You are able to enter the UK to take part in an organised sporting event, if you have a letter of invitation. You can enter the UK for up to six months as a sportsperson, without a work permit. There are visa restrictions on the type of sporting activities that you can participate in.
As a business visitor, you can negotiate sponsorship deals and contracts, participate in unpaid trials, and participate in promotional work that involve personal appearances.
A personal coach can accompany a sportsperson at sporting events, and officiate for sporting events.
A groom can accompany a horse at sporting events.
A professional sportsperson or an amateur sportsperson can take part at paid competitive sporting events, unpaid charity sporting events, unpaid benefits, unpaid testimonials, and unpaid exibition matches.
An amateur sportsperson can join an amateur club in the UK. For our purposes, an amateur club is defined as one with no more than two professional sportspeople. Your role must be unpaid, but the club can provide expenses and accomodation.
Your application will need to contain comprehensive evidence to show you meet the requirements for the visa. The requirements include, but are not limited to an invitation letter from the organiser of a UK sporting event, and evidence that you can financially support yourself while you are in the UK.
Generally, any further sporting activities in the UK would require a work permit, as described below.
For a holiday in the UK that only involves recreational sporting activities, you can travel to the UK on a visitor visa.
Work Permits for Sportspeople
A work permit will be required if you want to join or represent a sports team in the UK in a paid capacity, coach sportspeople in the UK, or stay in the UK as a sportsperson for more than six months. This work permit category applies to sportspeople who have reached the highests levels in their sport.
You will need to obtain a work permit before you travel to the UK. Once the Work Permit is approved, it will be necessary to obtain entry clearance at a UK embassy.
Sportspeople are granted work permits depending on the length of their contract up to a maximum of five years.
