If you are a non-UK resident hoping to start a business in the UK, you may have to apply for a UK business visa to achieve your goal. It depends on several factors, including the kind of business you want to set up, the types of business activities you intend to carry out here, and the length of your stay.
As a consequence of Brexit, the UK visa rules and requirements are now the same for European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals as they are for non-EEA nationals. However, under the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangement, no restrictions apply to Irish citizens who wish to work or set up a business in the UK.
In this post, we explain the various routes you can take as a non-resident, the different types of visas available, and the eligibility requirements for each one. This should provide you with a basic understanding of UK business visas. However, we recommend seeking professional advice and expert guidance from an experienced UK immigration specialist.
You can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for business purposes for up to six months at a time, often without the need for a visa. This is particularly beneficial if you decide to set up and run a UK company as a non-resident.
However, the permitted business activities that you can perform during any such visit are limited to the following:
As a Standard Visitor , you are not permitted to do any paid or unpaid work for a UK company (even if it’s your own) or as a self-employed person. To undertake any such activities, you may have to apply for a business visa or a Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor visa .
To enter the UK as a Standard Visitor, you must have a passport or travel document that is valid for the duration of your stay. You must also be able to show that you:
The rules may be different if you are travelling from Ireland or one of the Crown Dependencies (Jersey, Guernsey, or the Isle of Man).
Depending on your nationality, you may:
Use GOV.UK’s online service to check if you need a visa . If you don’t need one, you must still meet the eligibility requirements to visit the UK, and you may have to answer certain questions upon arrival at the UK border.
If you need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa , you must do so online before travelling to the UK. The earliest you can apply is three months before you travel.
A Standard Visitor visa costs £115, with a maximum length of stay of six months. However, if you visit the UK for business on a regular basis, you can apply for one of the following long-term Standard Visitor visas instead:
Regardless of which one you apply for, the maximum stay per visit is still capped at six months.
As part of your application, you will be required to book an appointment at a visa application centre. At this appointment, you will need to:
Once you have completed all of the necessary steps, you should get a decision within three weeks. However, processing times do vary.
There are other types of visas available to non-UK residents who wish to remain in the UK for business purposes on a long-term basis. These are as follows:
You must satisfy strict eligibility criteria to apply for these types of UK business visas.
The Innovator Founder visa replaced the old Innovator visa and the Start-Up visa. It is designed for entrepreneurs who want to set up an innovative business that is different from anything else on the market.
This visa allows you to stay in the UK for three years, but you can apply to renew (‘extend’) it for another three years when your current visa is due to expire.
It costs £1,191 per person if you are applying from outside the UK, or £1,486 per person if you are extending or switching your visa whilst in the UK. You will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge .
To be eligible for an Innovator Founder visa, you need to show that your business or business idea is:
Before applying, an endorsing body will need to assess your business or idea, to ensure that it meets these requirements. You may also have to prove to the endorsing body that you have sufficient funding.
You must apply for this UK business visa online and provide the following:
Additional documents may be required, depending on your individual circumstances, and you will also need to prove your identity.
If you’re applying from outside the UK, you should get a decision within approximately three weeks. However, it can take up to eight weeks if you are inside the UK and applying to extend your existing visa , or switch from a different visa .
The Global Talent visa replaced the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa. You can apply for a Global Talent visa if you are a leader or potential leader in one of the following areas:
With this visa, you can live and work in the UK for up to five years at a time as an employee, a self-employed person, or the director of a company. You don’t have to be sponsored by an employer, and there are no restrictions on the type of work that you can do within your field.
However, your application must be endorsed by a relevant authority with expertise in your field, unless you have won an eligible award . It costs £716 per person to apply, and you will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge.
You may be eligible for a Global Talent visa if you have one of the following:
Alternatively, you can apply by having your application peer-reviewed, but this takes longer.
You can apply for a Global Talent visa online. To do so, you will need to provide:
If you won an award or scholarship to study in the UK in the last year, you must also provide written permission to apply for this visa from the awarding agency or government.
Additional documentation may be required and will also have to prove your identity . You should get a decision on your application within three weeks, but it may take longer, depending on your individual circumstances.
There are slightly different requirements if you are inside the UK and wish to extend your Global Talent visa, or switch to a different type of visa.
The UK Expansion Worker visa replaced the Representative of an Overseas Business visa. One of several Global Business Mobility routes, this visa is designed for overseas workers assigned to the UK to set up a branch of an overseas firm that is not currently trading in the UK.
To apply for a UK Expansion Worker visa, you must currently work for the overseas firm as a senior manager (e.g. a CEO or company director) or a specialist employee.
To be eligible for this UK business visa, you must:
When you apply, you will need to have enough money to cover the following fees and costs:
You will be told exactly how much you need to pay when you make your application.
You must apply for a UK Expansion Worker visa online. To do so, you will need to provide:
In certain situations, you may be asked to provide other information or documentation. Once you have submitted your application and supplied all of the necessary information, you should get a decision within approximately three weeks.
The High Potential Individual (HPI) visa is designed to attract recent graduates from top-tier universities to the UK. If you have been awarded a qualification by an overseas eligible university in the last five years, you may be able to apply for this visa.
With an HPI visa, you can stay in the UK for two years, or three years if you have a PhD or other doctoral qualification. You can work as an employee or set up a business. There is no requirement to have a job offer or any type of business plan before applying.
To be eligible for the High Potential Individual visa , you must:
You must apply for a High Potential Individual visa online. To do so, you will need to provide:
Once you have applied online and provided all of the necessary documents, you should get a decision within approximately three weeks.
In most cases, you don’t need a UK business visa to set up a UK limited company as a non-resident. You can complete the incorporation process online and run your business from anywhere in the world, so there is no requirement to travel to the UK at any time or apply for a UK business visa.
However, this does not automatically give you the right to work in the UK. You will have to apply for a visa if you intend to perform certain business activities in the UK, or stay here for longer than six months at a time.
If you want to set up a limited company in the UK as a non-UK resident, you’ll still have to provide proof of ID and address documentation. You will also have certain obligations, including:
At Rapid Formations, our Non-Residents Package is designed to suit the unique needs of non-residents who want to form a company in the UK. This package provides everything you need to register a company online and start trading, including a London registered office address and a UK business banking solution.
Whether you’re looking to visit the UK to undertake certain business activities, relocate here to start or expand a business, or set up and run a UK company from overseas, there are several routes available.
You can stay in the UK for up to six months as a Standard Visitor. However, depending on your plans and personal circumstances, you may have to apply for a UK business visa if you want to stay for longer, or carry out paid or unpaid business activities.
The eligibility requirements are strict and varied, and the application process can be complicated. Therefore, we recommend getting in touch with a UK immigration specialist for expert advice and assistance.
If you would like to speak to us about setting up a company as a non-UK resident, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.