International sportsperson

Introduction

Apply to extend or switch to remain in the UK under the International sportsperson visa route.

You can apply for an International sportsperson visa if:

you have an endorsement from your Sports Governing Body
you have a Certificate of Sponsorship
you meet the financial requirements of the route
you can speak, read, write and understand English if you are applying to stay for more than 12 months.

eVisa

As part of the application process, you are also applying for an eVisa.

Healthcare surcharge

You may have to pay a healthcare surcharge (called the ‘immigration health surcharge’ or IHS) in addition to your visa application fee. Check how much you may have to pay.

Before you start

Before you start your application, read the guidance on:

eligibility
how to apply and required documents
fees

Certificate of Sponsorship

You should make sure that you have your Certificate of Sponsorship provided by your sponsor to hand when you apply, as it has information you will need to complete the form. Your application is likely to be rejected if you do not have a Certificate of Sponsorship.

You will only be considered for permission to stay as an International sportsperson. You will not be considered for any other type of permission to stay. You must use a different form if you want to stay for another reason.

How to apply

To apply for an International sportsperson visa, you need to:

fill in the application form and answer in English
pay for the visa fee online (in most cases)
book and attend an appointment at a visa application centre
pay the health surcharge
have your biometrics taken (fingerprints and photo)

You will be able to save your application and come back to it at another time if you need to.

How we use your data

The Home Office will use the personal information you provide to decide whether to grant your application. We may also share your information with other public and private sector organisations in the UK and overseas. For more detail please see the Privacy Notice for the Border, Immigration and Citizenship system. This also sets out your rights under the Data Protection Act 2018 and explains how you can access your personal information and complain if you have concerns about how we are using it.

Apply now