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What Is a UK Business Visa?
A business visa is your ticket to the UK for work or business. It comes in various types, whether short- or long-term. The right type depends on your entry intention and duration of stay.
| Duration | Visa Types | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Short-Term |
Standard Visitor, Permitted Paid Engagement |
Up to 6 months, or 1 month for paid engagements |
Long-Term |
Innovator Founder, Skilled Worker, Scale-Up, Global Talent, HPI, Global Business Mobility |
For longer stays, business setup, or employment |
Seek guidance from a UK immigration lawyer to determine which business visa is right for you.
Who Needs a UK Business Visa?
Any non-UK national who plans to enter the UK for business purposes will need a UK business visa, whether a short-term business visitor or a foreign entrepreneur/startup. Specifically:
- you live outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
- you’re not eligible for Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
You may be exempted if you’re an EU national already settled in the UK before the recent immigration changes. Check with Gov.UK whether you need a UK visa.
Introducing the UK Route for Foreign Entrepreneurs: Innovator Founder
There are several UK business visas, but the main immigration route for a foreign entrepreneur UK is Innovator Founder. Other routes may be more complex. The Innovator Founder visa has replaced the old Start-Up and Innovator visa routes, creating a single, more focused pathway for founders.
This path is for you if you have an innovative, viable, and scalable business idea. Unlike its phased-out Innovator version, there’s no minimum required investment, and you don’t always need an entirely unique idea. The most crucial step is getting your business plan approved by an endorsing body.
Once approved, you can then apply for a visa, establish your UK business, and qualify for long-term settlement. Let’s start exploring your business immigration options.
Innovator Founder vs Self-Sponsorship
A Reddit entrepreneur asked whether they can simply register a UK company from abroad and then hire themselves. This is known as the self-sponsorship route UK, and it’s a complex area.
“Can I, as a foreigner, start a company in the UK and then employ myself to get a visa?”
— r/ukvisa
Yes, you can register a UK company from overseas, but the real challenge lies in getting a visa to work for it. The designated route for this is the Innovator Founder visa. With this route, your major concern is getting an endorsement for your business idea
The other complex alternative is sponsoring yourself through a standard work visa (e.g., UK Skilled Worker Visa).
Be sure to consult an immigration lawyer or licensed advisor to assess your situation and/or check your eligibility for the right business route.
Visa Eligibility UK Criteria in 2025
Whilst the Innovator Founder visa is the route designated for foreign entrepreneurs in the UK, you have several other pathways to start a UK business:
Book a free initial review with Legend Consults today and learn more about each business visa’s requirements and which route you are eligible for.
Required Documents for UK Business Immigration
Here’s an updated list of Innovator Founder visa supporting documents.
Let’s explore another point of confusion related to financial requirement UK. Should bank statements be always completely translated into English?
“Before translating your bank statement, ask your bank if they can provide it in English. Some do. I believe HSBC offers this option. … UKVI does not require a complete translation of your bank statement.”
Note: This is only Reddit advice, not official guidance.
If the bank statement is not in English, it needs to be accompanied by a certified translation. However, the translation doesn’t always need to be verbatim, just your key details including account holder name, account number, balance, and transaction dates.
Innovator Founder Visa Application Timeline
Disclaimer: The timelines above are a mix of reasonable estimates and official processing times.
Sometimes, it can take longer, as one Reddit user wondered if it really does take much time to wait:
“I submitted my application three months ago and I’m still waiting. I didn’t expect it to take this long.”
— u/foryourinformation43 on r/ukvisa
Note: This statement does not constitute official advice.
Currently, the average visa processing time UK is around 3 to 8 weeks (outside and inside the UK applications, respectively). In this case, the user may have submitted missing or unclear documents. This sets the grounds for delay.
To avoid lengthy delays, be sure to check your application is accurate and complete. Getting assistance from a UK immigration lawyer will help increase your visa approval rate.
Step‑by‑Step Visa Application Process
Now let’s move to the step-by-step process:
1. Develop a Business Plan UK
This is the foundational step. Your business plan for visa should meet all the endorsing body’s requirements (e.g., unique, scalable, and viable). It should be created based on a clear market analysis, financial predictions, and your role in the process.
2. Apply for Endorsemen
Submit your business plan to one of the approved Endorsing Bodies, such as Envestors, Innovator International, or GEP. They will review it and may conduct an interview before issuing an Endorsement Letter if you are successful.
Your business plan will make or break your application. Here’s the secrets endorsing bodies may not tell you. We cover them in a webinar, so you don’t miss a thing.
3. Gather Supporting Documents
Before applying for the Innovator Founder visa, make sure you have the complete documents. For a recap, you need a business plan, an endorsement letter, proof of funding, and more. Check out our complete list above.
4. Apply Online & Pay Fees
Submit your application via the official UKVI portal and prepare to pay these fees:
- £1,191 if applying outside the UK
- £1,486 if applying inside the UK
- £1,000 for the endorsement body (typical but not fixed government fee)
- £3,105 (£1,035 per year) Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) for a 3-year visa
Disclaimer: Application and other initial fees change annually. Consult with an immigration lawyer for accurate and comprehensive costs.
5. Verify Identity
There are multiple options for verification. You can either:
- Scan the documents via UK immigration ID check application
- Visit the Visa Application Centre and provide biometric data (photo and fingerprints)
6. Wait for Decision
If you are applying from outside the UK, applications are usually finalised within 3 weeks, whereas if you are switching from within the UK, it may take up to 2 months.
7. Move to the UK
Upon approval, your visa is granted for 3 years, allowing you to move to the UK and launch your business. During this period, you must attend mandatory checkpoints with your endorsing body at 12 and 24 months to demonstrate progress. This route offers a direct path to UK settlement/ILR if you meet at least two official business success criteria upon completion.
Mistakes to Avoid When Applying
Many applicants meet all UK business visa application requirements but still get refused or delayed due to these common mistakes:
1. Submitting a Generic Business Plan
Submitting an outdated or generic business plan will certainly weaken your case. Endorsing bodies and the Home Office only accept plans with current, accurate data, that is, tailored to the UK market and with detailed financial projections.
2. Failing the Genuineness Test
You must be able to convince the endorsing body and the Home Office that you are a genuine entrepreneur who intends to, and is capable of, running the business.
3. Not Having an Exit Strategy
This is relevant to the genuineness test. The Home Office may also check whether you have prepared a proper risk management plan. If you cannot share an outline contingency plan in case you don’t meet the revenue, you will look less credible in the eyes of endorsing bodies.
4. Incorrect Financial Evidence
Not holding the maintenance funds for the required 28-day period is a very common reason for automatic refusal.
5. Overlooking Tax and Compliance Duties
No UK business is exempt from any tax duties. Failure to comply with the UK tax body will lead to issues with both visa status and ILR application.
6. Relying Too Much on Informal Advice
You can get help from online forums, but many applicants start to believe everything they read without any official guidance. If you’re serious about your application, be sure to seek advice from an SRA-certified immigration consultant.
Warning Against Non-Official Online Advice
Reddit is a good online forum to crowdsource helpful answers but to a certain extent. Let’s look at the case of a Reddit user who wants to start their grocery store in the UK whilst still on a student visa. Here are the ideas they got:
“Someone suggested that I could appoint someone else as the director of the company while keeping the shares in my name and working a maximum of 20 hours per week at the store until I obtain my Post-Study Work (PSW) visa. However, I’ve found out that even owning 10% or more of the shares in a company is considered engaging in business activity, which would still violate visa regulations. What are the potential consequences if I proceed with this plan?”
Note: This does not constitute legal advice.
For more details about this Reddit discussion, check the link above.
The plans suggested here are attempts to find a loophole. Once the Home Office determines you have breached your student visa conditions, the consequences can be severe:
- Graduate Visa/Post Study Work (PSW) refusal
- UK visa bans in the future
- Current visa curtailment
Better use the safe and correct way forward. Don’t start a business yet. Apply for a PSW visa. Once you get it, you can work for any employer and/or be self-employed. For professional advice on UK business setup requirements, our UK immigration expert at Legend Consults is here to offer valuable guidance.
Useful Resources & Expert Tips
With the right preparation and resources, your UK business visa application doesn’t have to be that complex. Here are some tips that may make your application easier:
• Monitor Official Updates
Visa rules change most often. Always double-check the gov.uk visas and immigration website, especially your UK business visa requirements.
• Use Certified Translation
If any of the documents you presented are not in English, a certified translation is required. Use translators approved by the Institute of Translation & Interpreting (ITI) or the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) to avoid rejection.
• Keep Digital Backups
Keep scanned records of your visa supporting documents like bank statements, endorsement letters, and IDs. This helps you quickly replace or provide any document upon UKVI’s request.
• Build a Network before Arrival
Prepare a list and join the UK business networks on LinkedIn or other local Chamber of Commerce community. This also positions you as a genuine businessman.
• Seek Professional Advice
Whilst you are searching for visa application process, an immigration solicitor can be helpful if you face any unusual circumstance like switching routes, eligibility issues, or previous refusals.
Is Hiring an Immigration Consultant Worth It?
We found this Reddit user sharing they handled their entire Innovator Founder Visa application on their own but later questioned whether skipping professional help might have left gaps.
“I’ve already put together a draft of my business plan and carefully reviewed the guidelines provided by the endorsing bodies. I’ve also been in touch with a few consultants, but I’m struggling to determine if their assistance is truly beneficial.”
Whilst you can prepare and submit an Innovator Founder Visa application without professional assistance, the process requires meeting strict innovation, viability, and scalability criteria. Without an immigration lawyer UK review, you risk missing the requirements or documentation that could affect endorsement.
Want to increase your chances of endorsement and visa approval? We recommend you to our UK immigration advisers at Legend Consults. We have helped a handful of entrepreneurs start businesses and thrive in the UK. Get a free initial consultation with our visa consultant today!
FAQs
The primary route for foreign entrepreneurs to establish a business in the UK is the Innovator Founder visa. It requires an innovative, viable, and scalable business idea approved by an official endorsing body.
There’s no minimum investment funding requirement for the Innovator Founder visa itself. You only need to prove you have sufficient funds to launch and sustain your business per your business plan.
Yes, the Innovator Founder visa allows you to bring your partner and any dependent children with you to the UK. You will need to show additional maintenance funds for each family member.
The UK continues to be a top destination for innovative entrepreneurs from around the world. Getting a UK business visa is an important first step, but as a foreign entrepreneur in the UK, it can be complicated to understand all the requirements. Knowing what to expect makes the process easier.
TL;DR
This guide covers everything you need to know about the UK business visa in 2025: who’s eligible, what documents are needed, how to apply, and common mistakes to watch out for. With the right information, you’ll be better prepared to start your business in the UK.
