If you are a national from a country in the European Economic Area or from Switzerland you do not need a visa to come to the UK. If you are from outside the EEA you may need a visa, depending on where you come from and what you intend to do while you are in the UK. To find out visit the UKBA website.

View our powerpoint slide on Visa routes for researchers to see which one is best for you for coming to the UK.

Tier 5 (Temporary workers - Government Authorised Exchange Scheme)
To apply under Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange Scheme) you must have been issued with a certificate of sponsorship from an authorised host organisation.

This entry route is designed to share best practice without harming the resident labour market and so could be appropriate for sponsored researchers or academics visiting for longer than one month (for less than one month the academic visitor visa may be more appropriate).

The maximum stay under this route is 24 months and you will again need to score a certain number of points to be eligible, and prove that you have sufficient funds to support yourself.

The Sponsored Scientific Researcher (SSR) Initiative enables organisations to engage research scientists in formal research projects and/or collaborations for sharing knowledge, experience and best practice and enabling the individual to experience the social and cultural life of the United Kingdom. Review their website for more information on SSR for Tier 5.

The following countries are in the EEA: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Irish Republic, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are not members of the European Union (EU) but citizens of these countries have the same rights to enter and live in the United Kingdom as EU citizens.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/eucitizens/

This depends on a number of factors, including how long you intend to stay in the UK, what you intend to do here, and how (or whether) you will be paid. A rough guide is set out below, but before you apply for a visa you should check the UKBA website for the most up to date guidelines.

Short-term visits (e.g. attendance at conferences, short lecture tours or research visits)

If you are coming to the UK for less than 12 months to carry out research-related activity but will not be employed, or paid, in the UK you may be able to apply for an Academic Visitor visa in the business visitor category.

If you will be paid in the UK for your activity (e.g. to give lectures) and your stay will not last more than one month you may be able to get a visa for visitors undertaking permitted paid engagement.

Longer term or paid visits

If you intend to come to the UK for longer than 12 months, or will be paid for more than one month, then you will need to get a visa through the points based system (see below).

All EEA and Swiss nationals can enter and live in the UK without needing to apply. But if you are a national of Bulgaria or Romania, you may need to apply for our permission before you start work - see below. All other EEA and Swiss nationals can work in the UK without needing permission. For more information about living and working in the UK as an EEA or Swiss national, go to the European citizens section - www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/eucitizens

If you are from outside the EEA or Switzerland you will need to get permission to work under the Points Based System (see below), or if you will be in the UK for less than one month you may be able to apply for a business visitor visa that allows you to work under the permitted paid engagement rules.

The points based system is the entry route for people who need a visa and wish to work in the UK. It is split into five tiers and the most common routes for researchers to use are Tiers 2 and 5 (Government Authorised Exchange), and to a lesser extent, Tier 1 (Exceptional talent). Points are awarded for different attributes (for example, your qualifications, age, previous earnings, English language skills, and your available funds) and you need a certain number of points depending on the tier which you apply under. You can perform a self-assessment online to determine how many points you might be awarded when you apply. For Tier 1 you do not need a job offer, but for Tier 2 or Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange scheme) you will need a certificate of sponsorship from the organisation where you will be based. You should discuss with your employer or host organisation which visa is best for you, as this will depend on a number of factors, including how long you intend to stay, and whether you will be paid in the UK or not.

Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent)

Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) is for individuals who are leaders in their field, or show exceptional promise, and wish to come to the UK to work, but do not have a job offer. Your application will be assessed by one of the national competent bodies, depending on your field of expertise:

For natural and medical sciences - The Royal Society
For engineering - The Royal Academy of Engineering
For humanities and social sciences research – The British Academy
For artists – Arts Council England

The maximum stay for researchers under Tier 1(Exceptional Talent) is 3 years and 4 months, with the possibility of extending this for another 2 years. The eligibility criteria for Tier 1 can be found on the UKBA website.

Tier 2 (General)

To apply under Tier 2 (general) you must have a certificate of sponsorship (CoS) from your UK employer and they should indicate under what basis they have issued the certificate (this could be because your position is on  a list of shortage occupations for example, or because they been unable to find a suitable candidate locally). You must also score a certain number of points based on your qualifications, previous earnings, English language skills, and you need to prove that you will have enough funds to support yourself during your stay.
For the year from 6 April 2012 to 5 April 2013, a maximum of 20,700 skilled workers can come to the UK under Tier 2 (General) to do jobs with an annual salary below £150,000
Tier 2 (General) visas are for a stay of 3 years with the possibility to extend for another 3 years.

Tier 5 (Temporary workers - Government Authorised Exchange Scheme)

To apply under Tier 5 (Government Authorised Exchange Scheme) you must have been issued with a certificate of sponsorship from an authorised host organisation. This entry route is designed to share best practice without harming the resident labour market and so could be appropriate for sponsored researchers or academics visiting for longer than one month (for less than one month the academic visitor visa may be more appropriate).  The maximum stay under this route is 24 months and you will again need to score a certain number of points to be eligible, and prove that you have sufficient funds to support yourself.

The Sponsored Scientific Researcher (SSR) Initiative enables organisations to engage research scientists in formal research projects and/or collaborations for sharing knowledge, experience and best practice and enabling the individual to experience the social and cultural life of the United Kingdom. Review their website for more information on SSR for Tier 5. 

This will depend on your immigration status. UKCISA: The UKCouncil for International student Affairs provides advice on when students can and cannot work legally in the UK. If you would like to know more about studying in the UK visit our Education UK website for information on finding a course, funding, and working whilst studying.

Although the UK is no longer going to introduce ID cards for all citizens, some foreign nationals will still need a biometric residence permit (previously known as an ‘identity card for foreign nationals’). Initially this only applies to people from outside the European Economic Area who apply for an extension of their stay in the United Kingdom under certain categories. For more information visit the UK Border Agency website.

Residence documents for European nationals

If you are an EEA or Swiss national, you can apply for a registration certificate. This is a document which confirms your right of residence in the UK under European law. Under European law, you do not need to obtain documentation confirming your right of residence in the UK if you are a national of a country in the EEA.
However, if you want to support an application for a residence card by any of your family members who are not EEA nationals, you can find more information on how to do so here.

There are strict regulations about bringing animals into the UK. Visit the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs website for more information.

All the information on the EURAXESS-UK website is subject to constant, careful review. We do not assume liability for the contents. All contents are general in nature and cannot be binding in their cover of every individual case. They are neither necessarily exhaustive nor comprehensive, nor do they represent the status quo. As information they are not legally-binding and cannot substitute for experts' information on the respective topic.
Despite careful monitoring of contents, we assume no liability for the contents of external links. Exclusive responsibility for the contents of linked sites lies with the respective operator.