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I'll be visiting friends in the UK for 2 weeks (and then going back home to the US). They've invited me to volunteer with a childrens' summer camp for a week as I'm an educator in the States.

I'd be happy to volunteer at their camp, but I'm not sure if I need to apply for a visa. As a US citizen with a passport I know I can stay in the UK for up to 6 months, but I'm only visiting for 2 weeks and hoping to volunteer for 5 days. Do I need to apply for a visa, and could anyone give me a clue as to which one?

Thanks!

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    gov.uk/tier-5-temporary-worker-charity-worker-visa. No you need a visa
    – Augustine of Hippo
    Commented May 19, 2019 at 21:48
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    If you're working with children you'll almost certainly need a CRB check or a police certificate confirming that you've not been found guilty of various child-related crimes.
    – user90371
    Commented May 19, 2019 at 22:27
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    Could you clarify if "They've invited me to volunteer" means that they invited you to come to the UK for the purpose of volunteering (which is how I read it) or that they said "since you'll be here anyway, you could volunteer". That could affect whether the volunteering is "incidental" and therefore allowed.
    – David Richerby
    Commented May 19, 2019 at 23:25

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Appendix V to the immigration rules says:

Visitors Appendix 3. Permitted activities for all visitors

Volunteering

4 A visitor may undertake incidental volunteering (i.e. the main purpose of the visit is not to volunteer), provided it lasts no more than 30 days in total and is for a charity that is registered with either the Charity Commission for England and Wales; the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland; or the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.

This applies to anybody on a Standard Visitor Visa and anybody from a visa-exempt country, such as the USA, who is visiting the UK without a visa. It sounds like volunteering is the main purpose of your visit, so I think you need a Tier 5 Temporary Worker – Charity Worker visa.

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    Why do you conclude volunteering is the main purpose of the OP's visit? The trip was described as "visiting friends," and the volunteering looks like it was offered only after the trip was in place, and for less time than the whole duration of the trip. This sounds more like "incidental" as described in Appendix V.
    – DavidRecallsMonica
    Commented May 19, 2019 at 23:16
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    @David I understood the asker's second sentence as meaning "They invited me to the UK for the purpose of volunteering." I suppose you interpreted it as "Since I'm visiting, they invited me to volunteer, too", which I hadn't thought of, but which seems possible. In that case, I'm not sure if it would be "incidental" or not. Five days out of two weeks seems like quite a significant fraction. I've asked for a clarification.
    – David Richerby
    Commented May 19, 2019 at 23:24

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