I have 3 long sits scheduled coming up. Then I have a break, and another offer after. My question is, how long can I stay in England? I’ve looked on line and the info varies…I am from the states. Has anyone stayed longer than 6 months, gone to another country, then gone back to England?
I believe that technically the 6 months starts again once you leave the UK and return. However, the immigration officer may refuse you entry upon your return.
The attached may help, although it’s a surprisingly grey area ( unlike schengen)
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The standard tourist visa is 6-months. From there it gets murky in regards to how long you need to be out of the UK before returning.
I once went for 5 months, left for 2 months and then had a hard time getting back in. After over an hour of questioning and assuring them that I have ties in the US, a job, family, money to support myself, etc, they let me back in. Now, I generally plan to leave the UK for at least as long as I was there before going back. Entering the UK just isn’t as straightforward as the Schengen zone, unfortunately. It just depends on who you talk to at the border. But definitely don’t overstay the initial 6-month tourist visa and make sure you have a plane ticket showing when you are leaving the UK.
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As an American citizen you can stay 6 months consecutively. There is no 180 days per year rule.
You can take a flight out and explore elsewhere and return for another extended period.
I have been coming and going for years without any difficulties. They do ask what I’m doing, when I’m leaving and occasionally where I’m staying.
Usually I prefer to stay less than 6 months at a time. That will be up to you. I have never been asked to provide evidence of anything.
I’m retired, visiting friends, enjoying my life is what I say truthfully. They love it and say enjoy yourself. Sometimes they say back again? How long this time?
Have on hand contact info of your friends (your hosts) and the addresses and let them know that you may be asked for this and they may be contacted to confirm your visit with friends.
Have never been asked. If you are staying in an Airbnb/hotel even for one night you can give this too.
I have never needed or had a visa in UK.
Have fun, big breath, don’t stress.
Yeah that’s me.
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Yes. And better not show that THS letter to immigration.
I came by boat, the immigration officer just chatted about my recumbent bicycle. No other proof needed.
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Absolutely agree. Less is more. Don’t open yourself up to more inquiry.
Smile big, be happy!
Also as disclaimer, I travel all the time so they can see my movements and I have been coming here to the UK since 1997.
Keep it simple
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A visitor can stay up to six months - there are things that you can not do on a visitor visa . It doesn’t give you the right to work for that you would need a work visa .
There’s no specific number of days before you can come back as a visitor again however
“You can not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits”
Here is a link to the U.K. gov information
Check you meet the eligibility requirements
You must have a passport or travel document to enter the UK. It should be valid for the whole of your stay.
You must be able to show that:
- you’ll leave the UK at the end of your visit
- you’re able to support yourself and your dependants during your trip (or have funding from someone else to support you)
- you’re able to pay for your return or onward journey (or have funding from someone else to pay for the journey)
- you’ll not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK your main home
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Hey @Amparo 
Do you know, if I entered the UK for like a week, then went to say Spain for two weeks, do I have to go through the whole immigration thing again in the UK and then get another six months visa? Only asking because I have time between sits and thinking of going to the UK for two weeks then back to the Schengen zone for a bit, within my 90 day Schengen period that is, then back to the UK for much longer as I have sits booked there. I wonder if immigration would query me more by doing this, flying in and out then back in, in a short period of time.
No paperwork for you I guess, but every time you can expect a queue at immigration.
(It is not as within Schengen.)
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Hello @ziggy
My response would be a guess as you are Australian and I am not familiar with your requirements. My guess would be yes 
you should be able to.
But do some research X
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In five UK trips, I have never once been asked to show proof of onward journey though one time on entering, I was quizzed extensively on my reasons for being there, asked how much money I had in financial institutions, what was my job, and a lot more questions. Officer eventually said that “had I been younger” 
he would have been asking a lot more questions. The questioning was pretty intense. Next visit, I gave the official my itinerary for my time in the UK and he smiled and said you have seen more of my country than me, have a great time! So I think as in a lot of countries, it purely depends on who you strike at immigration on the day.
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If you arrive at an airport that has eGates and they are open you can use them with an Australian passport . So you won’t need to see an Immigration Officer to enter U.K.
If there are no eGates or they are closed for some reason , you will need to see an Immigration Officer to get permission to enter into U.K. on arrival.
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@Silversitters. Oh! That’s great then! Of course, I had forgotten that I used them in 2022!
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Yes it’s super easy now. Have had a couple entries this year when they were out of service so had to see an officer but it does depend on the officer and I think mainly how they see you, perspective.
Old lady with a walking stick 
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I entered via Eurostar last summer with my daughter and all that was said after looking at our passports was “mother and daughter traveling?” I said yes and off we went.
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@ziggy The last two years on entering the UK, the eGate didn’t like my passport so had to see the Immigration Officer. Struck friendly ones both times and easy to answer their few questions because I really do have elderly family and friends in the UK. Have a new passport this year so we’ll see what happens with it!
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I agree, it just depends who you talk to at immigration. Like you, I’ve done several trips to the UK and was questioned extensively once. Never had any issues before or after.
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I don’t think it depends that much on the person. There is randomness, of course, but the main randomness would not be the person of the officer. Someone who waves really everybody through without questioning would not last long.
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@temba yes it’s always good to have friends or family there, my best friend from primary school lives in Scotland so I can always fall back on that if necessary. You are entering before me so I’ll be waiting to hear how you go though I don’t anticipate you will have any issues whatsoever. We are members of the British Commonwealth after all 
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@pietkuip I didn’t mean waving through without questioning. I meant one immigration officer might question someone extensively that another immigration officer might not have and vice versa. It’s very subjective. My experiences with entering the UK have varied considerably from being questioned for an hour to no questions at all.
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