Visa requirements for British citizens
Entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the United Kingdom
Visa requirements for British citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the United Kingdom.
As of 2025, British citizens have visa-free or visa on arrival access to 186 countries and territories, ranking the British passport 6th in the world according to the Henley Passport Index.
Additionally, the World Tourism Organisation also published a report on 15 January 2016 ranking the passport 1st in the world (tied with Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and Singapore) in terms of travel freedom, with the mobility index of 160 (out of 215 with no visa weighted by: 1, visa on arrival weighted by 0.7, e-Visa weighted by 0.5 and traditional visa weighted by 0).
The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020 and thus lost the freedom of movement to EU countries on 31 December 2020. However, UK citizens are still eligible for visa-free access for short-term visits to the Schengen Area.
Visa requirements for other classes of British nationals such as British Nationals (Overseas), British Overseas Citizens, British Overseas Territories Citizens, British Protected Persons or British Subjects are different.
History.
Visa requirements for British citizens were lifted by many European nations in the few years after World War II. The first changes occurred in 1947. These were removed by France on 1 January 1947.
This was then quickly followed by Belgium on 15 February 1947, Luxembourg 15 February 1947, Norway on 1 March 1947, Denmark on 22 March 1947, Sweden on 1 April 1947, Netherlands on 15 April 1947, Switzerland on 24 June 1947 Liechtenstein on 24 June 1947 and Iceland on 1 July 1947.
The requirement was lifted by Italy on 1 January 1948, Monaco (8 November 1948), Austria (15 May 1955), Paraguay (27 November 1966), United States (1 July 1988), Poland (1 July 1992), Bulgaria (March 1997), Romania (1 January 2001), Serbia and Montenegro (31 May 2003), Ukraine (1 May 2005), Georgia (1 June 2006), Moldova (1 January 2007), Kyrgyzstan (27 July 2012), Armenia (10 January 2013), Kazakhstan (15 July 2014), Indonesia (13 June 2015), Vietnam (1 July 2015) Belarus (12 February 2017), Cape Verde (1 January 2019), Uzbekistan (1 February 2019), Turkey (2 March 2020) and Oman (December 2020).
Electronic visas for British citizens were introduced: India (15 August 2015), Djibouti (18 February 2018), Malawi (October 2019) and Mongolia (November 2021). In April 2021, India announced that it would stop issuing Electronic visas for British citizens from August 2021, however this was reinstated in December 2022.
Honduras cancelled a visa-free regime for British citizens as a reciprocal measure in August 2024. Similarly, Namibia will introduce visas for British citizens for reciprocity reasons, starting April 2025.
Visa requirements.
<templatestyles src="template:sticky header/styles.css"/>
Common Travel Area.
The United Kingdom, together with its Crown Dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland make up a Common Travel Area where:
However, there are occasionally checks on coaches and trains moving between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. British citizens living in Ireland have many of the same rights and entitlements as an Irish citizen. Citizens of third countries must have passports and, if required, visas to travel between the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.
British visas don't enable travel to Ireland for people without agreement with Ireland, and vice versa. Passengers travelling between the Common Travel Area and the Schengen Area are subject to systematic passport/identity checks.
British Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories.
<templatestyles src="template:sticky header/styles.css"/>
Territories and disputed areas.
<templatestyles src="template:row hover highlight/styles.css"/><templatestyles src="template:sticky header/styles.css"/>
Non-ordinary passports.
Holders of exclusive categories of British passports have this visa-free access, to: China , Kuwait , Mongolia , Qatar and the United Arab Emirates . Holders of diplomatic or service passports of any country have visa-free access to Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe. Holders of British official and diplomatic passports require a visa for South Africa.
Travel consequences of Brexit.
On 23 June 2016, a majority of the British electorate who voted, did so to leave the European Union in a nationwide referendum.
In March 2017, the UK sent notification of their intention to leave the EU to the European Council through Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. British citizens ceased to be EU citizens upon the UK's departure from the EU thus forfeiting the rights of citizens.
The UK withdrew from the EU on 31 January 2020, but British citizens retained the right of freedom of movement until the transitional period ended on 31 December 2020.
From 1 January 2021, when EU law ceased to apply to the United Kingdom, British citizens are afforded visa-free visits to the Schengen Area, for 90 days in any 180-day period. British citizens also enjoy visa-free entry to Bulgaria and Romania.
From sometime in 2025, most visa-exempt travellers seeking entry to the EU and EEA must apply and pay for travel authorisation through ETIAS. This was confirmed on 12 September 2018 and has no exception, yet agreed, for British citizens. This excludes British-Irish travel which is governed by laws that pre-date the European Community.
When in a non-EU country where there is no British embassy, British citizens no longer have the right to consular protection from the embassy of any other EU country present in that country.
Consular protection of British citizens abroad.
When in a country where there is no British embassy, British citizens may get help from the embassy of any other commonwealth country present in that country. There are also informal arrangements with some other countries, including New Zealand and Australia, to help British nationals in some countries.
See also List of diplomatic missions of the United Kingdom.
References and notes.
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

British passport
Passport issued to British nationals
The British passport is a travel document issued by the United Kingdom or other British dependencies and territories to individuals holding any form of British nationality. It grants the bearer international passage in accordance with visa requirements and serves as proof of UK citizenship. It also facilitates access to consular assistance from British embassies around the world. Passports are issued using royal prerogative, which is exercised by His Majesty's Government; this means that the grant of a passport is a privilege, not a right, and may be withdrawn in some circumstances. British citizen passports have been issued in the UK by His Majesty's Passport Office, an agency of the Home Office, since 2014. All passports issued in the UK since 2006 have been biometric.
The legacy of the United Kingdom as an imperial power has resulted in several types of British nationality, and different types of British passport exist as a result. Furthermore, each of the Crown dependencies and certain Overseas territories issue their own variants of British passports to those with links to their jurisdictions, which have small differences from the UK-variant passport. All British passports enable the bearer to request consular assistance from British embassies and from certain Commonwealth high commissions in some cases. British citizens can use their passport as evidence of right of abode in the United Kingdom.
Between 1920 and 1992, the standard design of British passports was a navy blue hardcover booklet featuring the royal coat of arms emblazoned in gold. From 1988, the UK adopted machine readable passports in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization standard 9303. At this time, the passport colour was also changed to burgundy red, to bring it into line with the European Community passports of the other member states. The previous blue hardback passport continued to be issued in tandem with the new design until stocks were exhausted in 1992.
Pre-Brexit, the contract for printing British passports had been held by British company De La Rue. In 2018, the contract for printing post-Brexit was awarded to Franco-Dutch company Gemalto, which in 2019 became Thales DIS, part of the multinational Thales Group. The passport booklets will be printed more cheaply in Poland, with a controversial loss of printer jobs at De La Rue, but the passports will be personalised in the UK across two sites. All passports are now issued with the blue design and they are made by Thales DIS in Poland.
British citizens have visa-free or visa on arrival access to 192 countries and territories; the international access available to British citizens ranks third in the world according to the 2024 Visa Restrictions Index.
Since the introduction of biometric passports in 2006, a new design has been introduced every five years.
<templatestyles src="Template:TOC limit/styles.css" />
History.
Early passports (1414–1921).
King Henry V of England is credited with having invented what some consider the first passport in the modern sense, as a means of helping his subjects prove who they were in foreign lands. The earliest reference to these documents is found in the Safe Conducts Act 1414. In 1540, granting travel documents in England became a role of the Privy Council of England, and it was around this time that the term "passport" was introduced. In Scotland, passports were issued by the Scottish Crown and could also be issued on the Crown's behalf by burghs, Lord Provosts of Edinburgh and Glasgow, senior churchmen and noblemen. Passports were still signed by the monarch until 1685, when the Secretary of State could sign them instead. The Secretary of State signed all passports in place of the monarch from 1794 onwards, at which time formal records started to be kept; all of these records still exist. Passports were written in Latin or English until 1772, then in French until 1858. Since that time, they have been written in English, with some sections translated into French. In 1855, passports became a standardised document issued solely to British nationals. Passports in England and Wales were issued by the Home Secretary, and in Scotland by the Lord Provost of Edinburgh or Glasgow. They were a simple single-sheet hand-drafted paper document.
Some duplicate passports and passport records are available at the British Library; for example IOR: L/P&J/11 contain a few surviving passports of travelling ayahs from the 1930s.
A passport issued on 18 June 1641 and signed by King Charles I still exists.
Starting in the late 19th century, an increasing number of Britons began travelling abroad due to the advent of railways and travel services such as the Thomas Cook Continental Timetable. The speed of trains, as well as the number of passengers that crossed multiple borders, made enforcement of passport laws difficult, and many travellers did not carry a passport in this era. However, the outbreak of World War I led to the introduction of modern border controls, including in the UK with passage of the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act 1914. Thus, in 1915 the British government developed a new format of passport that could be mass-produced and used to quickly identify the bearer. The new passport consisted of a printed sheet folded into ten and affixed to a clothed cardboard cover. It included a description of the holder as well as a photograph, and had to be renewed after two years.
Passport booklets (1921–1993).
In October 1920, the League of Nations held the Paris Conference on Passports & Customs Formalities and Through Tickets. British diplomats joined with 42 countries to draft passport guidelines and a general booklet design resulted from the conference. The League model specified a 32-page booklet of . The first four pages were reserved for detailing the bearer's physical characteristics, occupation and residence.
The British government formed the Passport Office in the same year and in 1921 began issuing 32-page passports with a navy blue hardcover with an embossed coat of arms. "BRITISH PASSPORT" was the common identifier printed at the top of all booklets, while the name of the issuing government was printed below the coat of arms (e.g. United Kingdom, New Zealand, Hong Kong). Cut-outs in the cover allowed the bearer's name and the passport number to be displayed. This format would remain the standard for most British passports until the introduction of machine-readable passports in 1988. It continued to be issued in the United Kingdom until the end of 1993.
As with many contemporary travel documents worldwide, details were handwritten into the passport and (as of 1955) included: number, holder's name, "accompanied by his wife" and her maiden name, "and" (number) "children", national status. For both bearer and wife: profession, place and date of birth, country of residence, height, eye and hair colour, special peculiarities, signature and photograph. Names, birth dates, and sexes of children, list of countries for which valid, issue place and date, expiry date, a page for renewals and, at the back, details of the amount of foreign exchange for travel expenses (a limited amount of sterling, typically £50 but increasing with inflation, could be taken out of the country). The bearer's sex was not explicitly stated, although the name was written in with title ("Mr John Smith"). Descriptive text was printed in both English and French (a practice which still[ [update]] continues), e.g., "Accompanied by his wife (Maiden name)/Accompagné de sa femme (Née)". Changed details were struck out and rewritten, with a rubber-stamped note confirming the change.
If details and photograph of a man's wife and details of children were entered (this was not compulsory), the passport could be used by the bearer, wife, and children under 16, if together; separate passports were required for the wife or children to travel independently. Until 1972 the passport was valid for five years, renewable for another five, after which it had to be replaced.
Renewal of a passport required physical cancellation of the old passport, which was then returned to the bearer. The top-right corner of its front cover was cut off and "Cancelled" was stamped into one or both of the cut-outs in the front cover, which showed the passport number and the bearer's name, as well on the pages showing the bearer's details and the document's validity.
For much of the 20th century, the passport had a printed list of countries for which it was valid, which was added to manually as validity increased. A passport issued in 1955 was valid for the British Commonwealth, USA, and all countries in Europe "including the USSR, Turkey, Algeria, Azores, Canary Islands, Iceland, and Madeira"; during its period of validity restrictions eased and it was endorsed "and for all other foreign countries".
The British visitor's passport.
A new simplified type, the British Visitor's Passport, was introduced in 1961. It was a single sheet of cardboard, folded in three so as to consist of six pages the same size as those of a regular passport, and was valid for one year. It was obtainable for many years from Employment Exchanges, as agents of the Passport Office, and later from a Post Office. It was accepted for travel by most west European countries (excluding surface travel to West Berlin), but was dropped in 1995 since it did not meet new security standards. A cancelled passport, which was returned to the bearer, had its top-right corner cut off, which had the effect of removing a corner from every page.
Machine-readable passports (1988–2006).
After the passport standardisation efforts of the 1920s, further effort to update international passport guidance was limited. The United Kingdom joined the European Communities in 1973, at a time when the Communities was looking to strengthen European civic identity. Between 1974 and 1975, the member states developed a common format. Member states agreed that passports should be burgundy in colour and feature the heading "European Community" in addition to the country name. Adoption by member states was voluntary. While most of the Community adopted the format by 1985, the UK continued to issue the traditional blue booklet.
Rapid growth of air travel and technological change led to the International Civil Aviation Organization defining a new international standard for machine-readable passport, ICAO Doc 9303, in 1980. An ICAO standard machine-readable passport was a significant departure from the traditional British passport layout, and the British government did not immediately adopt it. In 1986, the United States announced the US Visa Waiver Program. The concept allowed for passport holders of certain countries to enter the US for business or tourism without applying for a visitor visa. The UK was the first country to join the scheme in 1988; however, a requirement was that the traveller hold a machine-readable passport. Thus, the British government, after nearly 70 years, decided to retire the traditional League of Nations format passport.
With the move to machine-readable passports, the UK decided to adopt the European Community format. On 15 August 1988, the Glasgow passport office became the first to issue burgundy-coloured machine-readable passports. They had the words 'European Community' on the cover, later changed to 'European Union' in 1997. The passport had 32 pages; while a 48-page version was made available with more space for stamps and visas. Two lines of machine-readable text were printed in ICAO format, and a section was included in which relevant terms ("surname", "date of issue", etc.) were translated into the official EU languages. Passports issued overseas did not all have a Machine Readable Zone, but these were introduced gradually as appropriate equipment was made available overseas.
While other British territories such as Hong Kong and the Cayman Islands were not part of the European Community, they also adopted the same European format, although "British Passport" remained at the top rather than "European Community".
In 1998 the first digital image passport was introduced with photographs being replaced with images printed directly on the data page which was moved from the cover to an inside page to reduce the ease of fraud. These documents were all issued with machine-readable zones and had a hologram over the photograph, which was the first time that British passports had been protected by an optically variable safeguard. These documents were issued until 2006 when the biometric passport was introduced.
Biometric passports (2006–present).
Series A (2006–2015).
In the late 1990s, ICAO's Technical Advisory Group began developing a new standard for storing biometric data (e.g. photo, fingerprints, iris scan) on a chip embedded in a passport. The September 11 attacks involving the hijacking of commercial airliners led to the rapid incorporation of the group's technical report into ICAO Doc 9303.
The Identity and Passport Service issued the first biometric British passport on 6 February 2006, known as Series A. This was the first British passport to feature artwork. Series A, version 1 was produced between 2006 and 2010, while an updated version 2 with technical changes and refreshed artwork was produced between 2010 and 2015.
Version 1 showcased birds native to the British Isles. The bio-data page was printed with a finely detailed background including a drawing of a red grouse, and the entire page was protected from modification by a laminate which incorporates a holographic image of the kingfisher; visa pages were numbered and printed with detailed backgrounds including drawings of other birds: a merlin, curlew, pied avocet, and red kite. An RFID chip and antenna were visible on the official observations page and held the same visual information as printed, including a digital copy of the photograph with biometric information for use with facial recognition systems. The Welsh and Scottish Gaelic languages were included in all British passports for the first time, and appeared on the titles page replacing the official languages of the EU, although the EU languages still appeared faintly as part of the background design. Welsh and Scottish Gaelic preceded the official EU languages in the translations section.
In 2010, Her Majesty's Passport Office signed a ten-year, £400 million contract with De La Rue to produce British passports. This resulted in Series A, version 2, which introduced minor security enhancements. The biometric chip was relocated from the official observations page to inside the cover, and the observations page itself was moved from the back of the passport to immediately after the data page. All new art was produced for version 2, this time with a coastal theme. Data and visa pages featured coastal scenes, wildlife and meteorological symbols.
Renewal of the passport required physical cancellation of the old passport, which was then returned to the bearer. The top-right corners of its front and back covers were cut off, as well as the top-right corner of the final pair of pages, which had been bound in plastic with the bearer's details and a digital chip; a white bar-coded form stating "Renewal" and the bearer's personal details was stuck onto the back cover.
Series B (2015–2020).
HMPO's contract with De La Rue involved the design of a new generation of biometric passport, which was released in October 2015 as the Series B passport. The cover design remained the same as Series A, with minor changes to the cover material. The number of pages of a standard passport was increased from 32 to 34, and the 50-page 'jumbo' passport replaced the previous 48-page business passport. New security features included rich three-dimensional UV imagery, cross-page printing and a single-sheet bio-data page joined with the back cover. A new typeface for the cover (Times New Roman) was adopted as well. At the time of its introduction, no other passport offered visa free access to more countries than the UK's Series B British passport.
The theme of the Series B passport was 'Creative United Kingdom', and HMPO described the Series B artwork as the most intricate ever featured in a British passport. Each double-spread page set featured artwork celebrating 500 years of achievements in art, architecture and innovation in the UK. Ordnance Survey maps were also printed inside featuring places related to the imagery. A portrait of William Shakespeare was embedded in each page as a watermark.
The Series B passport was initially issued to British citizens with "European Union" printed on the cover. However, new stocks of the Series B from March 2019 onwards removed the reference in anticipation of withdrawal from the EU. The premature change was controversial given the uncertainty and division in the UK during 2019.
Series C (2020–present).
The introduction of the burgundy machine-readable passport between 1988 and 1993 had been met with significant resistance. The burgundy passports attracted criticism for their perceived flimsiness, mass-produced nature and sudden deviation from the traditional design. There was speculation regarding re-introduction of the old-style passport following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. but the government denied any immediate plans. Such a change was supported by some due to its symbolic value, including Brexit Secretary David Davis, while others thought the undue weight put on such a trivial change raised the question of whether the government was able to prioritise its order of business ahead of Brexit. Nevertheless, the British passport was due for an update in 2020, as the existing De La Rue passport contract was expiring.
On 2 April 2017, Michael Fabricant MP said that De La Rue had stated that the coat of arms would "contrast better on navy blue than it currently does on the maroon passports" as part of their pre-tender discussions with the government. In December 2017, then Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis announced that the blue passport would "return" after exit from the EU.
Following open tender under EU public procurement rules in 2018, the Franco-Dutch security firm Gemalto was selected over British banknote and travel document printer De La Rue. The result of the tender proved highly controversial, as it saw the production of British passport blanks moved from Gateshead in the UK to Tczew, Poland. Passports are produced in Poland, due to it being more cost efficient, and printed with personal details in the United Kingdom, either at a central printing facility, or, in the case of urgent, fast-tracked or premium-service passports, locally printed at application-processing centres in the UK.
On 10 March 2020, the new Series C blue British passport officially began to be issued. Series B passports would also be issued while the Home Office used up old stock.
On 25 September 2020, HMPO announced all British passports issued would now be blue.
Series C introduces a polycarbonate laser-engraved bio-data page with an embedded RFID chip. Also embedded in the data page is a decoding lens which optically unscrambles information hidden on the official observations page and inner front cover. The reverse of the polycarbonate data page serves as the title page and features a portrait-orientation photo of the bearer, reminiscent of pre-1988 passports. Series C features very little artwork, with a compass rose being the only printed art. The passport has the national flowers of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales (Tudor Rose, Shamrock, Scotch Thistle and Daffodil, respectively) embossed on the back cover.
National identity cards.
Second World War.
The National Registration Act established a National Register which began operating on 29 September 1939 (National Registration Day). This introduced a system of identity cards, and a requirement that they must be produced on demand or presented to a police station within 48 hours. Identity cards had to be carried by every man, woman, and child at all times. They included information such as name, age, address, and occupation.
Prior to National Registration Day, 65,000 enumerators across the country delivered forms which householders were required to record their details on. On the following Sunday and Monday the enumerators visited every household, checked the form before issuing a completed identity card for each of the residents. All cards at this time were the same brown/buff colour.
Three main reasons for their introduction:
On 21 February 1952, it no longer became necessary to carry an identity card. The National Registration Act of 1939 was repealed on 22 May 1952.
Abandoned plans for "next generation" biometric passports and national identity registration.
There had been plans, under the Identity Cards Act 2006, to link passports to the Identity Cards scheme. However, in the Conservative – Liberal Democrat Coalition Agreement that followed the 2010 General Election, the new government announced that they planned to scrap the ID card scheme, the National Identity Register, and the next generation of biometric passports, as part of their measures "to reverse the substantial erosion of civil liberties under the Labour Government and roll back state intrusion".
The Identity Cards Act 2006 would have required any person applying for a passport to have their details entered into a centralised computer database, the National Identity Register, part of the National Identity Scheme associated with identity cards and passports. Once registered, they would also have been obliged to update any change to their address and personal details. The identity card was expected to cost up to £60 (with £30 going to the Government, and the remainder charged as processing fees by the companies that would be collecting the fingerprints and photographs). In May 2005 the Government said that the cost for a combined identity card and passport would be £93 plus processing fees.
The next generation of biometric passports, which would have contained chips holding facial images and fingerprints, were to have been issued from 2012. Everyone applying for a passport from 2012 would have had their 10 fingerprints digitally scanned and stored on a database, although only two would have been recorded in the passport.
Nobody in the UK is required to carry any form of ID. In everyday situations, most authorities, such as the police, do not make spot checks of identification for individuals, although they may do so in instances of arrest.
Five Nations Passport Group.
Since 2004, the United Kingdom has participated in the Five Nations Passport Group, an international forum for cooperation between the passport issuing authorities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States to "share best practices and discuss innovations related to the development of passport policies, products and practices".
Types of British passports.
There are many types of British passports, for the different classes of British nationality, variants for certain territories, as well as diplomatic, official, collective and emergency passports. The following table shows the number of valid British passports on the last day of 2024 for each nationality class:
Common format.
Common format British passports are issued to British citizens (except those applying in the Crown Dependencies), British Nationals (Overseas), British subjects, British Overseas citizens and British protected persons. They are also issued to British Overseas Territories citizens applying in the UK, in a territory that does not have a local variant, or from abroad. All these passports have the same cover, but the class of British nationality is specified on the personal information page.
All common format British passports are issued by HM Passport Office in the UK. British nationals may apply for a passport online or by post, from any location. From 2011, British diplomatic missions only issue emergency passports.
Local variants.
Local variants of British passports are issued to British citizens in the Crown Dependencies of Guernsey, Isle of Man and Jersey, and to British Overseas Territories citizens (BOTCs) in Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Saint Helena and Turks and Caicos Islands. These passports display the name of the dependency or territory on the cover, on page 1 and on the personal information page, and the greeting inside their cover is in the name of the respective governor or lieutenant governor instead of the British monarch.
Although variant passports are produced in the UK, applicants can only request them from the government of the respective dependency or territory. British nationals from these jurisdictions applying directly in the UK receive a common format passport. BOTCs who are also British citizens may hold both types of passports.
In the machine-readable zone of BOTC variant passports, the field of the issuing state used to be three-letter ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 code of the territory, which allowed automatic distinction between BOTCs of different territories. However, after HM Passport Office in the UK assumed the responsibility for the production of BOTC variant passports in 2015, the code of the issuing state changed to GBR for all territories, thus making it impossible to identify the holder's domicile without the aid of other features, such as the passport cover. The lack of automatic distinction created problems for Bermudians travelling to the United States, who do not need a visa or ESTA if identified as BOTCs of Bermuda, but need one if identified as British citizens. On 30 April 2024, the code BMU was restored to Bermuda variant passports to facilitate such travel.
Special British passports.
Diplomatic passports are issued to British diplomats and high-ranking government officials and their dependents. Official passports are issued to other British government officials such as administrative and technical staff and their dependents.
King's Messenger passports were issued to diplomatic couriers who transport government documents. Since 2014, these have been replaced by standard diplomatic passports with an observation.
Collective (also known as group) passports are issued to defined groups of 5 to 50 individuals who are British citizens under the age of 18 for travel together to certain countries in the Schengen Area, such as a group of school children on a school trip.
Emergency passports are issued to British nationals by British diplomatic missions across the world. They may also be issued to Commonwealth citizens in countries where their country of nationality does not have diplomatic representation.
European Union passports.
Before the UK withdrew from the EU on 31 January 2020, British citizens, British Overseas Territories citizens of Gibraltar and British subjects with right of abode in the UK were considered to be UK nationals for the purposes of European Union law and therefore EU citizens. As a result, passports issued to these nationals were considered to be EU passports, and before 2019 their covers displayed the title "European Union". British passports with EU status facilitated access to consular assistance from another European Union member state.
British nationals who were EU citizens (except those connected only to the Crown Dependencies) had the right to live and work freely in the European Economic Area and Switzerland until the Brexit transition period ended on 31 December 2020. Since then, they continue to enjoy visa-free travel to the Schengen Area for short stays, as well as the right to live and work in the Republic of Ireland, as British citizens are not treated as aliens under Irish law. Common Travel Area arrangements for visa-free travel remain unchanged.
Other classes of British nationals were not considered to be EU citizens, but also had and continue to enjoy visa-free travel to the Schengen Area for short stays.
Physical appearance.
Outside cover.
Current issue British passports are described as navy blue although many observers have described the colour as black.
The blue passport sports the coat of arms of the United Kingdom emblazoned in the centre of the front cover.
"BRITISH PASSPORT" is inscribed above the coat of arms, and the name of the issuing government is inscribed below (e.g. "UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND" or "TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS"). Where a British national is connected to a territory that is no longer under British sovereignty (e.g. BN(O) in Hong Kong), the issuing government is the United Kingdom. The biometric passport symbol appears at the bottom of the front cover. The rear cover of blue passports are also embossed with the floral emblems of England (Tudor rose), Northern Ireland (Shamrock), Scotland (Scottish thistle) and Wales (daffodil).
Burgundy passports issued by the UK, Gibraltar and the Crown Dependencies follow a different format, as they are based on the EU common model. The words "UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND" (+ "GIBRALTAR" where relevant) or "BRITISH ISLANDS" (+ the Dependency's name) are inscribed above the coat of arms, whilst the word "PASSPORT" is inscribed below. The biometric passport symbol appears at the bottom of the front cover. On passports issued before 29 March 2019, the words "EUROPEAN UNION" were printed at the top of the booklet.
Function-related passports.
Besides the ordinary passports described above, special passports are issued to government officials from which diplomatic status may (diplomatic passport) or may not (official passport) be conferred by the text on the cover. Until 2014 a special passport was available for a Queen's Messenger, which had on its cover the text "QUEEN’S MESSENGER – " below the coat of arms and the text "BRITISH PASSPORT" above it. Despite the red cover, the internal pages continued to resemble those of the old blue passport.
Each passport cover is detailed in the gallery below.
Inside cover.
UK-issued British passports issued during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II contain on their inside cover the following words in English:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />"Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary."
Following the accession of King Charles III, the request reads the following in English:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />"His Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of His Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary."
In older passports, more specific reference was made to "Her Britannic Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs", originally including the name of the incumbent.
In mid-July 2023, the Home Office announced that the British passports issued in King Charles's name were being issued, and the new passports will now carry the words: "His Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of His Majesty...".
In non-UK issue passports, the request is made by the Governor or Lieutenant-Governor of the territory in "the Name of Her Britannic Majesty". As with UK-issued passports, following the accession of King Charles III, the request will change to “His Britannic Majesty”.
Information page.
British passports issued by HM Passport Office include the following data on the information page:
The items are identified by text in English and French (e.g., "Given names/Prénoms"). Translations into Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish and Spanish are written on page 5 (Series C), with the English and French translation also being included (e.g., "Surname / Cyfenw / Cinneadh / Sloinne / Nom / Apellidos"). Passports issued until March 2019 were translated into all official EU languages.
According to the British government, the current policy of using noble titles on passports requires that the applicant provides evidence that the title is included in Burke's Peerage, or the Lord Lyon has recognised a feudal barony. If accepted (and if the applicant wishes to include the title), the correct form is for the applicant to include the territorial designation as part of their surname (Surname of territorial designation e.g. "Smith of Inverglen"). The official observation would then show the holder's full name, followed by their feudal title e.g. "The holder is John Smith, Baron of Inverglen".
Official Observations page.
Certain British passports are issued with printed endorsements on the Official Observations page, usually in upper case (capital letters). They form part of the passport when it is issued, as distinct from immigration stamps subsequently entered in the visa pages. Some examples are:
British Subjects with the right of abode (usually from Ireland) have this endorsement in their passports. Between 1973 and 1982, this observation was also in passports issued to British Subjects with a connection to the UK (now British Citizens).
British Overseas Citizens who have been granted indefinite leave to enter or remain after 1968 retain this entitlement for life as their ILR is not subject to the two-year expiration rule, and their passports are accordingly issued with this endorsement.
British nationals without the right of abode in the UK will have this endorsement in their passports unless they have been granted indefinite leave to enter or remain. However, even though a BN(O) passport does not entitle the holder the right of abode in the UK, this endorsement was not found in BN(O) passports issued before 2020.
British citizens from Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man without a qualifying connection to the United Kingdom by descent or residency for more than five years previously had this endorsement in their passports. Moreover, British Overseas Citizens and British Nationals (Overseas) would have the same endorsement if they renewed their BOC/BN(O) passport after 29 March 2019. This observation ceased to be used from 1 January 2021.
This endorsement is found in BN(O) passports, and accordingly holders of BN(O) passports are allowed to enter the UK as a visitor without an entry certificate or visa for up to six months per entry.
British citizens who also possess BN(O) status may have this endorsement in their passports to signify their additional status, with the holder’s consent.
British Nationals (Overseas) (BN(O)s) have this endorsement in their passports, as registration as a BN(O) before 1997 required the applicant to hold a valid Hong Kong permanent identity card, which guaranteed the holder's right of abode in Hong Kong.
Such persons would continue to have right of abode or right to land in Hong Kong after the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997 under the Immigration Ordinance. This endorsement is also found in a British citizen passport when the holder has both British citizenship and BN(O) status (at the holder’s request).
Before the Hong Kong Act 1985 and Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986 were enacted, nationals of Hong Kong were entitled to British Dependent Territory Citizen status (British Subject CUKC before 1983). The observation then merely read:
 <li>"The Holder has right of abode in Hong Kong".
This endorsement is found in passports where the holder uses or retains another professional, stage or religious name and is known by it "for all purposes", or has a recognised form of address, academic, feudal or legal title (e.g. Doctor, European Engineer, Queen's Counsel, Professor, Minister of Religion) regarded as important identifiers of an individual. The styling 'Dr ...', 'Professor ...' or similar is recorded here, or the alternative professional/stage/religious name, usually on request by the passport holder. For example, Cliff Richard's birth name was Harry Webb, and the passport Observations page would read:
"The Holder is also known as Cliff Richard"
This endorsement is also found in the passport of persons with Peerage titles, members of the Privy Council, holders of knighthoods and other decorations, etc, to declare the holder's title.
Also, this endorsement is found if the passport holder's name is too long to fit within the 30-character limits (including spaces) on the passport information page; applies to each line reserved for the surname and the first given name including any middle name(s). In this scenario the holder's full name will be written out in full on the Observations page. According to the British passport agency guidelines, a person with a long or multiple given name, which cannot fit within the 30-character passport information page limits, should enter as much of the first given name, followed by the initials of all middle names (if any). The same advice applies to a long or multiple surname. The holder's full name is then shown printed out in its entirety on the passport Observations page. For example, Kiefer Sutherland's birth name would read on the passport information page:
Surname: "Sutherland"
Given names: "Kiefer W F D G R"
Observations page:
"The Holder is Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland"
This endorsement was found in BN(O) and Hong Kong British Dependent Territories Citizen passports held by BN(O)s and British Dependent Territories Citizens with a connection to Hong Kong who have a Chinese name recognised by the Hong Kong Immigration Department before the handover. After the handover, British passports issued in Hong Kong can only be issued at the British Consulate-General, and this endorsement is no longer in use. (See also: Chinese commercial code)
This endorsement is found in British passports held by people who are dependants or spouses of British diplomats.
Multiple passports.
People who have valid reasons may be allowed to hold more than one passport booklet. This applies usually to people who travel frequently on business, and may need to have a passport booklet to travel on while the other is awaiting a visa for another country. Some countries in the Arab League do not issue visas to visitors if their passports bear a stamp or visa issued by Israel, as a result of the Arab League boycott of Israel. In that case, a person can apply for a second passport to avoid travel issues. Reasons and supporting documentation (such as a letter from an employer) must be provided.
In addition, a person who has multiple types of British nationality is allowed to hold different variants of British passports under different statuses at the same time. For example, a British Overseas Territories citizen with right of abode in Gibraltar that also held British citizenship would be allowed both a Gibraltar variant British passport as well as a standard British passport.
Monarch.
The King, Charles III, is not required to hold a passport because passports are issued in his name and on his authority, thus making it superfluous for him to hold one. All other members of the royal family, however, including the heir apparent William, Prince of Wales, do require passports.
Visa requirements.
Visa requirements for British citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the United Kingdom. As of May 2024, holders of regular British Citizen passports had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 192 countries and territories, ranking the British Citizen passport 3rd in the world in terms of travel freedom (tied with the Belgian and Danish passports) according to the Henley Passport Index. Additionally, Arton Capital's Passport Index ranked the British Citizen passport 5th in the world in terms of travel freedom, with a visa-free score of 174 (tied with the Singaporean, Czech and South Korean passports), as of 12 May 2024.
Visa requirements for other categories of British nationals, namely British Nationals (Overseas), British Overseas Citizens, British Overseas Territories Citizens, British Protected Persons, and British Subjects, are different.
Cost.
The cost of a British passport is between free and £112, for an adult (16 and over) 50-page frequent traveler passport who apply by paper form. The standard adult application fee is £88.50 (online), or £100.50 (by paper form).
Foreign travel statistics.
According to the Foreign travel advice provided by the British Government (unless otherwise noted) these are the numbers of British visitors to various countries per annum in 2015 (unless otherwise noted):
Foreign travel statistics
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
References.
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
External links.
 Media related to at Wikimedia Commons

Visa requirements for British Overseas Territories citizens
A British Overseas Territories citizen holds British nationality by virtue of a connection with a British Overseas Territory.
British Overseas Territories citizens (BOTCs) enjoy visa-free entry to a number of countries and territories. However, in some cases, foreign authorities only grant them a visa-free entry if they present a passport with an endorsement stating their right of abode in the United Kingdom.
Visa requirements for other classes of British nationals such as British citizens, British Nationals (Overseas), British Overseas citizens, British Protected Persons or British Subjects are different.
Passports.
British passports issued to British Overseas Territories Citizens include:
Entry to the United Kingdom.
BOTCs only have visa-free entry to the UK if they have a certificate of right of abode or if they have obtained and are travelling on a full British Citizen passport. Otherwise a visa is not required for a visit of up to six months, for example as a General Visitor or as a Short-Term Student, but a visa is required for other study, for work, for joining family or for any other stay of more than six months.
Right to consular protection.
When in a country where there is no British embassy, British Overseas Territories citizens may get help from the embassy of any other Commonwealth country present in that country. There are also informal arrangements with some other countries, including Australia, to help British nationals in some countries.
See also List of diplomatic missions of the United Kingdom
Fingerprinting.
Several countries including Argentina, Cambodia, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and the United States demand all adult passengers (age varies by country) to be fingerprinted on arrival.
References and Notes.
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

Visa policy of the United Kingdom
Policy on permits required to enter the United Kingdom and the Crown dependencies
<templatestyles src="Hlist/styles.css" />
The visa policy of the United Kingdom is the policy by which His Majesty's Government determines visa requirements for visitors to the United Kingdom and those seeking to work, study or reside there. The visa policy of the UK also applies to the Crown dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man, which each operate their own immigration enforcement and have separate work permit systems. The visa policy does not apply to any of the British Overseas Territories, who generally apply their own visa policies.
Anyone who does not have right of abode in the United Kingdom (British citizens and some Commonwealth citizens, but not some categories of British national) requires leave (permission) to enter the UK. "Visa nationals" must always obtain entry clearance by obtaining a visa in advance of travelling to the UK, and "non-visa nationals" may travel as a visitor to the UK for up to six months without a visa. Since November 2023, some nationals must apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). The UK Government plans to extend this to all non-visa nationals.
Visas are also required to live, study and work in the UK as a foreign national. Some EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who lived in the UK prior to Brexit are exempt under the EU Settlement Scheme, and long-term foreign residents can apply for indefinite leave to remain, which is approximate to permanent residency in other countries.
The UK maintains the Common Travel Area (CTA) with the Republic of Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. This means that most citizens of Ireland are exempt from the requirement to hold a visa, residence permit or travel authorisation to enter, study and work in the UK or the Crown Dependencies, and vice versa. The CTA does not apply to those who are not British or Irish citizens, so other citizens must have the correct permission to enter the UK when crossing the border.
Visa exemption.
The following persons can enter the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man without a visa:
Non-visa nationals.
Citizens of the following countries and territories may enter the United Kingdom without a visa for 6 months (or 1 month for permitted paid engagements):
Non-visa nationals arriving in the UK from outside the Common Travel Area are assessed by UK immigration officers for "leave to enter." If granted for a regular visit, they receive a passport stamp stating 'Leave to enter for 6 months: employment and recourse to public funds prohibited,' except for nationals who use the ePassport gates, who generally do not receive a stamp. Those who entered using the now-defunct Iris Recognition Immigration System (2004–2013) also did not receive a stamp.
UK Border Force officers can grant leave to enter via fax, email, or orally, including by telephone, for non-visa nationals visiting for up to 6 months. This does not apply when leave has been conferred by another Common Travel Area official.
In some cases, such as certain general aviation flights, travellers may be 'remotely cleared' without inspection, receiving no passport stamp.
Travellers arriving directly from the Republic of Ireland are not routinely checked by the UK Border Force. Under the Immigration (Control of Entry through Republic of Ireland) Order 1972, non-visa nationals are automatically granted 'deemed leave' for 6 months, without the right to work, and without receiving a passport stamp.
Similarly, travel between the UK and the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man involves no routine immigration checks, and no passport stamp is issued. Leave to enter from these Crown Dependencies applies equally in the UK. Travellers arriving in the Crown Dependencies directly from the Republic of Ireland are similarly exempt from routine checks and automatically receive deemed leave for 6 months, with no right to work.
By 2 April 2025, all visitors who do not need a visa will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation to travel to the UK.
Electronic travel authorisation (ETA).
The UK implemented the Electronic Travel Authorisation system, from November 2023.
Citizens of the following countries may obtain an ETA valid for travel in the UK for up to 6 months.
Electronic travel authorisation was also available to the citizens of Jordan until 10 September 2024.
By April 2025, all visitors with visa-exempt nationalities will need an ETA to travel to the UK if they do not possess a valid UK visa or are not also citizens of the UK or Ireland. Since 27 November 2024, ETA applications have also been opened for non-visa nationalities outside the European Union, who will need an ETA for any travel to the UK on or after 8 January 2025. This requirement will be extended to EU nationals later with applications starting from 5 March and an ETA being mandatory from 2 April. There is a £10 fee for applying and an application can take up to three business days to be processed, though most should be approved or denied within a few hours. If approved, the ETA is valid for stays up to six months for a duration of two years or, if shorter, the date of the holder's passport expiring.
Since 20 May 2019, citizens from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and the United States generally do not receive a stamp, whether using ePassport gates or a staffed desk. However, three categories of these nationals must receive a stamp: those entering for a permitted paid engagement, those with a Tier 5 Certificate of Sponsorship (up to 3 months), or those otherwise required to visit a staffed desk.
British-Irish Visa Scheme (BIVS).
Citizens of the following countries may travel to the UK without a visa if they hold a valid Irish visa endorsed with BIVS:
Ukraine scheme.
Citizens of Ukraine (and their family members of any nationality) who have a family member or sponsor in the UK may apply online for permission to enter and remain in the UK. If approved, they may travel to the UK with such permission letter instead of a visa.
Non-ordinary passports.
In addition to all other visa exempt countries, holders of diplomatic, official, service and special passports of the following countries and territories do not require a visa for tourism, business and official purposes for a Indefinite Period Of Stay (unless otherwise stated) under Diplomatic Visa Waiver (DVW) scheme.
In 2024, it was announced that Diplomatic Visa Arrangement (DVA) visitor visas will be introduced to replace DVWs. DVAs will be required from the following countries’ specified passport holders by 11 March 2025:
D - Diplomatic passports
S - Special passports
SPA - Service and public affairs passports, if travelling with a government minister on an official visit.
Visa exemption and exemption from immigration control applies to (holders of UN Passport when they travel to the UK on an official visit), (holders of Interpol Passport when on duty) and (employees of NATO and EU when travelling for business or official purposes only).
Transit.
There are 2 types of transit through the United Kingdom under the United Kingdom Transit Rules - airside transit and 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.
With the introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorisation system, everyone, unless exempt from needing an ETA, will need an ETA even if in transit, irrespective of whether it is an airside or landside transit. (see list of countries needing an ETA above)
The exemption applies where travellers:
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 visa-exempt.
The exemption applies where travellers:
E-Visas such as those regularly issued by Australia or e-residence permits are not acceptable for landside transit.
Obtaining an entry 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.
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 £115. A multiple-entry visitor's visa valid for 2 years costs £432, 5 years £771, and 10 years £963. Mainland Chinese citizen can, for certain common forms of travel, obtain a 2-year, multiple-entry visitor's visa at a cost of £115. Being a digital nomad is explicitly allowed on a standard visitor visa as long as the clients or employer are not based in the UK and there is no access to the UK jobs market.
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).
Applicants for most UK visas, including visitor visas and EEA Family Permits, must submit biometric identifiers (fingerprints and a digital facial image). Exemptions from biometrics apply to diplomats, foreign officials, Commonwealth Forces, those transferring a visa vignette to a new passport, and travelers going directly to the Channel Islands or Gibraltar without passing through the UK or Isle of Man. Children must be accompanied when providing biometrics, which may be shared with foreign governments and are destroyed 10 years after capture.
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:
After a person has successfully obtained a UK visa, if they subsequently obtain a new passport, but the UK visa in their old passport still has remaining validity, they are 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), they have to pay the original visa fee in full again and may be required to show that their 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.
These are correct as of  2015[ [update]].
Work visas.
As of  2023[ [update]]:
Closed for new applications:
History.
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.
Visas were mutually abolished between the UK and France in July 1921, although this did not apply to French overseas territories or the rest of the British Empire.
Visa fee reduction between the UK and the United States had been discussed as early as 1925. They were mutually reduced by 80 per cent on 1 April 1937; by February 1938, such fees had already been abolished between the US and most European countries, but American citizens continued being required visas for entry into the UK until 1948.
Post-World War II.
Members of the British Empire had been considered British subjects before the war and did not generally need visas; this did not apply to mandated territories such as South West Africa or Western Samoa, whose residents did need visas but were eligible to stay indefinitely. As dominions became more independent and adopted their own nationality laws, however, visa restrictions started to be applied.
The abolition of visa requirements was increased in post-war era as part of a policy to make travel freer and easier; by 1949 visa requirements had been abolished in 20 countries.
Although waiving visas or visa charges for United States citizens was discussed as early as 1930, such visas would remain until 1948, when the UK abolished such visas and the US waived visa fees and doubled visa lengths for UK citizens, albeit stopping short at full visa abolition due to domestic considerations; MP Phil Piratin was denied a visa.
Modern history.
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):
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; with Kuwait added to the EVW scheme during February 2016.
After 'assessing countries against a list of risk and compliance criteria', the UK Government added Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE to 'Appendix H' (the list of 'low-risk' nationalities for the purpose of Tier 4 student visa applications) at various periods between 2014 and 2018 but according to the Cambridge Education Group, Oman was to be removed from this Appendix. However, it doesn't seem like this may have occurred.
These 2 changes reflect the UK Government's view that Kuwait, 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 four 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).
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.
In January 2020, British ambassador to Ukraine announced that there would be no visa-free arrangements for Ukrainian citizens.
On April 9, 2020, the Home Office issued a new immigration rule imposing visa restriction on low-skilled people workers with effect from January 2021. The restriction introduced a new point-based immigration system, allotting points for certain skills, salaries, qualification and shortage occupations. Any worker with points falling below the given threshold will be restricted from applying for UK work visa, as per the new immigration rule. Free Movement, a UK-based website updating, commenting, training and advising on immigration and asylum laws, claims that nurses, hospital porters, cleaners, postal workers, etc., are to be worst affected by the new immigration law.
In February 2021, the UK's new visa scheme stated that Hong Kong residents with a British National (Overseas) passport can stay in the UK for five years and get full citizenship.
In May 2022, a new visa scheme was offered to graduates from the world's top 50 universities, giving them a two year long work visa with the opportunity to prolong it if they meet certain requirements.
From 4 August 2022, police registration is no longer required.
Reciprocity.
Of the countries and territories whose citizens are granted a visa-free stay for up to 6 months in the UK:
Visitor statistics.
Most visitors arriving to United Kingdom were from the following countries of nationality. Note the statistics for Ireland are fluid; no visitor conditions attach and visits across the land border are not counted.
References.
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

Visa policies of British Overseas Territories
Policies on permits required to enter the British Overseas Territories
<templatestyles src="Hlist/styles.css" />
The British Overseas Territories maintain their own entry requirements different from the visa policy of the United Kingdom. As a general rule, British citizens do not have automatic right of abode in these territories.
Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
The visa policy of Akrotiri and Dhekelia is the same as for Cyprus, which follows the visa policy of the Schengen Area. However, stays longer than 28 days per 12-month period require a permit. The territory has open borders with Cyprus, but controls entry from Northern Cyprus.
Anguilla.
 Anguilla – A maximum visa-free stay of 3 months is granted to nationals of all European Union countries, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, East Timor, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Liechtenstein, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, 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, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu and Western Sahara.
In addition, holders of a valid visa or residence permit for the United Kingdom, United States or Canada do not need a visa for Anguilla.
From January 2021, other travellers may apply online for an electronic visa.
Most visitors arriving in Anguilla were from the following countries:
Bermuda.
 Bermuda – Follows mainly the visa policy of the United Kingdom. A visa-free stay is granted to nationals of all European Union countries, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City, and for holders of diplomatic passports of Indonesia, South Africa, Turkey and Vietnam.
Nationals of other countries must present a visa or travel authorisation for the United Kingdom, United States or Canada (the countries with frequent flights from Bermuda), valid for at least 45 days from their intended departure from Bermuda, or a government letter attesting that they are a spouse of a Bermudian or belong to Bermuda. Since 1 March 2014, Bermuda does not issue its own visas.
Visitors are granted entry for