How Long Can German Citizens Stay in the UK
German citizens do not need a Standard Visitor visa for ordinary tourism or business visits of up to 6 months, but they do need a valid passport and an electronic travel authorisation (ETA). GOV.UK says you can usually stay up to 6 months as a Standard Visitor. You must show you will leave at the end of the visit and that you will not live in the UK through frequent or successive visits. A German identity card is not enough, including for airside-looking transits that pass the border. The UK is not Schengen. EU free movement does not apply.
This guide is for German passport holders visiting London, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, including remote workers who treat the UK as a second base. The problem is copying Schengen 90/180 math onto Britain, or treating 6 months per visit as 6 months you can repeat after a weekend in Paris.
After reading, you will know how ETA fits Standard Visitor rules, what you cannot do on a visit, and how successive trips get refused even when no single stay exceeded 6 months.
Key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Visa for German tourists? | Not required for ordinary Standard Visitor trips |
| Pre-travel | ETA required (unless you already hold another UK permission) |
| Typical stay | Up to 6 months per visit |
| Travel document | Passport (German ID card not accepted, except Gibraltar) |
| Work for a UK company? | No, except listed permitted paid engagements |
| Anti-residence rule | No living in the UK through frequent or successive visits |
| Official UK source | GOV.UK Standard Visitor |
| Official DE source | Auswärtiges Amt United Kingdom |
Who this applies to
These rules apply to German citizens on a regular German passport who visit as Standard Visitors.
They do not cover people with settled or pre-settled status, a UK work or student visa, or dual British or Irish citizens entering on those passports. Dual German-British or German-Irish citizens using a British or Irish passport do not need an ETA. EU free movement still applies inside the EU, EEA, and Switzerland. The UK left that system. Time in France does not use UK visitor days, and time in London does not use Schengen days. See Schengen vs UK entry rules.
Standard Visitor stay for German citizens
GOV.UK states you can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for tourism, business, study (courses up to 6 months), and other permitted activities. You can usually stay up to 6 months. You must have a passport valid for the whole stay. You must be able to show you will leave at the end, can support yourself, can pay for the return or onward journey, and will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits or make the UK your main home. [Source: GOV.UK Standard Visitor]
Germany's Federal Foreign Office states that German citizens do not need a visa for visit and business trips of up to 180 days, but since 2025 they need an ETA unless they already hold another permission. A passport is required. Identity cards are not accepted, including for transit passengers, except for Gibraltar. [Source: Auswärtiges Amt United Kingdom]
You cannot, as a Standard Visitor:
- Do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless you are doing a permitted paid engagement or event
- Claim public funds
- Live in the UK for long periods through frequent or successive visits
- Marry or give notice of marriage (that needs a Marriage Visitor visa)
How ETA works for German visitors
Step 1. Apply for an ETA on GOV.UK or the official UK ETA app before you travel. GOV.UK lists the fee as 20 pounds. Decisions often arrive within a day and can take up to 3 working days. Wait for the approval email before you fly. [Source: GOV.UK apply for an ETA]
Step 2. Use the same passport you will present at the border. An ETA lasts 2 years or until that passport expires, whichever is sooner. You can travel multiple times while it is valid. Each visit is still capped at 6 months and still judged as a visit, not residence.
Step 3. Carry proof you will leave: onward tickets, funds, and a UK address. Border Force can still refuse entry. An ETA is not a visa and is not a guarantee of admission.
Step 4. If you transit landside (you pass UK border control, including to re-check bags), you still need an ETA. Airside-only transit that never passes the border does not, according to both GOV.UK and the Auswärtiges Amt.
Step 5. If you need to live or work in the UK, apply for the correct visa. Do not try to assemble a life from successive 6-month visits. For tax day counting if the UK becomes a real base, see the UK statutory residence test.
Worked example with concrete dates
Felix, a German citizen, obtains an ETA in February 2026 and enters Heathrow on 3 March 2026. Border Force admits him as a Standard Visitor until 2 September 2026 (6 months). He must leave on or before that date.
Felix spends 5 months in London, flies to Berlin on 1 August 2026, and tries to re-enter the UK on 12 August 2026 for "another 6 months." That is the successive-visits problem. Officers can refuse even though no single stay exceeded 6 months and the ETA is still valid. GOV.UK also says you cannot stay longer than 6 months on an ETA and you cannot live in the UK through frequent or successive visits. [Source: GOV.UK ETA permitted activities]
A long-term Standard Visitor visa (2, 5, or 10 years) still limits each visit to 6 months. It is not a residence permit.
Remote work, Schengen, and overstay
Visitor rules restrict work. Remote work for a German employer while you holiday in the UK is a gray area many travelers treat carefully. It does not allow a job with a UK company. See remote work tourist visa legality.
The UK is not in Schengen. A full 90 days in France does not reduce your UK 6-month visit cap. A UK season also does not reset Schengen days. You can still break both systems on one itinerary if you ignore each side's own rule.
Overstaying UK leave can mean loss of rights, removal, and re-entry bans. Short voluntary exits sometimes avoid a mandatory ban. Longer overstays do not. Read UK overstay consequences and deportation risk.
Common mistakes
Using a German identity card. Airlines and Border Force want a passport.
Treating ETA as a 2-year residence permit. It only authorizes repeated visits, each still a visit.
Assuming 6 months per year. The headline is up to 6 months per visit, plus an anti-residence test.
Working for a UK client on visitor terms. Wrong category.
A Paris weekend as a Schengen reset that also refreshes UK time. It resets neither math automatically.
How to track UK visitor days without a spreadsheet
Six-month visits plus successive-trip patterns are hard to track beside Schengen 90/180. Staywise (the visa compliance app for digital nomads) logs UK entries and counts remaining days against the limit you set. Alerts at 7, 3, and 1 day help you leave before leave expires. Passport details stay on your device. Only travel dates sync for the math. Available on iOS. Free trial, then annual subscription. See App Store for current pricing.
For tool comparisons, see Best Visa Tracker Apps for Digital Nomads (2026) and How to Track Your Days in Multiple Countries.
Download Staywise on the App Store
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can German citizens stay in the UK without a visa?
German citizens can usually stay up to 6 months per visit as Standard Visitors without a visa, if they hold a valid passport and an ETA and they are admitted at the border. GOV.UK uses "up to 6 months." The Auswärtiges Amt describes visit and business trips of up to 180 days. You must still show you will leave and that you are not making the UK your home through repeat visits.
Do German citizens need an ETA for the UK?
Yes, unless they already have another UK permission such as a visa or settled status, or they enter on a British or Irish passport. GOV.UK says an ETA costs 20 pounds, is linked to one passport, and lasts 2 years or until that passport expires. Apply on GOV.UK or the official app. Wait for approval before you travel. An ETA does not guarantee entry.
Can I enter the UK with a German identity card?
No, except Gibraltar. The Auswärtiges Amt and GOV.UK both require a passport for UK travel after Brexit. This also applies to many transit passengers who pass border control. Settled or pre-settled status holders may still use an identity card in listed cases. Ordinary German visitors should travel on a passport that matches the ETA. Apply for the ETA on that same passport before you fly.
Can I work remotely in the UK as a visitor?
You cannot do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless you are doing a listed permitted paid engagement. Remote work for an overseas employer while you visit is a gray area and does not create UK work rights. If the UK is a job base, apply for the correct work visa. Keep your activities consistent with Standard Visitor permitted activities.
What happens if I overstay in the UK?
Overstaying means remaining after leave expired. Consequences can include enforcement, removal, and mandatory refusal periods on later applications. Short overstays followed by a voluntary self-funded exit are sometimes disregarded for ban purposes. Longer overstays and removals at public expense bring longer bans. Leave on time. See the dedicated UK overstay guide for the 30-day window and how later visa forms still ask about immigration history.
Related guides
- Schengen vs UK entry rules
- UK overstay consequences and deportation risk
- Best Visa Tracker Apps for Digital Nomads (2026)
- How to Track Your Days in Multiple Countries
About Staywise
Staywise is the visa compliance app for digital nomads. Built by nomads for nomads, it tracks your days across every country automatically, alerts you before overstays, and keeps passport details on your device for privacy. The in-app AI assistant answers visa questions in plain English. Available on iOS.
Important: This content is informational and does not constitute legal, tax, or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax regulations, and entry requirements change frequently and vary by individual circumstances. Always verify current requirements with official government sources or a qualified professional before making travel decisions. Staywise tracks your days and surfaces compliance information, but final responsibility for compliance rests with the traveler.