UK Visitor Visa Updates 2024: Working In The UK Whilst Visiting

Following an update to UK Visitor Visa laws, we are often asked ‘Can I work while I am visiting the UK?’

Generally speaking overseas visitors cannot work in the UK whilst visiting.

Visitors cannot:  

• take up employment in the UK;
• work for an organisation or business in the UK;
• establish or run a business as a self-employed person;
• undertake a work placement or internship;
• directly sell to the public; or
• provide goods and services

What Work Can Visitors Do?

There are some exceptions. These are called ‘Permitted Activities’.  Visitors can:

• attend interviews, meetings, conferences, and seminars;
• negotiate and sign deals and contracts;
• attend trade fairs to promote your business (you cannot sell things);
• do work-related training if you are employed overseas and the training is not available in your home country;
• give a one-off or short series of talks as long as they are not for profit or a commercial event (you must not be paid);
• carry out site visits and inspections;
• oversee the delivery of goods and services provided by a UK company to your overseas company or organisation;
• deliver training or share knowledge on internal projects with UK employees of the company you work for overseas; and
• install, dismantle, repair, service or advise on equipment, computer software and hardware, if your overseas company has a contract with a UK company or organisation.

Remote Working

The increase in people working remotely has given rise to new UK visitor visa guidance from the Home Office. 

The guidance states that visitors can undertake activities relating to their employment overseas remotely whilst they are in the UK, such as responding to emails and answering phone calls.

However, if a visitor is working in the UK, the main purpose of the trip must be for a ‘permitted activity’ – in other words for one of the reasons listed above. A visitor cannot come to the UK with the main intention to work remotely. So a visitor spending six months in the UK as a visitor but working remotely throughout that time, will be in breach of the visit rules.

The Home Office guidance states:

‘Where the applicant indicates that they intend to spend a large proportion of their time in the UK and will be doing some remote working, you should ensure that they are genuinely employed overseas and are not seeking to work in the UK’.

So expect to be asked about your employment if you indicate you will be working remotely while in the UK.

If you need any further guidance on this matter, please get in contact with our team.