short piece of research that is relevant to the course overseas.
- To do an elective, i.e., an optional additional placement, such as if you are studying medicine, nursing, dentistry, midwifery, or veterinary medicine and science.
- To sit an entrance exam, to retake a course module or exam, or to do a PhD oral exam.
- To take the OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) test or the PLAB test (Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board).
- To do unpaid clinical attachments for those who are graduates from dental, medical, or nursing schools.
Those who are visiting the UK to study at an accredited institution will need to prove the following:
- They have been accepted into a course that is provided by an accredited UK institute.
- The proposed course will be no longer than 6 months.
However, those who are doing a distance learning course can study for longer than 6 months as the majority of the studying will occur outside of the UK.
It is also possible to visit the UK to complete certain activities as a part of your course, including:
- Attending induction weeks.
- Doing face-to-face, intensive learning.
- Sit for assessments or exams.
- Have progress checks.
Those who wish to study for longer than 6 months will not be able to do so on this visa and will instead need to apply for a student visa, a short-term study visa for up to 11 months, or, in the case of children, a child-student visa.
For those visiting for research purposes for 6 months, there will be requirements to prove the applicant is over 16 years of age, they are already enrolled on an overseas course that is equivalent to a UK degree, and that they have been accepted by a UK higher education location to take part in research relevant to the said course.
Visit UK As An Academic
Those visiting as academics from overseas institutions will be able to do the following:
- Take part in formal exchange arrangements with counterparts in the UK.
- Carry out research during sabbaticals.
Senior doctors and dentists can:
- Partaking in research.
- Undertake clinical practices temporarily.
- Teach temporarily.
Those visiting as academics who wish to visit for longer than 6 months will still need a Standard Visitor Visa. In this case, the applicant will need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa before travel to the UK lasting up to 12 months for £234. Alternatively, the applicant could also visit for 6 months and then apply to stay longer for £1,172 to stay for up to 12 months total.
Visit UK For Medical Reasons
Those visiting the UK for medical reasons can visit for up to 6 months for the following reasons:
- To have private medical treatment at a medical facility or hospital.
- To have treatment at an NHS-registered hospital, provided that the care is paid for by the Turkish government via a reciprocal healthcare arrangement.
- To donate an organ to a close friend or family member. This even includes being assessed for suitability as a match for donation.
Those who are visiting for private medical treatment will need to prove that they meet the following criteria:
- The applicant has a medical condition that requires a private consultation or needs to be treated in the UK.
- The applicant has made arrangements for consultations or treatment in the UK.
- The applicant has enough money for funding to pay for treatment.
- The applicant is not a danger to public health in the event they have an infectious disease.
- The applicant can prove that they will leave the UK once their treatment is complete or when their visa is due to expire.
Those visiting for medical treatment must provide a letter from a consultant or doctor that confirms the following information:
- The condition the applicant has that requires treatment or a consultation.
- The location of the treatment or consultation.
- The estimated costs and likely duration of treatment.
How To Apply For A UK Visitor Visa From Turkey?
Those who wish to apply for a UK Standard Visitor Visa will have to apply before they travel. It is also critical that they attend an appointment at a visa application centre. However, you cannot apply any sooner than 3 months before you are travelling, and it is essential to meet eligibility requirements.
- Ensure you are eligible for the Visitor Visa, and check which type you may need. It is also advisable to ensure you have all documentation required prepared in advance.
- Complete the whole UK Visa application form and upload the required documents with it online.
- Once the application is uploaded, book an appointment at your local VAC (visa application centre) or UK embassy. This is necessary for biometric data submissions. There are several Visa Application Centre’s in Turkey:
- Adana
- Ankara
- Antalya
- Bursa
- Istanbul
- Izmir
- Once your biometrics are submitted, you will simply have to await a decision to be made on your application. If it is accepted you will then be able to travel.
Duration Of Stay For Turkish Citizens With A UK Standard Visitor Visa
The duration of the Standard Visitor Visa for Turkish citizens depends on the purpose of the visa. The longest amount of time any individual can stay in the UK is 12 months for academics. However, it is possible to get a Visitor Visa for longer; even with a 2-year, 5-year, or 10-year Standard Visitor Visa, a person can only be in the UK for 6 months at a time.
UK Visitor Visa Fees From Turkey
The type of UK visitor visa you will be using to travel will determine the length of your stay and the fees.
- A Standard Visitor Visa for 6 months costs £135.
- A Standard Visitor Visa for medical reasons for 11 months costs £234.
- A Standard Visitor Visa for academics for 12 months for £234.
- A 2-year long-term Standard Visitor Visa for 6 months per visit for £506.
- A 5-year long-term Standard Visitor Visa for 6 months per visit costs £903.
- A 10-year long-term Standard Visitor Visa for 6 months per visit costs £1,128.
Processing Times For UK Visit Visa From Turkey
Once an applicant has applied, proven their identity, and been given supporting documentation, they will typically obtain a decision in 3 weeks. It can be possible to receive a decision faster, however, depending on your circumstances.
Can You Extend Your Visit Visa In the UK?
You may be able to extend your stay for more than 6 months on this visa in the following situations:
- You are a patient receiving medical treatment.
- You are an academic, and you continue to meet eligibility requirements.
- You are a graduate retaking the PLAB test or doing a clinical attachment.
This costs £1,172 to extend your stay, and you must apply to extend the visa while still in the UK.
Common Reasons For UK Standard Visitor Visa Refusals In Turkey
Typical grounds for refusal for this visa type include:
- Inadequate financial proof.
- Questionable intent.
- Past breaches of visa rules.
- Criminal history.
How Can Total Law Help With UK Visitor Visa Application From Turkey?
Here at Total Law, we are experts at helping Turkish individuals obtain a Tourist Visa for the UK. There is a lot to understand about this visa, including the visa categories, financial requirements, documents required, and how to apply.
Our team can help you apply for your visa and avoid any issues in the application. Just give us a call at +44 (0)333 305 9375 or send a message online to get started today.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
A UK Tourist Visa only enables travel within the UK. Another visa will be required to enter a different country.
Travel insurance is not a requirement for a UK Visitor Visa for stays up to 6 months. However, if you intend on entering the Schengen Area through the UK then travel insurance is required for a Schengen Visa.
It is possible to apply for a UK Tourist visa if you have a criminal record. However, those who wish to enter the UK but have been convicted in the previous 12 months will usually be refused.
