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Visa and immigration information

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What documents will I need?

Planning a visit to Britain but not sure what documents you’ll need? Find key information on passport requirements, visas and Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) below. Detailed guidance can also be found on the official government website.

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Passports

  • Some entry requirements changed for EU, EEA and Swiss nationals, post Brexit.

    Most travellers from the EU, EEA and Switzerland will require a passport to enter Britain and Northern Ireland. Your passport will need to be valid for your entire stay here. 

    Some, but not all visitors can use an EU, EEA or Swiss national ID to enter Britain and Northern Ireland until at least 31 December 2025. Check gov.uk website for who is eligible.

  • For those in the Common Travel Areas (known as Britain and Northern Ireland, the rest of Ireland, and Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man), please see here for the different document requirements.

  • You must have a valid passport to enter Britain and Northern Ireland, and it should be valid for the whole duration of your stay.

Visas

Most people coming to visit Britain and Northern Ireland will need a visa. To discover whether you need one or not depends on why you’re visiting and your nationality. 

You’ll have to either:

  • Apply for a standard Visitor Visa. There is a cost for this, and it must be applied for three months before travel.

  • Be able to visit Britain and Northern Ireland for six months without needing a visa.

You can check which applies to you.

More information on short-stay visas can be found on the official government website.

Electronic Travel Authorisation

By the end of 2024, Electronic Travel Authorisation will be a requirement worldwide for visitors who do not currently need a visa for short stays. More information on the ETA scheme can be found on the official government website.

Until the introduction of the ETA, most travellers from the EU, EEA and Switzerland won’t require a visa but will still need their passport to enter Britain and Northern Ireland. Your passport will need to be valid for your entire stay.

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  • If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, you can find the most up-to-date information on visiting Britain and Northern Ireland on the official government website.

  • American, Canadian and Australian tourists, and citizens of certain Commonwealth countries, can travel visa-free throughout Britain and Northern Ireland, providing you have a valid passport and your reason for visiting meets the immigration rules.

    The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme started to replace the electronic visa waiver from late 2023:

    • From 15 November 2023, nationals of Qatar require an ETA to travel to the UK.
    • From 22 February 2024, nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE require an ETA to travel to the UK. The ETA scheme is now open for applications from nationals of these countries.
    • More countries will be added to the scheme at a later date.

    An ETA will cost £10 per application when the scheme opens, will permit multiple journeys and be valid for two years or until the holder’s passport expires - whichever is sooner.

    More information on the new ETA scheme can be found via the official government website.

    For nationals of all other countries, you can check if you need a UK visa here.

  • Please note that www.GOV.UK is the only official UK immigration website and provides all of the information necessary to successfully complete an application.

    We have received reports of customers using non-GOV.UK websites to support their UK immigration applications. If you have made use of these websites, please be aware of the following:

    • Some non-GOV.UK websites deliberately attempt to deceive customers by making it appear as though they are an official part of the application process.
    • These websites can pose a risk to a customer’s security and data.
    • They will often charge applicants extra, unnecessary fees in addition to any fees related to the official immigration application.
    • The information included on these websites is not moderated by the Home Office and may be inaccurate or misleading.

    If you think you may have been a victim of a non-GOV.UK website seeking your data and/or money, please report this to Reporting fraud and cyber crime | Action Fraud.