Updated on July 12, 2024

UK Investor Visa (Tier 1)

Investor Visa for business and life in Europe with family

£2,000,000

minimum
investment

2-3 months

term
of registration

from 5 years

investment
return period

Investor Visa (Tier 1) applications are no longer accepted.

The final decision to close the program was made by the Home Secretary of the UK Priti Patel on February 17, 2022.

The UK has been issuing Investor Visa (Tier 1) since 2008. To obtain it, an investor buys shares in British companies. The minimum amount of investment is £2 million.

An application is to be submitted no earlier than 3 months before the expected entry date. The applicant must have an amount not less than £2 million. Also, the investor opens an account in a British bank, where he transfers the money to invest.

A free future with a residence permit in the UK

  • 1

    Owning your own business in the UK

    An investor has the right to register a company in the UK and invest in its development. This is an opportunity to do business internationally, gain access to UK financial institutions and gain more confidence in the business environment.

  • 2

    Moving to the UK at any time

    An investor visa is issued for 3 years and 4 months. As long as it is valid, the investor and his family members can live, work, do business, and study in the country on a par with citizens and residents of Great Britain.

  • 3

    Visas-free travel to 180 countries

    With a British passport, it is not necessary to obtain a visa, including to the USA and EU countries.

  • 4

    Prestigious education for children

    Schools and universities in the UK are considered some of the best in the world. With an investor visa, a child can enter any educational institution in the country. There is no need to obtain a separate student visa.

  • 5

    Citizenship Perspective

    Investors who have lived in the country for at least 5 years are allowed to apply for British citizenship. Of these 12 months — on the basis of permanent residency, which can be obtained in 2 years after the investor visa.

price

Get maximum information about the process

  • Step by step procedure

  • Requirements for applicants

  • Required documents

  • Answers to FAQs

Who can get an investor visa to the UK

  • Investor

    • over 18 years of age

    • Without a criminal record or criminal conviction

    • Not refused visas in countries that have visa-free travel with the UK

    • able to prove legal income

    • Have £2 million or more in personal possession, which can be freely disposed of in the UK
      With a UK bank account

  • Spouse

    or registered partner, including same-sex unions

  • Children under 18

    or adult children who are already dependent on the investor in the UK

Costs of obtaining the Investor Visa

Legislation of Great Britain provides for 3 investment options for obtaining an investor visa. They differ in the minimum amount of investment, which determines the period of application for permanent residence and citizenship.

1 option

From £2,000,000

Permanent Residence Permit — after 5 years
Citizenship — after 6 years

2 option

From £5,000,000

Permanent Residence Permit — after 3 years
Citizenship — after 5 years

3 option

From £10,000,000

Permanent residence — after 2 years
Citizenship — after 5 years

4 option

Application fee £1623 per application

5 option

Medical fee £2184 per person

6 option

Accelerated application processing £500 per application

Individual calculation of the cost of residence permit in the UK

Individual calculation of the cost of residence permit in the UK

Get an individual calculation for your family with all associated costs and government fees

Step-by-step procedure for applying for a UK investor visa

You must apply for the Investor Visa no earlier than 3 months before your intended date of travel. For example: if you are going to enter the UK on June 15, you can apply for a visa from March 16.

The investor must have at least £2 million in his account for at least 3 months before applying for the Investor Visa.

1

1 day

Internal Due Diligence

Due Diligence is a key step in obtaining an investor visa, permanent residency and British citizenship. Its results determine whether the UK Home Office will approve the investor’s application. Therefore, a certified anti-money-laundering officer of Immigrant Invest examines investor documents and warns of possible risks.

We are one of the few companies in the industry with an own Compliance Department. We confidentially check the applicant through international legal and business information databases.

If questions arise in the process of verification, due to which the investor’s application may be rejected, we offer other residence permit or citizenship for investment programs.

2

2 weeks

Collection of documents for Investor Visa application

Immigrant Invest international and economic lawyers collect documents for the Investor Visa application. Necessary documents are also translated into English, apostilled, and notarized. An Immigrant Invest attorney helps you fill out the visa application form.

3

Up to 8 weeks

Verification and receipt of Investor Visa

Application and documents are submitted to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office or visa center where the investor resides.

It takes about 3 weeks to review the application if the documents are submitted outside of the UK. If the investor submits the application to the Home Office in the UK, it takes up to 8 weeks to process.

Investor Visa is issued for 3 years and 4 months. After that, the visa can be extended for another 2 years or apply for permanent residency.

4

2, 3, or 5 years after Investor Visa

Obtaining Permanent Residence Permit in the UK

You can apply for permanent residency in the UK after obtaining Investor Visa:

  • after 2 years — if the investor has invested £10 million or more;

  • In 3 years — if the investor has invested 5 million pounds;

  • after 5 years — if the investor has invested £2 million or more.

Permanent residency is granted to investors who fulfill the conditions for residency and integration into British society. Namely:

  • Have spent less than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month reporting period from the date of the Investor Visa;

  • Maintained investments and conduct business in the country;

  • Proved proficiency in English at B1 level or above on the CEFR;

  • confirmed knowledge of the British way of life by the Life in the UK test.

Investors pay a fee of £2,389 for each applicant when applying for permanent residency.

Permanent Residence Permit in the UK under the standard procedure takes about 6 months. But you can use an expedited procedure in which the application is considered in 2 or 5 working days.

5

5 or 6 years after Investor Visa

Applying for citizenship

An investor is entitled to apply for British citizenship after:

  • 5 years after obtaining the Investor Visa — if invested £5 million or more;

  • 6 years after receipt of the Investor Visa — if invested from 2 to 5 million pounds.

The British passport is obtained by investors who permanently lived in the country for more than 5 years. Of these, 12 months — on the basis of permanent residence.

Spend outside the UK allowed no more than 450 days over the 5 years and no more than 90 days in the year before applying for citizenship.

It takes about six months to obtain British citizenship.

Stories of our clients

Immigrant Invest helps with any tasks

Our clients trust the experts at Immigrant Invest to solve all kinds of problems related to relocation and doing business in another country. Let us tell you how we can be of help.

  • Opening a bank account

    Prepare all necessary documents and fill out forms

  • Apply for tax residency

    Provided that you stay in the UK for 183 days or more per year

  • We help to get permanent residency and citizenship

    Collect documents and apply to the Home Office

  • Get tax number

    Apply electronically for a tax registration number

  • Extend visa

    In 1 working day and in-person

  • We get a visa for newborn children

    We help you arrange documents for the child who was born in your family after receiving Investor Visa

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Schedule a meeting at one of the offices or online. A lawyer will analyze the situation, calculate the cost and help you find a solution based on your goals.

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Frequently asked questions

  • Is the investment for the Investor Visa refundable?

    Yes. Sell shares in a British company or the entire business is allowed after 5‑6 years. It is important to keep the investment to be able to extend the visa, and then get permanent residency and citizenship.

  • Do minor children also have to submit to Due Diligence?

    All applicants over the age of 18 must provide a certificate of criminal record and undergo Due Diligence.

  • What guarantees can your company give?

    No one can guarantee you a visa, permanent residency, or British citizenship. Moreover, if the company claims that the guarantee is 100%, you are probably facing fraud.

    The decision to issue a visa, permanent residency, and citizenship are made by the UK government authorities. This is preceded by a thorough background check on applicants, compliance with conditions, and the legality of the investment’s income.

    To determine your chances of obtaining citizenship, Immigrant Invest conducts internal due diligence. This is the first step in the process — even before signing a contract with the client. The lawyers also prepare the package of documents in such a way as to minimize the likelihood of rejection.

  • What is the minimum amount of investment required?

    To get an Investor Visa (Tier 1), you need an amount of £2 million or more. It is an investment for the purchase of a share in a British company or a local business in its entirety.

  • What taxes do companies pay in the UK?

    Corporate income tax in the UK is levied at a rate of 19%. However, capital gains are also taxed.

    The rate of value-added tax is 20%. But if the annual turnover of the company exceeds £82,000 on transactions subject to VAT, the company needs special registration with the UK tax authorities.

    There is also a double taxation agreement between Russia and the UK. We have gathered all the information on business taxes in the UK.

  • What responsibilities arise after obtaining an Investor Visa for the UK?

    If the investor plans to extend the visa or obtain permanent residency and British citizenship in the future, the investor has the following obligations:

    • Maintain a specified amount of investment;

    • live in the country for at least 186 days per year and leave the country for no more than 90 days;

    • Pay taxes on company profits to the budget of Great Britain;

    • Have an account in a British bank.

    Once an investor receives a permanent residence permit or British citizenship, he or she also has obligations to the Russian state. The law requires that an investor inform the Ministry of Internal Affairs of his or her residence permit or second citizenship.

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We will develop an individual solution, select a country and status that will solve your problems, and accompany the entire process.

Zlata Erlach
Zlata Erlach

Head of the Austrian office

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