Guidance

List of International organisations whose employees qualify for exempt entry clearances (accessible version)

Updated 20 December 2024

As of 18 December 2024

International organisations with offices/headquarters in the UK whose employees qualify for exemption from immigration control

  • Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
  • CAB International (CABI) (Previously Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux)
  • Commonwealth Foundation
  • Commonwealth Secretariat
  • Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO)
  • Delegation of the European Union to the United Kingdom (EU Del)
  • European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
  • European Bioinformatics Institute (also known as European Molecular Biology Laboratory) (EMBL-EBI)
  • European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF)
  • European Forest Institute (EFI)
  • European Space Agency (ESA)
  • European Southern Observatory (ESO)
  • European Union Officials (working under the Windsor Agreement)
  • Global Combat Air Programme Inter-Government Organisation (GIGO)
  • Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO)
  • International Coffee Organisation (ICO)
  • International Grains Organisation (IGC)
  • International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
  • International Mobile Satellite Organisation (IMSO)
  • International Monetary Fund (IMF)
  • International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF)
  • International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund 1992 (IOPCF 1992)
  • International Organisation for Migration (IOM)
  • International Sugar Organisation (ISO)
  • International Whaling Commission (IWC)
  • North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC)
  • North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO)
  • North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency)
  • North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (NATO DIANA)
  • Oslo and Paris Commissions (OSPAR)
  • Square Kilometre Array Organisation (SKAO)
  • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
  • United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP)
  • United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
  • United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF)
  • United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
  • World Health Organisation (WHO)
  • World Bank Group – International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
  • World Bank Group – International Development Agency (IDA)
  • World Bank Group – International Finance Corporation (IFC)

International organisations without offices/headquarters in the UK, but where some staff may be exempt from immigration control when coming to the UK

  • African Development Bank
  • African Development Fund
  • Asian Development Bank
  • Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
  • Caribbean Development Bank
  • Common Fund for Commodities
  • Council of Europe
  • European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM)
  • European Committee for Prevention of Torture (CPT)
  • European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)
  • European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol)
  • European Patent Organisation (EPO)
  • European Telecommunications Satellite Organisation (Eutelsat IGO)
  • Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (UNFAO)[footnote 1]
  • Inter-American Development Bank (IBD)
  • Inter-American Investment Corporation (IBD Invest)
  • International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
  • International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)[footnote 1]
  • International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO)
  • International Court of Justice (ICJ)
  • International Criminal Court (ICC)
  • International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
  • International Education Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)[footnote 1]
  • International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)[footnote 1]
  • International Labour Organisation (ILO)[footnote 1]
  • International Lead and Zinc Study Group
  • International Rubber Study Group
  • International Seabed Authority (ISA)
  • International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation (ITSO)
  • International Telecommunications Union (ITU)[footnote 1]
  • International Tribunal Law of the Sea (ITLOS)
  • North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
  • Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
  • Organisation Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR)
  • Organisation Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
  • Preparatory Commission for Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO)
  • United Nations (UN)
  • United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
  • United Nations Information Centre
  • Universal Postal Union (UPU)[footnote 1]
  • World Customs Organisation (WCO) (Previously Customs Cooperation Council)
  • World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)[footnote 1]
  • World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)[footnote 1]
  • World Trade Organisation (WTO)[footnote 1]

For further guidance or queries about this list please consult International Organisations Team, DMIOU, Protocol Directorate, FCDO.

  1. UN specialised agencies – certain senior officials only are exempt.  2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10