State and Guest of Government visits: March to October 2022
Costs relating to State and Guests of Government visits to the UK between March and October 2022.
Documents
Details
This data is for senior foreign dignitaries (or ‘principals’) who were invited to the UK as Guests of Government by the Prime Minister or the Foreign Secretary.
For these visits, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) pays the cost of accommodation, transport, food and incidentals (to a set limit) in the UK for the visiting delegation (principal plus up to 10 ministers or senior officials) during the official programme only. The relevant foreign government pays for any international airfares for the visiting delegation.
The FCDO also pays the accommodation costs for one FCDO visit officer. The UK Ambassador or High Commissioner (and sometimes UK Mission staff) will often travel back to the UK for the Guest of Government visit. The cost of UK government staff official travel and accommodation is now being included in the staff cost starting from this reporting period (March 2022 onwards).
Costs for Guest of Government visits vary depending on the particular principal concerned, the length of their visit, their programme requirements, and how many people are in their delegation. The Royal Family and UK ministers receive similar treatment on some visits overseas when the host country covers the costs.
Guest of Government visits help to showcase the best of the UK and enhance our bilateral relationships. They have become more complex sometimes, for example when using non-government venues. The ‘venue/production’ costs column refers to the costs associated with this. The ‘staff costs’ column includes staff travel accommodation and incidental expenditure, but does not include salary costs.
Extra columns in the spreadsheet provide a further breakdown of what the cost of each visit includes.