Overview
The Child Visitor Visa is the Standard Visitor Visa issued to an applicant under 18. It permits a child to enter the UK for up to six months to visit family, see the country, or attend a short course at a school or activity camp. It is issued under the same visitor rules that apply to adults, with one additional layer: the Home Office must be satisfied that the child's travel and stay in the UK have been properly arranged and consented to by everyone with parental responsibility.
That extra layer is where applications fail. A child whose parent or guardian in the home country has not given written consent, or whose care arrangements in the UK have not been clearly explained, is likely to be refused regardless of how strong the funds evidence is. Our Glasgow advisers prepare the consent letter, the care and accommodation evidence, and the sponsor's letter to the standard the Home Office expects.
Not what you need? If the child is coming to the UK to study for more than six months, that is the Child Student Visa. If the child is joining a parent who lives in the UK permanently, that is the Child Dependant Visa. A visitor visa is for short visits only; working or long-term study on it is not permitted.
We act for Glasgow families bringing children from Pakistan, India, Nigeria and across the world for school holidays, family occasions and short cultural visits. The process is straightforward when it is prepared correctly.
Key Benefits
Consent and care evidence prepared
The consent letter from a parent or guardian in the home country and the care arrangements letter from the UK sponsor are the two documents that distinguish a child's application from an adult's. We draft both in the format caseworkers expect and make sure every person with parental responsibility is accounted for.
Refusal risk checked before you apply
A visitor refusal for a child carries no right of appeal. Before you pay the Home Office fee, a Glasgow adviser reviews the child's circumstances, the relationship to the UK sponsor, and the funds evidence. We identify any gap and fix it before submission.
Sponsor letter drafted correctly
The person responsible for the child in the UK must write a letter that covers care, accommodation, the purpose of the visit and funds. Getting the detail and tone right matters. We draft it for Glasgow sponsors so nothing is left out.
Fresh application after refusal
If a child visitor application has been refused, we review the refusal notice, identify the gap, and prepare a new, stronger application. There is no right of appeal for visitor refusals, so a well-prepared fresh application is the correct remedy.
Our Service Packages
Advice Package
A one-to-one consultation with a Glasgow immigration adviser. We confirm eligibility, explain the consent and care requirements, and give you a written action plan covering documents, the sponsor's letter, and funds evidence.
From £150 + VAT
Application Package
Full end-to-end child visitor visa application. We prepare every document, draft the consent letter and sponsor's letter, complete the online form, and submit on your behalf.
From £450 + VAT
Document Check
Already prepared the application yourself? Our advisers review every document and the completed form before submission, with a written checklist of any gaps in the consent, care, or funds evidence.
From £200 + VAT
Refusal Review
If the child's visitor visa was refused, we review the refusal notice against the visitor rules, identify the exact reason, and prepare a fresh application. Visitor visa refusals carry no right of appeal; a stronger new application is the practical remedy.
From £250 + VAT
What is the Child Visitor Visa?
The Child Visitor Visa is the Standard Visitor Visa issued to an applicant under 18. It is not a separate visa category: children apply under the same Standard Visitor Visa route as adults, with one additional layer of requirements around parental consent and care arrangements in the UK. A grant allows the child to visit the UK for up to six months per trip, for tourism, to see family, or to attend a short course or activity camp.
Glasgow families use this route every year to bring grandchildren, nieces, nephews and younger relatives to Scotland for school holidays and family occasions. The application is straightforward when all the pieces are in place; the consent documentation is where unprepared applications consistently fall short.
If the child is coming to study in the UK for more than six months, they need a Child Student Visa, not a visitor visa. If the child is joining a parent who lives in the UK permanently, they need a Child Dependant Visa. A visitor visa is for short visits only; studying long-term or living in the UK on it is not permitted.
Does the child need a visa?
Whether a child needs to apply for a visitor visa before travelling depends on their nationality. Children from visa-required countries need a Standard Visitor Visa regardless of their age. Children from visa-exempt countries, including much of Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia, do not need a visa but must still be able to demonstrate at the border that the visit is genuine, that funds are available and that care arrangements are in place.
Children who hold a British passport do not need a visitor visa. If there is any doubt about the child’s nationality or visa requirement, we confirm it at the first consultation before any cost is incurred.
Who can apply
Any child under 18 from a visa-required country can apply for a Standard Visitor Visa. There is no lower age limit; infants travel on visitor visas like any other child. The application is made on the child’s behalf by a parent, guardian or the sponsoring adult in the UK.
The child must intend to visit the UK for a permitted purpose: tourism, visiting family in Glasgow or elsewhere in the UK, attending a school trip or short course, taking part in a cultural, sports or educational event, or receiving private medical treatment. The child must intend to leave at the end of the visit and must not intend to work or study long-term.
Parental consent requirements
This is the requirement that distinguishes a child’s visitor application from an adult’s, and it is the most common source of refusals. The Home Office must be satisfied that the child’s travel has been consented to by everyone with parental responsibility.
If the child is travelling with one parent, the other parent must provide written consent. If the child is travelling with neither parent, both parents must provide written consent. If one parent is deceased, a death certificate must be included. If there is a court order affecting parental responsibility, that must be included too.
The consent letter should:
- Name the child and state their date of birth
- State the purpose of the visit and the intended dates
- Name the adult in the UK who will be responsible for the child during the stay
- Be signed, dated and include the consenting parent’s contact details
We draft the consent letters for Glasgow applications and check that every person with parental responsibility is accounted for. This is the step where unprepared applications most often fail.
Care and accommodation arrangements in the UK
Beyond consent, the application must demonstrate that the child’s care in the UK is properly arranged. The Home Office wants to know who will meet the child, who will be responsible for them throughout the visit, where they will stay, and that the adult taking responsibility understands what that involves.
For children visiting family in Glasgow, the grandparent or other relative acts as the UK responsible adult. For children visiting as part of an organised school trip or activity programme, the organisation takes that role. For unaccompanied children, the identity and relationship of the responsible adult are scrutinised more closely.
The UK sponsor’s letter should cover the relationship to the child, the purpose and dates of the visit, the address where the child will stay, the day-to-day care arrangements, and confirmation of who is meeting the costs. We draft this letter as part of the application service.
Children travelling without a parent
A child can visit the UK alone, provided the application clearly establishes who is responsible for them during the visit and that both parents (or all those with parental responsibility) have given written consent. This is a higher bar than for a child travelling with a parent, but it is routinely met when the documentation is complete.
Airlines have their own unaccompanied minor policies, which are separate from and additional to the immigration rules. Some airlines will not carry children below a certain age unaccompanied, or require advance notice and an additional fee. We advise Glasgow families on both aspects when the child is travelling alone.
Funds and financial evidence
There is no minimum financial figure set in the visitor rules. The funds must be sufficient to cover the cost of the trip, including return travel and accommodation in the UK, without the child relying on public assistance. The funds can be the child’s own (held by a parent), or can be provided by the UK sponsor.
Bank statements are the standard evidence. If the UK sponsor is funding the trip, their bank statements should be included alongside a statement in their letter confirming they are covering costs. If the parent in the home country is funding the trip, their bank statements should demonstrate that the money is genuinely available. Statements that show a sudden large deposit immediately before the application are likely to raise questions.
What a child visitor can do in the UK
A child on a Standard Visitor Visa can visit family anywhere in the UK, including Glasgow, travel as a tourist, attend a school, course or activity camp for a short period as part of the visit, take part in a cultural, sports or educational event, and receive private medical treatment.
A child visitor cannot work, take up a paid or unpaid position, or enrol in long-term study. Short attendance at a school or course is permitted; the key distinction is whether study is the primary purpose of the trip and whether it will last more than six months. If either is true, the Child Student Visa is the correct route.
Document checklist
A child visitor visa application typically requires:
- The child’s current passport, valid for the duration of the visit
- Completed online application form and photograph
- Consent letter from every person with parental responsibility
- Death certificate if one parent is deceased
- Any relevant court order relating to parental responsibility
- UK sponsor’s letter covering care, accommodation, purpose and costs
- Bank statements from the person funding the trip (parent or UK sponsor)
- Evidence of accommodation in the UK, such as proof of the sponsor’s address
- Evidence of the child’s ties to the home country (school enrolment, parent’s employment)
- Evidence of the visit’s purpose, such as a family invitation or activity camp booking
The exact list depends on the child’s circumstances, who is funding the trip and whether the child is travelling alone. We issue a tailored checklist for every application.
Child Visitor Visa fees in 2026
The Standard Visitor Visa fee is £135 for up to six months. This is the same fee charged for adult visitors; there is no reduced fee for children. Visitors, including child visitors, do not pay the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Long-term multi-entry visitor visas are available for children who visit the UK regularly: two years costs £506, five years costs £903, and ten years costs £1,128. Each trip must still comply with the six-month maximum stay per entry and all visitor rules. There may be a biometrics enrolment fee at the visa application centre, which varies by country. We provide a full cost breakdown before any application is submitted.
How long the application takes
Standard processing is around three weeks from the date of the biometrics appointment at the visa application centre. Priority services may reduce this at centres where they are available, for an additional fee. Processing times vary by location and by time of year; centres in some countries are busier than others during school holiday periods when travel demand is highest.
We advise on timing when there is a fixed travel date, such as a school holiday or family occasion in Glasgow. Leaving the application until the last few weeks before travel is the most common avoidable source of stress.
Long-term visitor visas for children
If a child visits the UK regularly, a long-term multi-entry visitor visa may be more cost-effective than applying each time. The same fee applies regardless of age: £506 for two years, £903 for five years and £1,128 for ten years. This is a popular option for Glasgow families whose grandchildren in Pakistan, India or elsewhere visit during most school holidays.
On each entry the visitor rules still apply: the child must not stay for more than six months per trip, must be able to demonstrate the purpose of that specific visit, and the consent requirements apply. A long-term visa does not mean the child can remain in the UK indefinitely or that checks at the border are removed.
If the application is refused
A Standard Visitor Visa refusal, for a child or an adult, carries no right of appeal. The route forward is a fresh application that directly addresses the reason given in the refusal notice. This is different from most other immigration routes, where a right of appeal or administrative review may exist.
Common reasons for child visitor refusals include: incomplete or missing consent letters, unclear care arrangements in the UK, insufficient funds evidence, or doubt about whether the child intends to leave at the end of the visit. All of these are correctable. We review the refusal notice, identify the specific gap, and prepare a new application built around that gap. A refused child visitor visa is not a permanent bar.
In rare circumstances, if a refusal decision is based on a clear legal error, judicial review through the courts is a separate remedy. That sits beyond advisory work, and we refer you to appropriate legal representation where it genuinely applies.
Child Visitor Visa or Child Student Visa?
The question comes up regularly. The distinction is straightforward in principle: if the main purpose of the stay is short-term visiting, tourism or a brief course alongside the visit, it is a Standard Visitor Visa. If the main purpose is enrolling in a school or educational institution for more than six months, it is a Child Student Visa.
Attending a two-week summer school in Glasgow while also visiting family is a visitor visa trip. Attending an independent school in Scotland for a full academic year is a student visa route. The distinction matters because applying under the wrong category is a common and easily avoidable reason for refusal. We confirm the correct route at the first consultation.
Child Visitor Visa or Child Dependant Visa?
If a parent is living and working or studying in the UK on a long-term visa, their child joining them to live in the UK is not a visitor. That is the Child Dependant Visa route. A visitor visa does not permit a child to live in the UK alongside a parent; it permits a temporary visit. Families sometimes apply for a visitor visa in this situation because it appears simpler, but it is the wrong route and leads to refusal. We check the family’s situation at the outset to ensure the right application is made.
Visiting family in Glasgow
A large proportion of our child visitor applications involve children coming to Glasgow specifically, most often to visit grandparents, aunts and uncles, or other extended family who have settled in the west of Scotland. Glasgow has significant communities with strong family ties to Pakistan, India, Nigeria and other countries, and school holiday visits between Glasgow and those countries are common.
We handle the full range: a grandchild visiting grandparents in Glasgow’s south side for the summer, a child attending a family wedding in Glasgow, a young relative visiting cousins in Paisley or Renfrew. The process is the same regardless of the occasion; what varies is the detail of the consent and care letters, and we tailor both to the specific circumstances.
How UK Visa Assistance helps
UK Visa Assistance is a Glasgow immigration practice. We prepare child visitor visa applications end to end: confirming whether a visa is needed, drafting the consent and sponsor letters, assembling the funds evidence, completing the online form and submitting on your behalf. We also review refused applications and prepare fresh submissions where the refusal reason is correctable. Our work is on fixed fees agreed in advance. To start, call 0141 496 0321 or request a callback for a free initial assessment of the child’s visit.
Frequently asked questions
It is the Standard Visitor Visa issued to an applicant under 18. It allows a child to visit the UK for up to six months for tourism, to see family, or to attend a short course at a school or activity camp. It is not for long-term study or for joining a parent who lives in the UK permanently. The same visitor rules that apply to adults apply to children, with extra requirements around parental consent and care arrangements.
It depends on the child's nationality. Nationals of visa-required countries need a Standard Visitor Visa before they travel, even if they are under 18. Children who hold a British passport or are nationals of a visa-exempt country do not need a visa but must still be able to demonstrate purpose, funds and care arrangements at the border. We confirm whether a visa is needed when you contact us.
Everyone with parental responsibility for the child must give written consent for the visit. If the child is travelling with one parent, the other parent's written consent is required. If the child is travelling without either parent, consent is required from both. If a parent is deceased, proof of that is needed. The consent letter should name the child, state the purpose and dates of the visit, name the adult responsible for the child in the UK, and be signed and dated.
Yes, but the application must demonstrate clearly that the care arrangements in the UK are adequate. The person meeting the child and responsible for them during the visit must be named in the application and in the consent letters. Airlines also have their own unaccompanied minor policies, which are separate from the visa rules. We advise Glasgow families on both when the child is travelling unaccompanied.
The person in the UK who is responsible for the child during the visit should write a letter covering: their relationship to the child, the purpose of the visit, the start and end dates, the address where the child will stay, the care arrangements during the stay, confirmation that they will meet the child's costs in the UK if the funds are being provided by the sponsor, and confirmation they understand responsibility for the child. We draft this letter for Glasgow sponsors as part of our application service.
The Standard Visitor Visa fee is £135 for up to six months, the same fee that applies to adult visitors. Long-term visitor visas cost more: £506 for two years, £903 for five years, and £1,128 for ten years. Visitors do not pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. There may also be biometrics fees at the visa application centre. We give you a full cost breakdown before you apply.
Yes. The application must show that the child's visit is funded, either by the child's parent or guardian in the home country or by the UK sponsor. Bank statements from whoever is funding the trip should be included. There is no minimum figure set in the rules; the funds must be enough to cover the cost of the visit, including accommodation and return travel, without recourse to public assistance. We advise on what level of funds is appropriate for the length and nature of the visit.
Yes, for visits up to six months. A child visitor may attend a school, course or camp in the UK as an incidental activity during the visit, provided it is for a short period and not the main purpose of the trip. If the main purpose is a course of study lasting more than six months, the Child Student Visa is required instead. We help Glasgow families understand which route applies before they apply.
The standard processing time is around three weeks from the date of the biometrics appointment at the visa application centre. Priority services may be available at some centres for an additional fee. Processing times vary by location and time of year. We advise on timing, particularly for school holiday trips where there is a fixed travel date.
A visitor visa refusal carries no right of appeal, regardless of whether the applicant is a child or an adult. The practical remedy is a fresh application that directly addresses the reason for the refusal. We review the refusal notice, identify the gap, and prepare a new application. Common reasons for refusal include insufficient consent evidence, unclear care arrangements, or insufficient funds evidence. These are all correctable with the right preparation.
Yes. Multi-entry visitor visas are available for two years at £506, five years at £903, and ten years at £1,128. These are useful for children who have grandparents or close family in Glasgow and visit regularly. Each trip must still comply with the visitor rules: the child must leave within six months of each entry, must not work or study long-term, and the consent and care requirements apply on each visit. We advise whether a long-term visa makes sense for the family's situation.
Yes. Our office is in Glasgow and we regularly act for Glasgow families bringing children from Pakistan, India, Nigeria and elsewhere to visit grandparents and family in Scotland. Most of the preparation is done by phone, video and secure document exchange. Being outside Glasgow is not a barrier: the sponsor is usually based here and we work with them throughout.