How to Apply for a UK Innovator Founder Visa
Updated 25 October 2026. This article originally showed screenshots of applications for the former UK Start-up and Innovator visas. Those screens, fees and route-specific steps are obsolete. New Start-up visa applications are closed. The current founder route is the Innovator Founder visa. Use the live GOV.UK application links rather than an old screenshot or third-party form.
1. Check whether this is the right route
Read the current eligibility rules. A new business idea must be new, innovative, viable and scalable. Applicants also need to meet the personal requirements, including age, English and personal savings. If you already have UK immigration permission, check whether you can switch from inside the UK. Existing Start-up visa holders may be able to switch, but individual circumstances matter.
2. Obtain an endorsement
Before applying, have your business or idea assessed by an approved endorsing body on the current GOV.UK list. If eligible, the body provides an endorsement letter. For a new business, show the body that you have enough funding for the proposal and explain where it comes from. Current guidance does not impose a universal £50,000 initial investment minimum on every Innovator Founder application; business funding and personal maintenance savings are separate requirements.
3. Prepare the required evidence
Use the current GOV.UK document checklist. It includes an endorsement letter, identity document, savings evidence and proof of English. Depending on your circumstances, tuberculosis test results, certified translations or other evidence may be required. Check the current amounts and evidence periods on GOV.UK before applying.
4. Apply through the official online route
Choose the official process for your location: apply from outside the UK, switch inside the UK, or extend existing permission. The application tells you how to prove your identity, provide documents and pay the current visa and healthcare charges. The GOV.UK route overview gives current fees and usual decision times. Do not rely on the 2022 fees or screen-by-screen instructions formerly shown on this page.
5. Follow the decision and endorsement conditions
If permission is granted, follow the conditions in your decision and meet your endorsing body at the required checkpoints. An endorsement or business plan is not a visa guarantee. For advice about a particular immigration case, consult an appropriately authorised immigration adviser.
