UK New Start Up Visa and New Innovator Visa.

The UK Start Up visa is aimed at ambitious entrepreneurs looking to set up their first business in the UK. Replacing the Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa, the Start Up route is open to both graduates and non-graduates, and no initial funding is needed to be eligible.

The UK Start Up Visa opened to new applications on 29th March 2019. Aimed at aspiring and ambitious non-EEA national entrepreneurs looking to set up business in the UK, the new route will see applicants and their business ideas vetted by an approved industry body against set criteria, with no requirement to have initial capital investment.

What is the UK Start Up Visa? 

The Start Up Visa offers an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurs to start their career by pursuing a business idea in Britain that will bring wider benefit to the UK economy.

The visa is available for a maximum of two years, after which point the visa holder will either have to apply to switch to another visa category, such as the Innovator visa, where they can continue to develop their business.

The visa will only be open to those who have secured appropriate endorsement by authorized higher education institutions and business organizations listed by UK government. You can find a list at bottom of this page.

Duration of Start Up Visa:

Start up visa will be issued for maximum two years. It is not extendable however, it can be converted into New Innovator visa for business development. Innovator visa will be issued for three years.

What you can and cannot do

You can:

  • bring family members with you
  • switch to this visa from some other visa categories
  • work in another job, as well as working for your business

You cannot:

  • get public funds
  • work as a doctor or dentist in training
  • work as a professional sportsperson, for example a sports coach

settle in the UK on this visa

Read Also Work In Romania

Eligibility for Start Up visa:

Before you apply you need to have your business or business idea assessed by an approved body. They will provide you with an endorsement letter if your business is viable.

You must also:

  • be at least 18 years old
  • meet the English language requirement
  • be able to prove that you have enough personal savings to support yourself while you’re in the UK (You need to have had at least £945 in your bank account for 90 consecutive days before you apply)

English Language Ability:

You may need to prove your knowledge of the English language when you apply.

You can prove your knowledge of English by either:

  • passing an approved English language test with at least CEFR level B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Generally Ielts from 5.5 to 6.5 bands can be an equivalent to CEFR level B2.
  • having an academic qualification that was taught in English and is recognized by UK NARIC as being equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD

You do not need to prove your knowledge of English if you’ve already proved it to be level B2 or above in an earlier successful application.

Exceptions of Language:

You will not need to prove your knowledge of English if you’re a national of one of the following countries:

  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Australia
  • the Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Canada
  • Dominica
  • Grenada
  • Guyana
  • Jamaica
  • New Zealand
  • St Kitts and Nevis
  • St Lucia
  • St Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • USA

How to Apply for New Start up Visa:

First of all you need to prepare a business plan you want to set up in UK. You have to send your business idea to authorized Higher Education Institution or Business Organization listed by UK Government. List of these institutions is given below. However, you can download details by UK Government official website.

Once You have secured endorsement or approval from authorized bodies, you can apply for UK start Up Visa online at official UK Visa Application Portal. Same as other visas, you have to fill online visa application form and pay fee. After that you will be able to take print of visa application and appointment at Visa application center like VFS global to submit required documents.

Visa Processing Time:

Once visa application has been submitted online and at visa application center, a decision on submitted visa application will be made within three weeks.

Visa Fees:

363 Pounds if you apply from outside UK.

493 Pounds if you apply inside UK for visa conversion.

363 Pounds For each dependent outside UK.

493 Pounds for each dependent inside UK.

List of Endorsing Authorities for UK Start up Visa:

Business endorsing bodies

Higher Education Institutions endorsing bodies

  1. Anglia Ruskin University
  2. Arts University Bournemouth
  3. Aston University
  4. Bangor University
  5. Bath Spa University
  6. Birmingham City University
  7. Bournemouth University
  8. BPP University Limited
  9. Brunel University London
  10. Cardiff Metropolitan University
  11. Cardiff University
  12. City, University of London
  13. Contemporary Dance Trust
  14. Coventry University
  15. Cranfield University
  16. De Montfort University
  17. Edinburgh Napier University
  18. Falmouth University
  19. Florida State University International Programs Association UK
  20. Girne American University Canterbury
  21. Glasgow Caledonian University
  22. Goldsmiths University of London
  23. Guildhall School of Music & Drama
  24. Heriot-Watt University
  25. Imperial College London
  26. Keele University
  27. King’s College London
  28. Kingston University
  29. Lancaster University
  30. Leeds Arts University
  31. Leeds Beckett University
  32. Liverpool John Moores University
  33. London Business School
  34. London Metropolitan University
  35. London School of Economics and Political Science
  36. London South Bank University
  37. Loughborough University
  38. Manchester Metropolitan University
  39. Middlesex University
  40. Newcastle University
  41. Northern School of Contemporary Dance
  42. Norwich University of the Arts
  43. Nottingham Trent University
  44. Oxford Brookes University
  45. Plymouth College of Art
  46. Queen Mary University of London
  47. Queen’s University Belfast
  48. Ravensbourne University London
  49. Regent’s University London
  50. Roehampton University
  51. Royal Academy of Music
  52. Royal Agricultural University
  53. Royal College of Art
  54. Royal Holloway and Bedford New College
  55. Sheffield Hallam University
  56. SOAS, University of London
  57. Solent University
  58. Swansea University
  59. Teesside University
  60. The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts
  61. The Robert Gordon University
  62. The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
  63. The University of Buckingham
  64. The University of Cambridge
  65. The University of Northampton
  66. The University of Salford
  67. The University Of Sheffield
  68. The University of West London
  69. University College London
  70. University for the Creative Arts
  71. University of Aberdeen
  72. University of Bath
  73. University of Birmingham
  74. University of Bradford
  75. University of Brighton
  76. University of Bristol
  77. University of Central Lancashire
  78. University of Chester
  79. University of Dundee
  80. University of Durham
  81. University of East Anglia
  82. University of East London
  83. University of Edinburgh
  84. University of Essex
  85. University of Exeter
  86. University of Glasgow
  87. University of Greenwich
  88. University of Hertfordshire Higher Education Corporation
  89. University of Huddersfield
  90. University of Hull
  91. University of Kent
  92. University of Leeds
  93. University of Leicester
  94. University of Lincoln
  95. University of Liverpool
  96. University of Manchester
  97. University of Northumbria at Newcastle
  98. University of Nottingham
  99. University of Oxford
  100. University of Plymouth
  101. University of Portsmouth
  102. University of Reading
  103. University of South Wales
  104. University of Southampton
  105. University of St Andrews
  106. University of Stirling
  107. University of Strathclyde
  108. University of Sunderland
  109. University of Surrey
  110. University of Sussex
  111. University of the Arts London
  112. University of the West of England
  113. University of the West of Scotland
  114. University of Ulster
  115. University of Wales Trinity Saint David – Carmarthen Campus
  116. University of Warwick
  117. University of Westminster
  118. University of Wolverhampton
  119. University of York
  120. York St John University

For More Details Please Visit UK Government Official website.