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🇬🇧 UK Start-Up Visa
The UK Start-Up Visa is a special visa category designed for entrepreneurs who wish to establish a business in the United Kingdom for the first time. This visa is aimed at individuals who have an innovative, viable, and scalable business idea but have not yet set up a company in the UK. The applicant’s project must be endorsed by an approved endorsing body recognized by the Home Office, and the business plan must be original with high commercial potential. The Start-Up Visa can also include the applicant’s spouse and children under 18. However, this visa does not grant indefinite leave to remain (ILR) directly; entrepreneurs seeking long-term residence can switch to the Innovator route at the end of their Start-Up Visa period.
📌 Validity Requirements
Applications for the UK Start-Up Visa are made online via the gov.uk platform. The specific form to be filled out depends on the applicant’s passport type and whether the application is made from inside or outside the UK. To be valid, the application must include payment of the immigration health surcharge (IHS) and all relevant fees, submission of required biometric data, and a valid passport. In addition, the applicant must hold a valid endorsement letter from an approved endorsing body, issued no more than three months before the application date and not withdrawn. The applicant must be at least 18 years old on the application date and, if they have received government or international scholarships in the last 12 months, provide a written permission letter. Applicants with certain visa types—such as Visitor, Short-Term Student, or Seasonal Worker—are not eligible to apply for a Start-Up Visa.
📝 Eligibility and Suitability Requirements
The applicant must have no history of immigration violations and must not be under immigration bail. To qualify for a Start-Up Visa, the business plan must be innovative, viable, and scalable—meaning it should be an original idea with realistic goals, market awareness, relevant skills and experience, and the potential to create jobs. The applicant must not have previously started a business in the UK, with the exception of those who held a Start-Up, Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur), or Doctorate Extension Scheme visa.
🕒 Entry Requirements and Health Screening
Applicants must obtain entry clearance before traveling to the UK on a Start-Up Visa. If applying from a country where tuberculosis (TB) testing is required, they must submit a valid medical certificate confirming they do not have active TB.
📊 Points-Based System
The UK Start-Up Visa application is assessed on a 70-point system:
- Innovative, viable, and scalable business idea: 25 points
- No previous UK business activity: 25 points
- English language proficiency at B2 level or above: 10 points
- Financial requirements: 10 points
Applicants meeting all these requirements achieve the full 70 points.
💼 Business Plan Requirements
The business plan must address market needs, provide a competitive advantage, and be genuinely innovative. Its viability should align with the applicant’s knowledge, experience, and resources, and it should demonstrate the potential to create employment and expand into national and international markets.
💰 Financial Requirements
Applicants who have been legally residing in the UK for over 12 months before the application date do not need to provide additional financial evidence. New entrants or those who have been in the UK for less than 12 months must show proof of personal savings of at least £1,270. This amount must have been held continuously for at least 28 days before the application date.
🗣 English Language Requirement
The applicant must demonstrate English proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking at level B2 or higher.
📄 Endorsement Letter
The endorsement letter must state the endorsing body’s name, reference number, the applicant’s personal details, a description of the business plan, and confirmation that the business idea meets the innovative, viable, and scalable criteria. It must also verify that the applicant will carry out the majority of their work in the UK and is a founding member of the business.
⏳ Visa Duration and Conditions
The Start-Up Visa is granted for a maximum of two years, including any time spent under the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur route, which cannot exceed two years in total. Holders cannot access public funds but are allowed to work in most roles except as a professional sportsperson. Study is permitted.
👨👩👧 Dependent Family Members
The applicant’s spouse and children under 18 can apply as dependants to join them in the UK. The dependent partner must be in a genuine and subsisting relationship, and children must apply together with their parents. Additional financial evidence is required: £285 for a dependent partner, £315 for the first child, and £200 for each additional child.
📌 Professional Support from Marsel Visa
Marsel Visa assists with every stage of the UK Start-Up Visa process—from preparing your business plan to securing endorsement, compiling all required documents, and monitoring the application until a decision is reached. To turn your entrepreneurial vision into reality in the UK and ensure your application is completed accurately, contact us today.