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Sports visitors

This page explains how you come to the United Kingdom as a sports visitor.

Who can apply as a sports visitor?

You will only need permission to come (known as 'entry clearance' or 'a visa') to the United Kingdom for a sports visit of up to six months if you are a visa national. See the visa services website for more information.

If you a non-visa national, permission to come as a sports visitor for up to six months is not needed.

Multiple entry visas are available for sports visitors for six months, and one, two, five and 10 years. See the visa services website, which you can find on the right if this page, for more information.

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How to come to the United Kingdom as a sports visitor

To come to the United Kingdom as a professional or amateur sports visitor you must be able to show that you:

  • only want to visit the United Kingdom for up to six months;
  • plan to leave the United Kingdom at the end of your visit;
  • have enough money to support and accommodate yourself without working, help from public funds or you will be supported and accommodated by relatives or friends;
  • do not intend to charge members of the public for services provided or goods received;
  • do not intend to study;
  • can meet the cost of the return or onward journey;and
  • that you intend to take part in one or more of the activities shown in 'how do I know if I am a sports visitor?' below.

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How do I know if I am a sports visitor?

You will be a sports visitor if during the course of your short visit you intend to:

  • take part a particular sporting event, tournament or series of events;
  • take part in a specific one-off charity sporting event and that you will not be paid other than cash prizes or for board and lodging and other reasonable expenses;
  • join as an amateur a wholly or mainly amateur team and that you will not be paid other than for board and lodging and other reasonable expenses;
  • be a member of the support staff of a visiting sportsperson or an official (including those officials coming on a voluntary basis) attending the same event as the visiting sportsperson;
  • undertake personal appearances or promotional activities;
  • undertake a trial provided it is not in front of an audience, or training provided that they are not basing themselves here and they participate in friendly or exhibition matches only.

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Can I extend my stay as a sports visitor?

The maximum time that you can spend in the United Kingdom at any one time as a sports visitor is six months. If you were given three months permission to enter (known as 'leave to enter') when you arrived (this will be stamped in your passport) you may apply for an extension as long as your stay would not go beyond six months in total.

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Can I switch into another category while I am in the UK as a sports visitor?

You are not allowed to change into any category for which permission to come under the points-based system is needed.

This is unless you already have a certificate of sponsorship the creative and sporting category of tier 5 that was issued before you came to the United Kingdom. If you do, you can apply to switch into this category without leaving the United Kingdom to do this prearranged work.

You may do activities of business and entertainer visitor as well as sports visitor activities.

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Can my dependants come to the United Kingdom?

If you are coming to the United Kingdom as a sports visitor, your dependants can also come for up to six months.  Your dependants are a wife, husband, civil partner, same sex partner, unmarried partner and child under the age of 18 years old.

Your dependants may need permission to enter before they come. See the visa services website, which you can find on the right side of this page, for more information on how they should apply to come.

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Can I appeal if I am refused leave to enter as a sports visitor?

If we refuse your application, the entry clearance officer or the immigration officer will tell you in writing why you have been refused.

If you travel to the United Kingdom without permission to enter and are refused permission to enter, we recommend that you apply for permission to come before attempting to travel to the United Kingdom again.

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