# Living in UK on a visitor visa??



## UKvisitor2012 (Jul 14, 2012)

I am an Indian citizen and have held several multiple entry long term visitor visas to the UK in the past. I just keep travelling all the time as I have independent means of Income - is it possible for me to just use London as a base for spending no more than 6 months a year on a tourist visa??

Also I have never had a problem getting into UK with my financial documents etc... but now I want to rent a long term property or buy one in London and keep it as my base while still being on a visitor visa? Would I have any issues doing this as long as I can prove I have enough income, assets worldwide to go in and out of UK and don't need to work there? 

The other most important issue for me - is it possible for me as being on a visitor visa to buy a car and keep it in London? I have an international drivers license but who will insure me? I don't even know if on a visitor status I am allowed to register a car in the UK? If I rent an apartment in London lets say and buy / register a car to that address - can that be possible? I already have bank accounts in UK on my foreign address and that is not an issue - thing is I am not interested in doing any business right now nor am do I have a liquid million ££ cash sitting around to get the investor visa - I just want a pied a terre in London and a Car and be able to spend 6 months a year in UK that's all - is this realistically possible on a tourist visa???

Also - I know that a LOT of foreigners invest in London properties - and use them as pied-a-terres - do they all have investor visas to go in and out of UK or just come in as long term visitors? 

Thanks a lot!!


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## casjoe (Mar 9, 2012)

You cannot live in the UK on a visitor's visa. If caught, you would be deported and banned for up to 10 years.
You need to apply for the correct visa from your home country.


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## UKvisitor2012 (Jul 14, 2012)

casjoe said:


> You cannot live in the UK on a visitor's visa. If caught, you would be deported and banned for up to 10 years.
> You need to apply for the correct visa from your home country.


Sorry - I dont think you understand what I am saying. Why would I be deported? I am not working illegally or doing anything wrong in UK. Under visitor visa rules - one is allowed to spend upto 6 months a year in the UK each time they visit. I am only SPENDING my money in UK so why is that a problem??


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## casjoe (Mar 9, 2012)

I didn't see that part, but if you keep going in and out of the country they will get suspicious. Somebody with more knowledge will probably come in and give you a better answer, but I still think the answer is you need to have the correct visa.


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## 2farapart (Aug 18, 2011)

The visitor visa is given only at the discretion of UKBA and can be awarded for *up to* 6 months in any 12-month period (6 months is not actually guaranteed nor is an applicant entitled automatically to a full 6 months). If the UKBA starts to suspect that you are trying to live in the UK for half of the year each year (and buying vehicles and property would look overly suspicious behaviour for a mere visitor, as well as repeated applications), there is a good chance they will deny you further entry (which in turn will harm any genuine settlement application you might want to make later). I would imagine that each application for a further 6 months would be met with greater scrutiny.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

None of the replies addresses your specific query and is wide off the mark.

Some visa nationals, like Indians who satisfy certain conditions, can be issued with a general visitor's visa that is valid for up to 5 years. They cannot stay more than 6 months at a time, and generally no more than 6 months in a year, but they don't have to obtain a separate visa each time. It will be up to the immigration officer concerned whether to award a leave to enter, but it's quite common for someone with independent means to come in and out of UK as a visitor, and in fact the more frequently they do, the easier it is to be granted leave with a minimum of fuss. We aren't talking about a young backpacker with little money and weak ties at home, but someone with substantial assets overseas who only wants to use London as a base, and as the world's financial centre, London attracts a lot of well-to-do people and the government welcomes them with open arms. No, they won't get suspicious and you won't be deported. A lot of Arab sheiks and Russian oligarchs use visitor status to come to London, though some have long-stay visas.

Now to answer your questions, owning a property in London won't be a problem. Anyone can do so, you don't have to be a resident with a visa, and it can be held in your name, though many register it to an off-shore company for tax reasons. You may like to consult an accountant over this. Nor does owning a London property cause problems for your visitor status, provided you otherwise satisfy the conditions. You can also buy a car and register in your name. If it's brand new car, you need a proof of address such as utility bills, but if it's a used car, then none is required. As for insurance, not many companies will insure your car but try Aviva or Direct Line (phone them, don't use online quote) and an intermediary like https://www.hertsinsurance.com/walkabout.php, though I don't know if they accept an Indian driving licence. Alternative to buying - and keeping a car in London is an expensive business with high garaging charges and congestion charge - is long-term rental. Try a local company like Enterprise Car Hire. Or try a car club where you have access to a pool of cars when you need one.


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## goose10110 (Jun 23, 2012)

UKvisitor2012 said:


> The other most important issue for me - is it possible for me as being on a visitor visa to buy a car and keep it in London? I have an international drivers license but who will insure me? I don't even know if on a visitor status I am allowed to register a car in the UK? If I rent an apartment in London lets say and buy / register a car to that address - can that be possible? I already have bank accounts in UK on my foreign address and that is not an issue - thing is I am not interested in doing any business right now nor am do I have a liquid million ££ cash sitting around to get the investor visa - I just want a pied a terre in London and a Car and be able to spend 6 months a year in UK that's all - is this realistically possible on a tourist visa???


Hello - I have a couple of suggestions:

I am not sure about buying property in London while on a visitor visa but you can certainly rent property for long-term use, either through a lettings agency or direct to landlord. It helps if you have a guarantor, because of your visa status, but if you pre-pay your annual lease (seeing that you probably have the means to do so), I'm almost certain you will be hard-pressed to find agencies or landlords who will not rent you properties. Were you thinking about keeping the property all-year round or just 6-months at a time for when you're in London? I think either way you will still be subject to Council Tax. 

One way you can facilitate the process is, as I mentioned, having a guarantor in the UK. I'm sure you know at least 1 person in the UK who can co-sign a property lease for you. You could also look into having a co-lease holder, co-owner, or sub-letter who would be ok to live and maintain the property 6 months out of the year when you are not in the UK. I myself have done this as I'm back and forth in New York and London. I keep a flat in both cities year-round and just sublet the property I'm not occupying at the time, or both if I'm elsewhere. It can be a bit of a hassle sometimes, but if you work with property managers, they will do all the leg work for you -- rent your flat in the interim, pay the bills, furnish it, and get any repairs or renovations done, etc. 

As for a car, I would recommend one of those car-sharing businesses that are all over London, such as Zipcar. You only need to provide your international driver's license and have a credit card number on file. You get a card that will provide you key-less access to a good number of available cars (from mini-cooper to minivan) parked in designated garages. Insurance and gas are included. The cars are all new and well-maintained. You book online by the hour or by the day and not deal with personnel. If you live in Central London, I could almost guarantee there will be a garage close by that has these cars. No need to worry about getting a purchased car registered and insured, and paying long-term fees for a garage to keep your car when you are not around.

I hope this helps.


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## casjoe (Mar 9, 2012)

OK, sorry for giving the wrong answer. I hadn't heard of a long term visitor visa before.

I was curious, so I looked it up on the UKBA website. Here's what they have to say




> A long-term visit visa is valid for 1, 2, 5 or 10 years. The application fee is higher than for a short-term visit visa.
> 
> If we grant you a long-term visit visa, you are allowed unlimited entry into the UK for the time that the visa is valid. However, you can only stay in the UK for a maximum of 180 days during any 12-month period. For example, a 2-year visit visa does not entitle you to stay in the UK for 2 years.
> 
> ...


UK Border Agency | How to apply


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## UKvisitor2012 (Jul 14, 2012)

Joppa said:


> None of the replies addresses your specific query and is wide off the mark.
> 
> Some visa nationals, like Indians who satisfy certain conditions, can be issued with a general visitor's visa that is valid for up to 5 years. They cannot stay more than 6 months at a time, and generally no more than 6 months in a year, but they don't have to obtain a separate visa each time. It will be up to the immigration officer concerned whether to award a leave to enter, but it's quite common for someone with independent means to come in and out of UK as a visitor, and in fact the more frequently they do, the easier it is to be granted leave with a minimum of fuss. We aren't talking about a young backpacker with little money and weak ties at home, but someone with substantial assets overseas who only wants to use London as a base, and as the world's financial centre, London attracts a lot of well-to-do people and the government welcomes them with open arms. No, they won't get suspicious and you won't be deported. A lot of Arab sheiks and Russian oligarchs use visitor status to come to London, though some have long-stay visas.
> .




Thanks a lot for this, just what I needed to hear. I own additional homes and cars in India so proving to the UKBA that I am only using London as my SECOND home and European base won't be a problem for me. I already have long term visitor visas for UK so that's not an issue either. Thanks again....just what I needed to hear.


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## 2farapart (Aug 18, 2011)

Yes, I'd not heard of this either. My apologies for giving a totally wrong answer - and I'm glad you can do what you need to do without any problems.


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