evw sitecontent policyandlaw www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk ukbf bivs airside statementsofchanges landside webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk eea 196,000 155b 155a 771,000 schengen 276,000 biometric gov.uk 1,057,000 attachment_data visas 159,000 transiting 237,000 194,000 181,000 271,000 211,000 187,000
countries that can travel to uk without visa
Visa policy of the United Kingdom - wikipedia Visa policy of the United Kingdom Jump to : navigation , search Entry passport stamp for the United Kingdom issued to a national of Singapore at London Heathrow Airport . The visa policy of the United Kingdom is the policy by which Her Majesty 's Government determines who may and may not enter the country of the United Kingdom , and the Crown dependencies of Guernsey , Jersey , and the Isle of Man . Visitors must obtain a visa unless they are exempt . The UK is a member of the European Union , but it has an opt - out from the Schengen border - free area . It operates its own visa policy and also maintains the Common Travel Area with the Republic of Ireland , the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man . British Overseas Territories generally apply their own similar but legally distinct visa policies . Visa policy of the United Kingdom is similar to the visa policy of the Schengen Area . It grants visa - free entry to all Schengen Annex II nationalities , except for Albania , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Colombia , Georgia , Macedonia , Moldova , Montenegro , Peru , Serbia , Ukraine , United Arab Emirates and Venezuela . The UK also grants visa - free entry to several additional countries -- Belize , Botswana , Maldives , Nauru , Namibia and Papua New Guinea . Contents ( hide ) 1 Visa exemptions 1.1 As of right 1.2 Non-visa nationals 2 Transit 3 Obtaining an entry visa 4 Visa types 4.1 Visitor visas 4.2 Work visas 4.3 Student visas 5 Review of visa exemptions 6 Entry and stay conditions for the EU / EEA / Swiss citizens 6.1 Non-EU / EEA / Swiss citizen family members 7 Reciprocity 8 Visitor statistics 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References Visa exemptions ( edit ) Visa policy of the United Kingdom United Kingdom Freedom of movement ( EU / EEA / CH citizens ) Visa - free entry for 6 months Electronic visa waiver countries Visa required for entry , and landside transit ( unless holding exemption documents ) ; visa - free airside transit Visa required for entry , and both landside and airside transit ( unless holding exemption documents ) The following individuals can enter the United Kingdom , the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man without a visa : As of right ( edit ) British Nationals who are European Union citizens : British citizens British Overseas Territories citizens deriving their statuses from Gibraltar British subjects with the right of abode in the United Kingdom Citizens of Commonwealth countries who have the right of abode in the United Kingdom under the Immigration Act 1971 All European Union citizens Citizens of EFTA member states Non-visa nationals ( edit ) British Nationals who are not European Union citizens and citizens of 56 countries and territories are visa - exempt for stays in the UK of up to 6 months ( or 3 months if they enter from the Republic of Ireland ) : <Td_colspan="2"> British Nationals who are not European Union citizens : British Overseas Territories citizens not deriving their statuses from Gibraltar British Nationals ( Overseas ) British Overseas citizens British protected persons British subjects without the right of abode in the United Kingdom Andorra Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Australia Bahamas Barbados Belize Botswana Brazil Brunei Canada Chile Costa Rica Dominica East Timor El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Honduras Hong Kong Israel Japan Kiribati Macau Malaysia Maldives Marshall Islands Mauritius Mexico Monaco Micronesia Namibia Nauru New Zealand Nicaragua Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Seychelles Singapore Solomon Islands South Korea Taiwan Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tuvalu United States of America Uruguay Vanuatu Vatican City ( show ) Date of visa changes This list is incomplete ; you can help by expanding it . Visa free Unknown : Andorra , Germany , Latvia and Lithuania ( 1992 - 1993 ) , Vatican Antigua and Barbuda , Australian , Bahamian , Barbadian , Belizean , Botswana , Bruneian , Canadian , Cypriot , Dominica , East Timorese , Grenadian , Hong Kong , Irish , Kiribati , Malaysian , Maltese , Marshallese , Micronesian , Namibian , New Zealand , Nauruan , Palauan , Saint Kitts and Nevis , Saint Lucian , Saint Vincent and the Grenadines , Samoan , Seychellois , Singaporean , Solomon Islands , Tongan , Trinidad and Tobago , Tuvaluan and Vanuatuan citizens have never needed a visa to gain access to the United Kingdom 1 January 1947 : France 15 February 1947 : Belgium and Luxembourg 1 March 1947 : Norway 22 March 1947 : Denmark 1 April 1947 : Sweden 15 April 1947 : Netherlands 24 June 1947 : Liechtenstein and Switzerland 1 July 1947 : Iceland 1 January 1948 : Italy 8 November 1948 : Monaco 12 November 1948 : United States 1 October 1949 : San Marino 1 October 1953 : France ( French Guiana , Guadeloupe , Martinique , Réunion residents ) 16 June 1953 : Greece 16 December 1954 : Finland 1 January 1955 : Portugal 1 January 1960 : Mexico 1 June 1960 : Spain 1961 : Uruguay 1 June 1961 : All countries of Latin America : Brazil , Chile , Costa Rica , El Salvador , Guatemala , Honduras , Nicaragua , Panama and Paraguay 2 December 1962 : Japan 15 March 1967 : Israel 3 May 1968 : Austria ( resumed ) 18 December 1969 : South Korea 8 June 1990 : Argentina ( resumed ) and East Germany ( from 30 October 1990 as Germany ) 1 October 1990 : Czech Republic ( signed as Czechoslovakia ) and Hungary 25 June 1991 : Slovenia July 1992 : Estonia 1 July 1992 : Poland 17 April 2002 : Macau 18 December 2002 : Maldives , Mauritius and Papua New Guiana ( resumed ) 18 December 2003 : Slovakia ( resumed ) 22 March 2006 : Croatia ( resumed ) 1 January 2007 : Bulgaria and Romania 3 March 2009 : Taiwan Electronic Visa 1 January 2014 : Oman , Qatar and United Arab Emirates 6 April 2016 : Kuwait Cancelled Visa free travels was cancelled because of the World War II with following countries : Belgium , Denmark , France , Greece , Iceland , Italy , Liechtenstein , Luxembourg , Monaco , Netherlands , Norway , San Marino , Sweden , Switzerland ( All have been resumed in 1940s - 1950s ) 1938 : Austria ( was resumed in 1968 ) 21 May 1938 : Germany ( was resumed ) 1972 : Cuba 1980 : Iran 1982 : Argentina ( was resumed in 1990 ) 1985 : Sri Lanka 1986 : Bangladesh , Ghana , India and Pakistan 1 February 1987 : Nigeria 1989 : Haiti 23 June 1989 : Turkey 1990 : Algeria , Morocco and Tunisia 1991 : Uganda 1992 : Yugoslavia ( current as Bosnia and Herzegovina , Macedonia , Montenegro and Serbia ) 1 October 1994 : Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone 27 October 1995 : Gambia 5 January 1996 : Tanzania 8 March 1996 : Kenya 4 April 1996 : Bahrain , Dominican Republic , Fiji , Guyana , Kuwait , Maldives , Mauritius , Niger , Papua New Guinea , Peru , Qatar , Suriname , United Arab Emirates and Zambia ( Maldives , Mauritius and Papua New Guiana were resumed in 2002 ) 27 May 1997 : Colombia 1 August 1997 : Ecuador 8 October 1998 : Slovakia ( was resumed in 2003 ) 19 November 1999 : Croatia ( was resumed in 2006 ) 9 November 2002 : Zimbabwe 9 January 2003 : Jamaica 2 March 2006 : Malawi 18 May 2009 : Bolivia 3 March 2009 : South Africa 1 July 2009 : Lesotho and Swaziland 5 May 2014 : Venezuela ( show ) Rules for non-visa nationals they must not work during their stay in the UK ( although study is permitted as a ' student visitor ' ) , with limited exceptions for authorized `` permitted paid engagements '' of up to one month they must not register a marriage or register a civil partnership during their stay in the UK they can present evidence of sufficient money to fund their stay in the UK ( if requested by the border inspection officer ) they intend to leave the UK at the end of their visit and can meet the cost of the return / onward journey they have completed a landing card and submitted it at passport control ( unless in direct transit to a destination outside the Common Travel Area ) if under the age of 18 , they can demonstrate evidence of suitable care arrangements and parental ( or guardian 's ) consent for their stay in the UK Electronic visa waiver ( EVW ) Citizens of the following countries can obtain an electronic visa waiver ( EVW ) online : Kuwait Oman Qatar United Arab Emirates ( show ) EVW rules A holder of an EVW authorisation can visit and / or study in the UK for up to 6 months without a visa . An EVW is only valid for one entry , and a new EVW must be obtained each time an eligible person wishes to enter the UK to visit and / or study for up to 6 months without a visa . The EVW is valid for visits up to 90 days to Ireland once a holder has cleared immigration in the United Kingdom . School pupils resident in the European Economic Area and Switzerland ( show ) Rules for the school pupils resident in the European Economic Area and Switzerland School pupils who fulfil all of the following conditions can enter the UK without a visa : are not EU , EEA or Swiss citizens , and legally reside in a European Union member state , Iceland , Liechtenstein , Norway or Switzerland , and are travelling to the UK as a member of an organised school group ( the school must be a general education school , not a specialist institution ) , and the group is accompanied by a teacher from the school , and the pupils ' details and the purpose of the journey is listed on the common format form endorsed by the school Gibraltar ( show ) Additional exemptions for Gibraltar Visa nationals who fulfill one of the following criteria can enter Gibraltar without a visa : holders of a valid UK multiple entry visa issued for 6 months or more or a biometric residence permit ( BRP ) , regardless of category , or holders of indefinite leave to remain in the UK , or holders of a Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode in the UK , or holders of an EU family residence permit / card , or holders of the equivalent of indefinite leave to remain in any Schengen member state , or citizens of China , India , Mongolia , Morocco and Russia holding a Schengen multiple entry visa with a minimum remaining validity of 7 days ( for a stay of up to 21 days in Gibraltar ) , or citizens of China , Russia and Ukraine visiting Gibraltar on a day trip as part of an organised tour arranged through a Gibraltar - based tour operator British Irish Visa Scheme ( BIVS ) Citizens of the following countries can travel to the UK without a visa if they hold a valid Irish visa endorsed with BIVS : China India ( show ) Rules for Irish visa holders To be eligible for visa - free travel , applicants for Irish visas must apply at a UK / Irish visa application centre in India or China , and first clear immigration in Ireland before arriving in the UK . Holders of BIVS visas issued by Ireland are only allowed to travel directly from Ireland to the UK and not from other countries , unless transiting in the UK on their ways to Ireland . The length of stay in the UK is no longer than the remaining period of validity of the person 's current permission to remain in Ireland . A UK transit visa is not required if the person is transiting through the UK to Ireland by air and arrives in Ireland no later than 23 : 59 on the day after his or her arrival in the UK . The scheme might be expanded for all visa requiring nationals in the future . Non-ordinary passport holders Holders of diplomatic or special passports of the following countries do not require a visa : Bahrain China Indonesia Kuwait Oman Qatar South Africa Turkey United Arab Emirates Vietnam Visa waiver also applies to holders of United Nations laissez - passer when they travel to the United Kingdom on official business . Transit ( edit ) There are two types of transit through the United Kingdom under the United Kingdom Transit Rules -- the airside transit and the landside transit . The Transit Without Visa facility for visa requiring nationals was abolished , effective 1 December 2014 , and replaced with United Kingdom Transit Rules . Notwithstanding the lists below , in general , even persons from ' Direct Airside transit visa exempt nationalities ' require a transit visa if transiting though the UK to other parts of the Common Travel Area including Ireland . Airside transit available only at London Heathrow Airport , Gatwick Airport and Manchester Airport . available only to those passengers arriving and departing by air to an international destination other than Ireland on the same day . available only to those passengers not leaving the airside zone of the airport and not passing through immigration control . concerns those passengers that would normally require a visitor visa to enter the United Kingdom but who either hold a Direct Airside Transit visa , a passport of a transit visa exempt country or who hold direct airside transit visa exemption documents . Landside transit available only to those passengers arriving and departing by air by 23 : 59 the next day who require passing through immigration control and leaving the airport building only for transit purposes . concerns those passengers that would normally require a visitor visa to enter the United Kingdom but who hold a Visitor in Transit visa or landside visa exemption documents . Direct Airside transit visa exempt nationalities Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Burkina Faso Cambodia Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Colombia Comoros Cuba Djibouti Dominican Republic Ecuador Equatorial Guinea Fiji Gabon Georgia Guyana Haiti Indonesia Jordan Kazakhstan North Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Madagascar Mauritania Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Oman Peru Philippines Qatar Russia Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Suriname Taiwan Tajikistan Thailand Togo Tunisia Turkmenistan Ukraine United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Zambia Venezuela stateless persons holding UN Convention 1954 travel documents and refugees whose original nationality is exempt . Direct Airside transit visa required Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Bangladesh Belarus Burundi Cameroon China DR Congo Congo Northern Cyprus Egypt Eritrea Ethiopia Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea - Bissau India Iran Iraq Ivory Coast Jamaica Kenya Kosovo Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Macedonia Malawi Moldova Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Nigeria Pakistan Palestine Rwanda Senegal Serbia Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sri Lanka Sudan Swaziland Syria Tanzania Turkey Uganda Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zimbabwe Direct Airside Transit visa exemption documents The exemption applies where travellers : arrive and depart by air , and the onward flight must be confirmed , and must depart the same day , and have proper documentation for their destination ( including a visa for the destination country if necessary ) , and fulfil any one of the below conditions : have a valid visa for Australia , Canada , New Zealand or the US , whether or not traveling to or from those countries , or have a valid Australian or New Zealand residence visa ; or have a valid Canadian permanent resident card issued on or after 28 June 2002 ; or have a valid uniform format residence permit issued by an EEA state under Council Regulation ( EC ) number 1030 / 2002 ; or have a valid Irish biometric visa endorsed BC or BC BIVS ; or have a valid uniform format category D visa for entry to a state in the European Economic Area ( EEA ) ; or have a valid US I - 551 permanent resident card issued on or after 21 April 1998 ; or have an expired I - 551 permanent resident card issued on or after 21 April 1998 , accompanied by an I - 797 extension letter ; or have a standalone US Immigration Form 155A / 155B attached to an envelope ; or have a valid Schengen Approved destination Scheme ( ADS ) group tourism visa where the holder is travelling to the country that issued it or holds a valid airline ticket from the Schengen area , provided the holder can demonstrate they entered there no more than 30 days previously on the basis of a valid Schengen ADS visa ; E-visas or e-residence permits are not acceptable for airside transit unless the airline is able to verify it with the issuing country . Nationals of Syria who are holders of US B1 / B2 visas are not exempt . Visitor in Transit visa exemption documents The exemption applies where travellers : arrive and depart by air , and the onward flight must be confirmed , and must depart by 23 : 59 the following day , and have proper documentation for their destination ( including a visa for the destination country if necessary ) , and fulfil any one of the below conditions : have a valid entry visa for Australia , Canada , New Zealand or the US , and a valid airline ticket for travel via the UK , as part of a reasonable journey to or from one of those countries , or have a valid airline ticket for travel via the UK as part of a reasonable journey from Australia , Canada , New Zealand or the US , if they are transiting the UK no more than 6 months after the date when they last entered Australia , Canada , New Zealand or the US with a valid entry visa for that country ; or have a valid Australian or New Zealand residence visa ; or have a valid Canadian permanent resident card issued on or after 28 June 2002 ; or have a valid uniform format residence permit issued by an EEA state under Council Regulation ( EC ) number 1030 / 2002 ; or have a valid Irish biometric visa endorsed BC or BC BIVS ; or have a valid uniform format category D visa for entry to a state in the European Economic Area ( EEA ) ; or have a valid US I - 551 permanent resident card issued on or after 21 April 1998 ; or have an expired I - 551 permanent resident card issued on or after 21 April 1998 , accompanied by an I - 797 extension letter ; or have a standalone US Immigration Form 155A / 155B attached to an envelope ; E-visas such as those regularly issued by Australia or e-residence permits are not acceptable for landside transit . Obtaining an entry visa ( edit ) Mandatory tuberculosis testing for a long term UK visa Visitors entering the UK , the Channel Islands and / or the Isle of Man who do not qualify for one of the visa exemptions listed above have to apply for a visa in advance through the UK Visas and Immigration at a visa application centre . The UK visa in a Russian student 's passport All visitors must apply by registering an online account ( except citizens of North Korea who must apply in person at the British Embassy ) , fill in the application form , pay the fee and attend an appointment at a visa application centre . A visitor 's visa for a single stay or multiple stays of up to 6 months costs £ 83 . A multiple - entry visitor 's visa valid for 2 years costs £ 300 , 5 years £ 544 and 10 years £ 737 . Special provisions are made for Chinese citizens as they are eligible for a 2 - year , multiple - entry visitor 's visa at a cost of £ 83 . Family members of EU , EEA and Swiss citizens who are not covered by one of the visa exemptions above can apply for an EEA Family Permit free of charge ( instead of a visa ) . Visitors applying for most types of UK visas ( including a visitor 's visa and an EEA Family Permit ) are required to submit biometric identifiers ( all fingerprints and a digital facial image ) as part of the visa application process . However , diplomats , foreign government ministers and officials and members of Commonwealth Forces are exempt from the requirement to submit biometric identifiers . Applicants who have obtained a new passport and are merely requesting a transfer of their visa vignette from their old passport to their new passport are not required to re-submit biometric identifiers . In addition , applicants who are travelling directly to the Channel Islands or Gibraltar without passing through the UK or the Isle of Man are exempt from providing biometric information . Children must be accompanied by an adult when their biometric identifiers are taken . Biometric identifiers may be shared with foreign governments . Biometric identifiers are destroyed 10 years after the last date a person 's fingerprints and digital facial image were captured . Most visa applications are decided within 3 weeks . Applicants resident in the following countries and territories who wish to enter the UK for 6 months or more are required to be tested for tuberculosis as part of the visa application process : Afghanistan Algeria Angola Armenia Azerbaijan Bangladesh Belarus Benin Bolivia Botswana Brunei Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad China Congo DR Congo Djibouti Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Georgia Ghana Guatemala Guinea Guinea - Bissau Guyana Haiti Hong Kong India Indonesia Iraq Ivory Coast Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kyrgyzstan Laos Lesotho Liberia Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Mali Marshall Islands Mauritania Micronesia Moldova Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nepal Niger Nigeria North Korea Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Russia Rwanda Sao Tome and Principe Senegal Sierra Leone Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Sri Lanka Swaziland Sudan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vietnam Zambia Zimbabwe After a person has successfully obtained a UK visa , if he / she subsequently obtains a new passport , but the UK visa in his / her old passport still has remaining validity , he / she is not required to have the UK visa vignette affixed in the old passport transferred to the new passport , but must be able to present both the new and old passports at passport control when entering the UK . If a person who has successfully obtained a UK visa subsequently loses the passport in which the visa vignette is affixed ( or if it is stolen ) , he / she has to pay the original visa fee in full again and may be required to show that his / her circumstances have not changed when applying for a replacement visa . However , a new ' confirmation of acceptance for studies ' ( CAS ) / ' certificate of sponsorship ' ( COS ) is not required when applying for a replacement Tier 4 / Tier 2 visa . Visa types ( edit ) These are correct as of April 2015 . Visitor visas ( edit ) Standard Visitor visa Marriage Visitor visa Permitted Paid Engagement visa Parent of a Tier 4 child visa Visa to pass through the UK in transit Direct Airside Transit visa Visitor in Transit visa Work visas ( edit ) Tier 1 visa Entrepreneur ( minimum £ 200,000 investment or £ 50,000 if qualified ) Exceptional Talent ( recognised leader in fields of science , humanities , engineering , medicine , digital technology or the arts ) General ( highly skilled workers , writers , composers or artists and self - employed lawyers ) Graduate Entrepreneur Investor ( minimum £ 2,000,000 investment ) Tier 2 visa ( sponsored workers ) General Intra-company Transfer ( foreign company workers in a UK branch ) Minister of Religion Sportsperson Tier 5 visa ( temporary work for sponsored workers ) Charity Worker ( unpaid voluntary work ) Creative and sporting Government Authorised Exchange International Agreement Religious Worker Youth Mobility Scheme Domestic Workers in a Private Household visa ( cleaners , chauffeurs , cooks , personal care providers and nannies ) Representative of an Overseas Business visa ( head of a UK branch or a foreign journalist on a long - term posting ) Turkish Businessperson visa Turkish Worker visa UK Ancestry visa ( Commonwealth citizens with UK born ancestors ) Croatian national registration certificates Student visas ( edit ) Short - term study visa Tier 4 visa General Child Review of visa exemptions ( edit ) By early 1917 , all aliens ( i.e. persons who were not British subjects ) were required to obtain visas from a British consul before embarking for the United Kingdom . Visa requirements would then be maintained for aliens under the peacetime regime of immigration control retained after 1918 . Visa policy of the UK from 1960 to the present United Kingdom Visa free access In March 2007 , the Home Office announced that it would carry out its first Visa Waiver Test to review the list of countries and territories outside the European Union , European Economic Area and Switzerland whose nationals are exempt from holding a visa for the UK . After carrying out the review , in July 2008 , Jacqui Smith , the Home Secretary , and David Miliband , the Foreign Secretary , announced to Parliament that the results of the test showed a ' strong case ' for introducing visa regimes for 11 countries ( Bolivia , Botswana , Brazil , Lesotho , Malaysia , Mauritius , Namibia , South Africa , Swaziland , Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela ) having taken into account the following factors ( including the extent to which they were being addressed by the countries ' authorities ) : Passport security and integrity The degree of co-operation over deportation or removal of the countries ' nationals from the UK Levels of illegal working in the UK and other immigration abuse ( such as fraudulent asylum claims ) Levels of crime and terrorism risk posed to the UK Following the July 2008 announcement , the UK Government entered into a 6 - month period of ' detailed dialogue ' with the governments of the 11 countries ' to examine how risks can be reduced in a way that obviates the need for a visa regime to be introduced ' . In order to maintain visa - free access to the UK , the 11 countries had to ' demonstrate a genuine commitment to put into effect credible and realistic plans , with clear timetables , to reduce the risks to the UK , and begin real implementation of these plans by the end of the dialogue period ' . On 9 January 2009 , the new visa rules announced required citizens of Bolivia , Lesotho , South Africa and Swaziland to obtain a visa , and only Venezuelan nationals travelling on biometric passports with an electronic chip issued since 2007 could continue to enter the UK without a visa . The existing visa - free status for citizens of Botswana , Brazil , Malaysia , Mauritius , Namibia and Trinidad and Tobago was maintained . Starting from 3 March 2009 , a transitional regime was put in place until 30 June 2009 for South African citizens - those who held a valid South African passport and had previously entered the UK lawfully using that passport could continue to enter the UK without a visa , whilst all other South African citizens were required to apply for a visa . On the same day , Taiwan citizens were able to enter the UK without a visa . On 18 May 2009 , Bolivian citizens were no longer able to enter the UK without a visa and Venezuelan citizens were required to present a biometric passport to enter the UK without a visa . On 1 July 2009 , all South African citizens were required to apply for a visa to enter the UK . On the same day , citizens of Lesotho and Swaziland were required to apply for a visa to enter the UK . On 30 March 2010 , Alan Johnson , the Home Secretary , and David Miliband , the Foreign Secretary , announced to Parliament that , having carried out a review of visa regimes in relation to Eastern Caribbean countries , 5 countries ( Antigua and Barbuda , Barbados , Grenada , St Kitts and Nevis and St Vincent and the Grenadines ) would have their visa - free status maintained . At the same time , the UK Government would enter a six - month period of ' detailed dialogue ' with the governments of 2 countries ( Dominica and St Lucia ) , who would have to ' demonstrate a genuine commitment to put into effect credible and realistic plans , with clear timetables , to reduce the risks to the UK , and begin implementing these plans by the end of the dialogue period ' to maintain their visa - free status . On 2 March 2011 , Theresa May , the Home Secretary , and William Hague , the Foreign Secretary , announced to Parliament that the governments of Dominica and St Lucia ' have made concrete improvements to the immigration , border control and identity systems which would not have happened without the test ' , and so the visa - free status for the 2 countries would be maintained . On 13 June 2011 , new Immigration Rules were laid before Parliament that came into force on 4 July 2011 introducing a new streamlined application procedure ( waiving the normal requirements to provide documentary evidence of maintenance and qualifications at the time of application ) for some non-visa nationals from ' low - risk countries ' who wish to study in the UK for more than 6 months and apply for Tier 4 entry clearance . The following 15 countries and territories were categorised as ' low - risk ' and included in ' Appendix H ' of the Immigration Rules : Argentina , Australia , Brunei , Canada , Chile , Croatia , Hong Kong , Japan , New Zealand , Singapore , South Korea , Taiwan , Trinidad and Tobago and the United States . Although the announcement did not relate to a Visa Waiver Test per se , it showed that the UK Border Agency considers some countries and territories in the list of visa - free nationalities to be lower risk than others . In particular , Trinidad and Tobago , which was considered to be a high - risk country from a visa regime perspective in 2008 when the Visa Waiver Test was carried out , was now viewed by the UK Border Agency as a low - risk country . On 5 September 2012 , two more countries ( Botswana and Malaysia ) were added to the list of ' low - risk ' nationalities for the purpose of Tier 4 entry clearance applications , i.e. ' Appendix H ' , ( taking effect on 1 October 2012 ) , whilst on 6 September 2013 , Barbados was also added to ' Appendix H ' ( taking effect on 1 October 2013 ) . Again , although the announcement did not relate to a Visa Waiver Test per se , it showed that Botswana , Malaysia and Barbados ( countries which were considered to be a high - risk countries from a visa regime perspective when the Visa Waiver Test was carried out in 2008 in the case of Botswana and Malaysia , and in 2010 in the case of Barbados ) were now viewed by the UK Border Agency as low - risk countries . In March 2013 , it was revealed that Theresa May , the Home Secretary , was considering removing Brazil from the list of visa - exempt nationalities due to concerns about illegal immigration , since Brazil was fifth in the top 10 of illegal immigrant nationalities in the UK according to Home Office figures for 2011 , and was the only country on the list for which short - term visitors do not need a visa . However , the UK Government later decided to retain the visa exemption for Brazilian citizens , a decision which was seen as attempting to develop closer trading links with Brazil . On 1 January 2014 , an electronic visa waiver ( EVW ) scheme was introduced , enabling citizens of Oman , Qatar and the United Arab Emirates who have obtained an EVW authorisation online to visit and / or study in the UK for up to 6 months without a visa . After ' assessing countries against a list of risk and compliance criteria ' , on 13 March 2014 the UK Government added Oman , Qatar and the UAE to ' Appendix H ' ( the list of ' low - risk ' nationalities for the purpose of Tier 4 student visa applications ) , with the change taking effect on 6 April 2014 . These two changes reflect the UK Government 's view that Oman , Qatar and the UAE should now be regarded as low - risk countries from a visa regime perspective , and it is possible that in future nationals of these three countries will be classified as non-visa nationals ( enabling them to visit and / or study in the UK without a visa for up to 6 months without having to obtain an EVW authorisation online every time they wish to enter the UK ) . According to Frank Baker , the British Ambassador to Kuwait , the EVW will be extended to Kuwaiti citizens in the near future . On 13 March 2014 , the UK Government announced that , with effect from 5 May 2014 , Venezuelan citizens ( including those with biometric passports ) would require a visa to enter the UK . At present , although citizens of Argentina , Brazil , Israel , holders of Hong Kong SAR passports and Macao SAR passports are able to visit and / or study in the UK without a visa for up to 6 months , and although citizens of Oman , Qatar and the United Arab Emirates with an EVW can visit and / or study in the UK without a visa for up to 6 months , if they decide to stay for more than 6 months and have been granted entry clearance permitting them to do so , they are required to register with the police at a cost of £ 34 within 7 days of arriving in the UK ( or within 7 days of obtaining their visa if they apply within the UK ) . Entry and stay conditions for the EU / EEA / Swiss citizens ( edit ) Main article : Directive 2004 / 38 / EC on the right to move and reside freely Directive 2004 / 38 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 recognises the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States defines the right of free movement for citizens of the European Economic Area ( EEA ) , which includes the European Union ( EU ) and the three European Free Trade Association ( EFTA ) members Iceland , Norway and Liechtenstein . Switzerland , which is a member of EFTA but not of the EEA , is not bound by the Directive but rather has a separate bilateral agreement on the free movement with the EU . Citizens of all European Economic Area ( EEA ) member states and Switzerland holding a valid passport or national identity card enjoy freedom of movement rights in each other 's territory and can enter and reside in the each other 's territory without a visa . Although , by law , EU , EEA and Swiss citizens are entitled to use their valid national identity cards as travel documents to enter the UK , in practice UK Border Force officials have been known to place extra scrutiny on and to spend longer processing identity cards issued by certain member states which are deemed to have limited security features and hence more susceptible to tampering / forgery . Unlike their counterparts in the Schengen Area ( who , by law , must only perform a ' rapid ' and ' straightforward ' visual check for signs of falsification and tampering and are not obliged to use technical devices ( such as document scanners , UV light and magnifiers ) when EU / EEA / Swiss citizens present their passports and / or national identity cards at external border checkpoints ) , as a matter of policy UKBF officials are required to examine physically all passports and national identity cards presented by EU / EEA / Swiss citizens for signs of forgery and tampering . In addition , unlike their counterparts in the Schengen Area ( who , when presented with a passport or national identity card by an EU / EEA / Swiss citizen , are not legally obliged to check it against a database of lost / stolen / invalidated travel documents ( and , if they do so , must only perform a ' rapid ' and ' straightward ' database check ) and may only check to see if the traveller is on a database containing persons of interest on a strictly ' non-systematic ' basis where such a threat is ' genuine ' , ' present ' and ' sufficiently serious ' ) , as a matter of policy UKBF officials are required to check every EU / EEA / Swiss citizen and their passport / national identity card against the Warnings Index ( WI ) database . For this reason , when presented with a non-machine readable identity card , it can take up to four times longer for a UKBF official to process the card as the official has to enter the biographical details of the holder manually into the computer to check against the WI database and , if a large number of possible matches is returned , a different configuration has to be entered to reduce the number of possible matches . For example , at Stansted Airport UKBF officials have been known to take longer to process Italian paper identity cards because they often need to be taken out of plastic wallets , because they are particularly susceptible to forgery / tampering and because , as non-machine readable documents , the holders ' biographical details have to be entered manually into the computer . If EU , EEA and Swiss nationals are unable to present a valid passport or national identity card at the border , they must nonetheless be afforded every reasonable opportunity to obtain the necessary documents or have them brought to them within a reasonable period of time or corroborate or prove by other means that they are covered by the right of free movement . Where , after being given every reasonable opportunity , they are still unable to demonstrate their identity and nationality , they should be either considered for Temporary Admission to allow further enquiries to be made or refused entry . However , entry can be refused to an EU / EEA / Swiss national on public policy , public security or public health grounds where the person presents a `` genuine , present and sufficiently serious threat affecting one of the fundamental interests of society '' . If the person has obtained permanent residence in the country where he / she seeks entry ( a status which is normally attained after 5 years of residence ) , the member state can only expel him / her on serious grounds of public policy or public security . Where the person has resided for 10 years or is a minor , the member state can only expel him / her on imperative grounds of public security ( and , in the case of minors , if expulsion is necessary in the best interests of the child , as provided for in the Convention on the Rights of the Child ) . Expulsion on public health grounds must relate to diseases with ' epidemic potential ' which have occurred less than 3 months from the person 's the date of arrival in the Member State where he / she seeks entry . Non-EU / EEA / Swiss citizen family members ( edit ) A family member of an EU / EEA / Swiss citizen who is in possession of a residence card indicating their status is exempt from the requirement to hold a visa when entering the Schengen area , European Economic Area or Switzerland if his residence card is issued from one of a Schengen members states and Ireland ( called Stamp 4 EU FAM ) , European Economic Area or Switzerland . However A family member of an EU / EEA / Swiss citizen who is in possession of a residence permit indicating their status is exempt from the requirement to hold a visa for entering to European Union outside Schengen member states ( Ireland , Bulgaria , Romania , Cyprus ) when they are accompanying their EU / EEA / Swiss family member or are seeking to join them . As of 6 April 2015 , the non-EU family members of an EU national who are in possession of a residence card , which is issued to them under article 10 of directive 2004 / 38 , are entitled to enter the UK without the need to apply for an EEA Family Permit , only by providing their residence card at the border . However , the UK border officers would grant entry to non-EU family members if they can prove their relation to the EU national family member who would be accompanying them , by providing documents such as marriage or birth certificate . In the case of the EU national family member being present in the UK , the non-EU family members should be able to prove that the EU national family member is residing in the UK and whether they have a right of residency in the UK as a qualified person . Therefore , the non-EU family member should be able to demonstrate that the EU national family member is residing in the UK less than three months ( the initial right of residence ) and if more than three month , then they are in the UK as worker , self - employed , self - sufficient or student or they acquired the status of permanent residency after having resided in the UK for five years . Reciprocity ( edit ) Main article : Visa requirements for British nationals Of the 58 countries and territories outside the European Union , European Economic Area and Switzerland whose citizens are granted 6 months ' visa - free access to the UK , the following offer full reciprocal treatment to British citizens : Andorra , Antigua and Barbuda , Bahamas , Barbados , Canada , Dominica , Grenada , Hong Kong , Macao , Mexico , Monaco , New Zealand , Panama , San Marino and Vatican City . Other countries and territories only offer partially reciprocal treatment to British citizens ( i.e. visa - free access that is less than 6 months ) . The following countries permit British citizens to stay without a visa for up to 90 days ( or 3 months ) only : Argentina , Australia , Brazil , Brunei , Chile , Costa Rica , El Salvador , Guyana , Honduras , Israel , Malaysia , Namibia , Nicaragua , Paraguay , Saint Kitts and Nevis , Singapore , Solomon Islands , South Korea , Trinidad and Tobago , United States , Uruguay and Venezuela . ( However , the United States requires British citizens to obtain an ESTA ( at a cost of US $14 ) in advance if entering the US by air or by sea , whilst Australia requires British citizens to obtain an eVisitor authorisation online in advance free of charge , although the UK does not require Australian and US citizens to obtain an authorisation in advance . ) The following countries and territories permit British citizens to stay without a visa for up to 90 days ( although an extension is possible for a stay beyond 90 days ) : Botswana , Japan and Taiwan . The following countries also only offer partially reciprocal treatment : Belize ( 1 month ) , Fiji ( 4 months , extendable for an extra 2 months ) , Kiribati ( 30 days ) , Maldives ( 30 days ) , Marshall Islands ( 30 days ) , Mauritius ( 60 days for tourists , 90 days on business ) , Micronesia ( 30 days ) , Nauru ( 30 days ) , Palau ( 30 days ) , St Lucia ( 6 weeks ) , Samoa ( 60 days ) , Seychelles ( 1 month , extendable to 12 months ) , Tonga ( 31 days ) , Tuvalu ( 1 month ) and Vanuatu ( 30 days ) . Two countries whose citizens can enter the UK visa - free for up to 6 months require British citizens to obtain a visa : Papua New Guinea requires British citizens to obtain a visa on arrival that is valid for up to 60 days and costs PGK100 ( tourist ) or PGK500 ( business ) ; Timor - Leste requires British citizens to obtain a visa on arrival valid for up to 30 days at a cost of US $30 . Visitor statistics ( edit ) Most visitors arriving to United Kingdom were from the following countries of nationality : ( show ) Nationality <Th_colspan="6"> Total 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 France 01 4,064,000 01 4,171,000 01 4,114,000 01 3,974,000 01 3,787,000 01 3,633,000 United States 02 3,455,000 02 3.266 , 000 03 2,976,000 03 2,778,000 03 2,840,000 03 2,846,000 Germany 03 3,341,000 03 3,249,000 02 3,220,000 02 3,048,000 02 2,967,000 02 2,947,000 Ireland 04 2,897,000 04 2,632,000 04 2,486,000 04 2,350,000 04 2,453,000 04 2,574,000 Spain 05 2,397,000 05 2,197,000 05 1,986,000 06 1,746,000 06 1,716,000 05 1,836,000 Netherlands 06 2,062,000 06 1,897,000 06 1,972,000 05 1,891,000 05 1,735,000 06 1,789,000 Italy 07 1,990,000 07 1,794,000 07 1,757,000 07 1,636,000 07 1,521,000 07 1,526,000 Poland 08 1,921,000 08 1,707,000 08 1,494,000 08 1,339,000 07 1,222,000 09 1,057,000 Belgium 09 1,048,000 09 1,175,000 09 1,122,000 09 1,174,000 08 1,113,000 10 984,000 Australia 10 982,000 10 1,043,000 10 1,057,000 10 1,058,000 09 993,000 08 1,093,000 Switzerland 11 940,000 11 872,000 13 864,000 12 807,000 11 832,000 12 768,000 Romania 12 891,000 16 693,000 16 471,000 16 377,000 20 267,000 21 259,000 Canada 13 828,000 15 708,000 15 649,000 14 731,000 14 704,000 13 740,000 Sweden 14 821,000 12 850,000 12 869,000 13 784,000 12 777,000 11 794,000 Denmark 15 730,000 14 756,000 14 662,000 15 696,000 15 636,000 15 614,000 Norway 16 700,000 13 771,000 11 874,000 11 838,000 13 771,000 14 739,000 Portugal 17 492,000 19 392,000 17 395,000 20 285,000 18 292,000 18 283,000 India 18 415,000 18 422,000 18 390,000 17 373,000 16 339,000 16 355,000 Czech Republic 19 414,000 17 465,000 19 352,000 18 356,000 17 325,000 17 286,000 Hungary 20 397,000 21 328,000 20 323,000 21 276,000 21 262,000 27 210,000 United Arab Emirates 21 365,000 20 347,000 23 260,000 19 304,000 23 256,000 22 241,000 China 22 307,000 22 325,000 27 233,000 24 237,000 26 215,000 30 181,000 Austria 23 302,000 24 277,000 22 263,000 22 275,000 19 268,000 20 271,000 Finland 24 261,000 26 245,000 24 255,000 28 212,000 28 208,000 24 233,000 Bulgaria 25 248,000 35 173,000 34 184,000 37 125,000 34 138,000 38 97,000 Japan 26 246,000 32 194,000 28 222,000 25 225,000 24 243,000 23 237,000 Lithuania 27 242,000 25 271,000 30 198,000 29 202,000 30 171,000 30 178,000 Greece 28 227,000 28 225,000 26 238,000 30 181,000 31 159,000 25 225,000 Hong Kong 29 218,000 31 204,000 35 159,000 33 163,000 36 135,000 33 149,000 New Zealand 30 213,000 29 207,000 31 196,000 32 165,000 29 175,000 29 -- 187,000 Israel 31 209,000 30 205,000 33 185,000 31 179,000 35 138,000 32 164,000 Turkey 32 196,000 33 192,000 32 196,000 35 154,000 33 145,000 35 126,000 South Africa 33 188,000 27 231,000 29 217,000 26 225,000 27 211,000 28 194,000 Brazil 34 187,000 23 324,000 21 293,000 23 258,000 22 260,000 19 276,000 Slovakia 35 156,000 34 175,000 37 132,000 36 146,000 37 120,000 37 117,000 Russia 36 147,000 36 164,000 25 249,000 27 214,000 25 227,000 26 211,000 Cyprus 37 135,000 37 136,000 38 119,000 38 123,000 38 111,000 36 124,000 Mexico 38 106,000 40 102,000 40 92,000 39 109,000 39 84,000 39 78,000 Luxembourg 39 104,000 39 122,000 39 97,000 40 90,000 40 83,000 40 73,000 Nigeria 40 101,000 38 128,000 36 134,000 34 157,000 32 154,000 34 142,000 Malta 41 87,000 42 74,000 39 100,000 41 85,000 43 65,000 43 64,000 Thailand 42 77,000 41 79,000 41 76,000 42 74,000 41 75,000 42 65,000 Pakistan 43 66,000 43 58,000 43 75,000 43 63,000 42 73,000 41 65,000 Egypt 44 42,000 44 47,000 44 59,000 44 54,000 44 50,000 44 41,000 Morocco 45 33,000 45 29,000 45 35,000 45 31,000 45 26,000 46 19,000 Sri Lanka 46 22,000 47 16,000 46 17,000 46 24,000 46 -- 20,000 45 20,000 Tunisia 47 12,000 49 14,000 49 9,000 49 10,000 47 -- 9,000 48 -- 9,000 Barbados 48 11,000 46 16,000 48 9,000 47 10,000 49 6,000 47 11,000 Jamaica 49 4,000 48 14,000 47 -- 10,000 48 10,000 48 -- 7,000 49 7,000 Total 50 37,609,000 50 36,115,000 50 34,377,000 50 32,692,000 50 31,084,000 50 30,798,000 See also ( edit ) European Union portal United Kingdom portal Wikivoyage has a travel guide for United Kingdom . Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Isle of Man . Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Channel Islands . Visa policy of the British Overseas Territories Visa policy of the Schengen Area Visa policy of Ireland Common Travel Area Visa requirements for the European Union citizens Visa requirements for British citizens Notes ( edit ) ^ Jump up to : May enter on a national ID card Jump up ^ Persons holding a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport . See also British National ( Overseas ) for persons residing in Hong Kong holding a form of British nationality . Jump up ^ Persons holding a Macau Special Administrative Region passport . Jump up ^ May enter on a national ID card if not requiring a visa Jump up ^ Only for holders with their personal ID numbers stipulated in their respective passports . Taiwan issues passports without ID numbers to some persons not having the right to reside in Taiwan , including nationals without household registration and certain persons from Hong Kong , Macau , and mainland China . The visa waiver granted by the United Kingdom to Taiwan passport holders has not altered its non-recognition of Taiwan as a sovereign country . Jump up ^ Holy See Service & Emergency passport holders only . Jump up ^ Non-biometric passports only References ( edit ) Jump up ^ Smith , Evan ( 20 July 2016 ) . `` Brexit and the history of policing the Irish border '' . History & Policy . History & Policy . Retrieved 21 July 2016 . Jump up ^ `` Entering the UK - GOV.UK '' . ^ Jump up to : UK Border Agency . `` Visa and Direct Airside Transit Visa ( DATV ) nationals '' . Retrieved 17 August 2010 . Jump up ^ `` Country information ( visa section ) '' . Timatic . International Air Transport Association ( IATA ) through Olympic Air . Retrieved 1 April 2017 . Jump up ^ Do I need a visa ? Hong Kong . UK Border Agency . Retrieved 17 August 2010 Jump up ^ Do I need a visa ? Macao . UK Border Agency . Retrieved 17 August 2010 Jump up ^ ROC ( Taiwan ) Immigration Reference Guide for Civil Carriers ( PDF ) , National Immigration Agency , 18 March 2011 , retrieved 21 December 2011 Jump up ^ `` 護照 條例 施行 細則 '' , Laws & Regulations Database of The Republic of China , Taipei : Ministry of Justice , 29 June 2011 , retrieved 21 December 2011 . English translation available from the Bureau of Consular Affairs . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ Under unilateral decision of the UK Government Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ Was applied from 1 June 1961 under unilateral decision of the UK Government ; from 19 December 1968 under Visa exemption agreement `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ Was applied from 1 June 1961 under unilateral decision of the UK Government ; from 19 September 1962 under Visa exemption agreement `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ Was applied from 1 June 1961 under unilateral decision of the UK Government ; from 30 May 1962 under Visa exemption agreement `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ Was applied from 1 June 1961 under unilateral decision of the UK Government ; from 7 March 1969 under Visa exemption agreement `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ Was applied from 1 June 1961 under unilateral decision of the UK Government ; from 6 February 1966 under Visa exemption agreement `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ Was applied from 1 June 1961 under unilateral decision of the UK Government ; from 27 November 1966 under Visa exemption agreement `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ http://vm.ee/en/countries/united-kingdom?display=relations Jump up ^ `` UK Treaties Online '' . Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : HC735 , April 2002 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : HC538 , 26 November 2002 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : HC95 , December 2003 - GOV.UK '' . ^ Jump up to : `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : HC949 , 1 March 2006 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : HC130 , 11 December 2006 - GOV.UK '' . ^ Jump up to : `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : HC227 , 9 February 2009 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : HC887 , 9 December 2013 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : HC877 , 11 March 2016 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ Exchange of Notes between the United Kingdom and Austria constituting an Agreement relating to the Abolition of Passport Visas for the Nationals of the Two States Jump up ^ http://treaties.fco.gov.uk/treaties/treatyrecord.htm?tid=8098 Jump up ^ Was applied from 17 March 1951 . Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of Cuba for the Abolition of Visas Jump up ^ Was applied from 1 October 1973 . Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Imperial Iranian Government concerning the Abolition of Visas Jump up ^ Was applied from 1 June 1961 under unilateral decision of the UK Government from 19 March 1968 under Visa exemption agreement Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Argentine Republic concerning the Abolition of Visas ^ Jump up to : Was applied from 1 June 1961 under unilateral decision of the UK Government Jump up ^ Was applied from 9 November 1952 . Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Turkey constituting an Agreement for the Abolition of Visas ; Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Turkey constituting an Agreement for the Abolition of Visas on 1 March 1960 Jump up ^ `` Page can not be found '' . Jump up ^ Was applied from 1 January 1947 . Jump up ^ Was applied from 1 November 1958 . Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Morocco for the Mutual Abolition of Visas on Passports Jump up ^ Was applied from 6 August 1962 . Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Tunisian Republic regarding the Abolition of Visas Jump up ^ Was applied from 14 May 1969 . Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia concerning the Abolition of Visas Jump up ^ Was applied 28 April 1965 . Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Republic of the Ivory Coast concerning the Abolition of Visas Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : CM2663 , September 1994 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : HC797 , October 1995 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : CM3073 , January 1996 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : HC274 , March 1996 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ Was applied from 1 June 1961 under unilateral decision of the UK Government ; from 20 July 1967 under Visa exemption agreement Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Dominican Republic regarding the Abolition of Visas Jump up ^ Was applied from 21 July 1976 . Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Republic of Niger concerning the Abolition of Visas Jump up ^ Was applied from 1 June 1961 under unilateral decision of the UK Governmen Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : HC329 , April 1996 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ Was applied from 1961 . Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Colombia regarding the Reciprocal Abolition of Visas Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : CM3669 , May 1997 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ Was applied from 1 June 1961 under unilateral decision of the UK Government ; from 13 October 1963 under Visa exemption agreement Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Ecuador regarding the Abolition of Visas Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : HC161 , July 1997 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ Was applied from 1 October 1990 ( signed as Czechoslovakia ) Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic concerning the Abolition of Visas Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : CM4065 , October 1998 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : HC22 , November 1999 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : HC1301 , 7 November 2002 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : HC180 , January 2003 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ Was applied from 17 April 1960 . Exchange of Notes between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Republic of Bolivia regarding the Reciprocal Abolition of Visas ^ Jump up to : `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : HC413 , 24 April 2009 - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules : HC1138 , 13 March 2014 '' ( PDF ) . Jump up ^ `` Short - term study visa - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ https://www.gov.uk/permitted-paid-engagement-visa Jump up ^ `` Standard Visitor visa - GOV.UK '' . ^ Jump up to : `` UK electronic visa waiver introduced for Oman , Qatar and UAE - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` 404 Not Found '' . Jump up ^ `` European nationals and schemes ( entry clearance guidance ) - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Visas and Immigration - Government of Gibraltar '' . Jump up ^ http://www.gbc.gi/news/1405/immigration,-asylum-and-refugee-act-amended Jump up ^ http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=28347 ^ Jump up to : `` The British - Irish Visa Scheme '' ( PDF ) . ^ Jump up to : `` British - Irish visa scheme - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ Leijen , Majorie van ( 26 October 2014 ) . `` Joint visit visa to UK and Ireland launched '' . Jump up ^ `` ECB08 : what are acceptable travel documents for entry clearance - GOV.UK '' . ^ Jump up to : `` Visa to pass through the UK in transit - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Visa to pass through the UK in transit - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Visa to pass through the UK in transit - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Are you intending to transit via the UK ? - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ https://www.timaticweb.com/cgi-bin/tim_client.cgi?ExpertMode=TINEWS/N1&user=KLMB2C&subuser=KLMB2C Jump up ^ Passports that do not contain a Personal ID Number . Jump up ^ Biometric passports only Jump up ^ `` Apply for a UK visa - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Standard Visitor visa - GOV.UK '' . ^ Jump up to : `` Standard Visitor visa - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` The Home Office launches new two - year Chinese visa pilot - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Apply for an EEA family permit from outside the UK - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` The Immigration ( Provision of Physical Data ) Regulations 2006 '' . ^ Jump up to : `` Entry clearance basics ( entry clearance guidance ) - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Common travel area ( entry clearance guidance ) - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Apply for a UK visa - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Tuberculosis tests for visa applicants - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Transfer your visa to a new passport - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Standard Visitor visa - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ The Standard Visitor visa has replaced the Family Visitor visa , General Visitor visa , Child Visitor visa , Business Visitor visa ( including visas for academics , doctors and dentists ) , Sports Visitor visa , Entertainer Visitor visa , Prospective Entrepreneur visa , Private Medical Treatment Visitor visa , and Approved Destination Status ( ADS ) visa . Jump up ^ `` Marriage Visitor visa - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Permitted Paid Engagement visa - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Parent of a Tier 4 child visa - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` NEUTRALS LANDING IN UNITED KINGDOM . ( Hansard , 19 March 1917 ) '' . ^ Jump up to : http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20080806121433/http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/news/visawaivertest.pdf?view=Binary Jump up ^ Foundation , Internet Memory . `` ( ARCHIVED CONTENT ) UK Government Web Archive -- The National Archives '' . Jump up ^ `` Results of Britain 's first global visa review '' . Foreign and Commonwealth Office . 14 July 2008 . Retrieved 11 September 2011 . Jump up ^ `` Important change for Venezuelan visitors to the UK '' . Foreign and Commonwealth Office . 2011 . Retrieved 11 September 2011 . Jump up ^ BBC News ( 9 February 2009 ) . `` Countries face new UK visa rules '' . Retrieved 14 July 2010 . Jump up ^ Foundation , Internet Memory . `` ( ARCHIVED CONTENT ) UK Government Web Archive -- The National Archives '' . Jump up ^ http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/statementsofchanges/2009/hc227.pdf?view=Binary Jump up ^ http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090414164007/http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/news/introofvisaregimes?view=Binary Jump up ^ Westminster , Department of the Official Report ( Hansard ) , House of Commons , . `` House of Commons Hansard Ministerial Statements for 30 Mar 2010 ( pt 0004 ) '' . Jump up ^ Westminster , Department of the Official Report ( Hansard ) , House of Commons , . `` House of Commons Hansard Ministerial Statements for 02 Mar 2011 ( pt 0001 ) '' . Jump up ^ `` Announcements - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Announcements - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/statementsofchanges/2011/hc1148.pdf?view=Binary Jump up ^ https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/268230/hc565.pdf Jump up ^ `` Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/statementsofchanges/2012/hc565.pdf?view=Binary Jump up ^ `` Announcements - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` UK puts Brazil visitor visa crackdown on hold '' . BBC News . 13 March 2013 . ^ Jump up to : https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/289857/HC_1138_EM_Web_Accessible.pdf Jump up ^ Foundation , Internet Memory . `` ( ARCHIVED CONTENT ) UK Government Web Archive -- The National Archives '' . Jump up ^ `` Changes to UK visa requirements for Venezuelan nationals - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/modernised/cross-cut/police-registration/police-registration.pdf?view=Binary Jump up ^ `` Entry clearance basics ( entry clearance guidance ) - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Directive 2004 / 38 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States '' . 2004 - 04 - 29 . Retrieved 2008 - 12 - 17 . Jump up ^ Summary of the Directive 2004 / 38 / EC `` Right of Union citizens and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States '' . 2006 - 05 - 02 . Retrieved 2008 - 12 - 17 . Jump up ^ `` Decision of the EEA Joint Committee No 158 / 2007 of 7 December 2007 amending Annex V ( Free movement of workers ) and Annex VIII ( Right of establishment ) to the EEA Agreement '' ( PDF ) . 2007 - 12 - 07 . Retrieved 2008 - 12 - 22 . ^ Jump up to : Article 7 ( 2 ) of the Schengen Borders Code ( OJ L 105 , 13 April 2006 , p. 1 ) . ^ Jump up to : Home Office WI Checking Policy and operational instructions issued in June 2007 ( see ( 2 ) , pg 21 ) Jump up ^ See ( 3 ) , pg 12 ^ Jump up to : See ( 4 ) , pg 3 Jump up ^ See ( 5 ) , table of statistics at 4.13 on pg 12 Jump up ^ `` The Immigration ( European Economic Area ) Regulations 2006 '' . Jump up ^ Judgement of the European Court of Justice of 17 February 2005 , Case C 215 / 03 , Salah Oulane vs. Minister voor Vreemdelingenzaken en Integratie Jump up ^ http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20131001174849/http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/borderforce/primary-checkpoint/initial-examination/uk-eea-no-passport.pdf?view=Binary Jump up ^ Article 27 of Directive 2004 / 38 / EC ( Directive 2004 / 38 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States ) . Jump up ^ Article 28 of Directive 2004 / 38 / EC ( Directive 2004 / 38 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States ) . Jump up ^ Article 29 of Directive 2004 / 38 / EC ( Directive 2004 / 38 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States ) . Jump up ^ Articles 3 ( 1 ) and 5 ( 2 ) of Directive 2004 / 38 / EC ( Directive 2004 / 38 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States ) . Jump up ^ `` Entering the UK as the holder of an Article 10 residence card - GOV.UK '' . Jump up ^ `` Overseas Residents Visits to the UK - Office for National Statistics '' . <Th_colspan="2"> Visa policy by country <Td_colspan="2"> Visa Passport Travel document Africa Central Angola Cameroon Central African Republic Chad DR Congo R Congo Equatorial Guinea Gabon São Tomé and Príncipe Eastern Burundi Comoros Djibouti Eritrea Ethiopia Kenya Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Mozambique Rwanda Seychelles Somalia ( Somaliland ) South Sudan Tanzania Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe Northern Algeria Egypt Libya Morocco Sudan Tunisia Southern Botswana Lesotho Namibia Saint Helena , Ascension and Tristan da Cunha South Africa Swaziland Western Benin Burkina Faso Cape Verde Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea - Bissau Ivory Coast Liberia Mali Mauritania Niger Nigeria Senegal Sierra Leone Togo Americas Caribbean Dutch Caribbean ( Aruba , Caribbean Netherlands , Curaçao , Sint Maarten ) Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Haiti Jamaica Montserrat Puerto Rico St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands United States Virgin Islands Central Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama North Bermuda Canada Mexico United States South Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Falkland Islands Guyana Paraguay Peru South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Suriname Uruguay Venezuela Asia Central & North Afghanistan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Russia Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan East China Hong Kong Macau Japan North Korea South Korea Mongolia Taiwan ( Republic of China ) South Bangladesh Bhutan India Maldives Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka Southeast ( ASEAN ) Brunei Cambodia East Timor Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam Western Abkhazia Akrotiri and Dhekelia Armenia Artsakh Azerbaijan Bahrain Cyprus Egypt Georgia Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Northern Cyprus Oman Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia South Ossetia Syria Turkey United Arab Emirates Yemen Europe European Union / EFTA Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Cyprus Denmark Faroe Islands Estonia Finland France Overseas Germany Gibraltar Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Overseas Norway Svalbard Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom Overseas Other Europe Abkhazia Akrotiri and Dhekelia Albania Andorra Armenia Artsakh Azerbaijan Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina Georgia Kazakhstan Kosovo Macedonia Moldova Monaco Montenegro Northern Cyprus Russia San Marino Serbia South Ossetia Transnistria Turkey Ukraine Vatican City Oceania American Samoa Australia Cook Islands Fiji Guam Kiribati Marshall Islands Micronesia Nauru New Zealand Niue Northern Mariana Islands Palau Papua New Guinea Pitcairn Islands Samoa Solomon Islands Tokelau Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu <Td_colspan="2"> British Overseas Territories . Open border with Schengen Area . Russia is a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia . The majority of its population ( 80 % ) lives in European Russia , therefore Russia as a whole is included as a European country here . Turkey is a transcontinental country in the Middle East and Southeast Europe . Has part of its territory ( 3 % ) in Southeast Europe called Turkish Thrace . Azerbaijan ( Artsakh ) and Georgia ( Abkhazia ; South Ossetia ) are transcontinental countries . Both have part of their territories in the European part of the Caucasus . Kazakhstan is a transcontinental country . Has part of its territories located west of the Ural River in Eastern Europe . Armenia and Cyprus ( Northern Cyprus ; Akrotiri and Dhekelia ) are entirely in Southwest Asia but having socio - political connections with Europe . Egypt is a transcontinental country in North Africa and the Middle East . Has part of its territory in the Middle East called Sinai Peninsula . Part of the Realm of New Zealand . Partially recognized . Unincorporated territory of the United States . Part of Norway , not part of the Schengen Area , special open - border status under Svalbard Treaty <Th_colspan="2"> Visa policies and requirements in the European Union <Td_colspan="2"> Schengen Area Common Travel Area Special territories <Td_colspan="2"> Policy / Requirements Policy / Requirements Policy / Requirements Overseas Visa policy of the British Overseas Territories Visa policy of the French overseas departments and territories Visa policy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean Candidates Albania Macedonia Montenegro Serbia Turkey <Td_colspan="2"> <Th_colspan="2"> Visa requirements <Td_colspan="2"> Visa Passport Travel document Africa Central Angolan Cameroonian Central African Republic Chadian DR Congo R Congo Equatorial Guinean Gabonese Santomean Eastern Burundian Comorian Djiboutian Eritrean Ethiopian Kenyan Malagasy Malawian Mauritian Mozambican Rwandan Seychellois Somali ( Somaliland ) South Sudanese Tanzanian Ugandan Zambian Zimbabwean Northern Algerian Egyptian Libyan Moroccan Sudanese Tunisian Southern Botswana Lesotho Namibian Saint Helena South African Swazi Western Beninese Burkinabe Cape Verdean Gambian Ghanaian Guinean Guinea - Bissauan Ivorian Liberian Malian Mauritanian Nigerian Nigerien Senegalese Sierra Leonean Togolese Americas Caribbean Anguillan Antigua and Barbuda Bahamian Barbadian British Virgin Islands Caymanian Cuban Dominica Dominican Republic Grenadian Haitian Jamaican Montserratian Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucian Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands Central Belizean Costa Rican El Salvador Guatemalan Honduran Nicaraguan Panamanian North Bermudian Canadian Mexican United States South Argentine Bolivian Brazilian Chilean Colombian Ecuadorian Guyanese Paraguayan Peruvian Surinamese Uruguayan Venezuelan Asia Central & North Afghanistani Kazakhstani Kyrgyzstani Russian Tajik Turkmen Uzbekistani East Chinese Hong Kongese Macanese Japanese North Korean South Korean Mongolian Taiwanese South Bangladeshi Bhutanese Indian Maldivian Nepalese Pakistani Sri Lankan Southeast Bruneian Cambodian East Timorese Indonesian Laotian Malaysian Myanmar Philippine Singaporean Thai Vietnamese Western Abkhaz Armenian Artsakh Azerbaijani Bahraini Cypriot Egyptian Georgian Emirati Iranian Iraqi Israeli Jordanian Kuwaiti Lebanese Northern Cypriot Omani Palestinian Qatari Saudi South Ossetian Syrian Turkish Yemeni Europe European Union Austrian Belgian British ( BOTC BN ( O ) BOC ) Bulgarian Croatian Cypriot Czech Danish Dutch Estonian ( Non-citizens ) Finnish French German Greek Hungarian Irish Italian Latvian ( Non-citizens ) Lithuanian Luxembourg Maltese Polish Portuguese Romanian Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swedish Other Europe Abkhaz Albanian Andorran Armenian Artsakh Azerbaijani Belarusian Bosnian and Herzegovinian Georgian Gibraltar Icelandic Kazakhstani Kosovan Liechtenstein Macedonia Moldovan Monégasque Montenegrin Northern Cypriot Norwegian Russian San Marino Serbian South Ossetian Sovereign Military Order of Malta Swiss Transnistrian Turkish Ukrainian Vatican City Oceania Australian Fijian Kiribati Marshallese Micronesian Nauruan New Zealand Palauan Papua New Guinean Pitcairn Islands Samoan Solomon Islands Tongan Tuvaluan Vanuatuan <Td_colspan="2"> British Overseas Territories . Open border with Schengen Area . Russia is a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia . The vast majority of its population ( 80 % ) lives in European Russia . Turkey is a transcontinental country in the Middle East and Southeast Europe . Has a small part of its territory ( 3 % ) in Southeast Europe called Turkish Thrace . Abkhazia , Azerbaijan , Georgia , and South Ossetia are often regarded as transcontinental countries . Both have a small part of their territories in the European part of the Caucasus . Kazakhstan is a transcontinental country . Has a small part of its territories located west of the Urals in Eastern Europe . Armenia , Artsakh , Cyprus , and Northern Cyprus are entirely in Southwest Asia but having socio - political connections with Europe . Egypt is a transcontinental country in North Africa and the Middle East . Has a small part of its territory in the Middle East called Sinai Peninsula . Partially recognized . Immigration law Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Visa_policy_of_the_United_Kingdom&oldid=838725749 '' Categories : Visa policy by country Visa policy of the United Kingdom Hidden categories : Incomplete lists from March 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Српски / srpski Türkçe Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 28 April 2018 , at 22 : 39 . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply . By using this site , you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation , Inc. , a non-profit organization . About Wikipedia