Investor visa (Tier 1)

Overview

You can apply for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa if:

you want to invest £2,000,000 or more in the UK

you meet the other eligibility requirements

If you or your family are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

If you or your close family member started living in the UK before 1 January 2021, you may be able to apply to the free EU Settlement Scheme.

Otherwise you need a visa to work in the UK.

Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme.

How long it will take

You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks when you apply from outside the UK.

Fees

You must pay £1,623 to apply for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa. The fee is the same if you’re extending or switching visas, or if you’re applying as a family member.

Healthcare surcharge

You’ll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. Check how much you’ll have to pay before you apply.

Get a faster decision on your application

If you’re applying to extend or switch in the UK you can pay an extra £500 for the priority service to get a decision within 5 working days.

Once you’ve got your decision letter, your biometric residence permit will take up to 10 working days to arrive.

How long you can stay

YYou can come to the UK with a Tier 1 (Investor) visa for a maximum of 3 years and 4 months.

You can apply to extend this visa for another 2 years.

What you can and cannot do

You can:

1. work or study

2. apply to settle after 2 years if you invest £10 million

3. apply to settle after 3 years if you invest £5 million

4. apply to settle after 5 years if you invest £2 million

You cannot:

1. work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach

2. get public funds

You also cannot work as a doctor or dentist in training unless one of the following applies:

1. you have a primary degree at bachelors level or above in medicine or dentistry from a UK institution that holds a Student sponsor licence or is a UK-recognised or listed body

2. you worked as a doctor or dentist in training the last time you were in the UK

3. neither of those conditions were part of the terms and conditions on a previous visa