Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Visa national list

List of nationalities requiring entry clearance prior to travel to the UK as a Visitor, or for any other purpose for less than six months

  1. VN 1.1. A person who meets one or more of the criteria below needs entry clearance (a visa) in advance of travel to the UK for any purpose, unless they meet one of the exceptions set out in VN2.1 and VN2.2. (subject to VN 2.3.).
    1. (a) Nationals or citizens of the following countries or territorial entities (a “*” indicates there are exceptions in VN 2.2 to VN 6.5):
      1. Afghanistan
      2. Albania
      3. Algeria
      4. Angola
      5. Armenia
      6. Azerbaijan
      7. Bangladesh
      8. Belarus
      9. Benin
      10. Bhutan
      11. Bolivia
      12. Bosnia Herzegovina
      13. Burkina Faso
      14. Burundi
      15. Cambodia
      16. Cameroon
      17. Cape Verde
      18. Central African Republic
      19. Chad
      20. People’s Republic of China*
      21. Comoros
      22. Congo
      23. Côte d’Ivoire (formerly Ivory Coast)
      24. Cuba
      25. Democratic Republic of the Congo
      26. Djibouti
      27. Dominica
      28. Dominican Republic
      29. Ecuador
      30. Egypt
      31. El Salvador
      32. Equatorial Guinea
      33. Eritrea
      34. Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)
      35. Ethiopia
      36. Fiji
      37. Gabon
      38. Gambia
      39. Georgia
      40. Ghana
      41. Guinea
      42. Guinea Bissau
      43. Haiti
      44. Honduras
      45. India
      46. Indonesia*
      47. Iran
      48. Iraq
      49. Jamaica
      50. Jordan
      51. Kazakhstan
      52. Kenya
      53. Korea (North)
      54. Kosovo
      55. Kyrgyzstan
      56. Laos
      57. Lebanon
      58. Lesotho
      59. Liberia
      60. Libya
      61. Madagascar
      62. Malawi
      63. Mali
      64. Mauritania
      65. Moldova
      66. Mongolia
      67. Montenegro
      68. Morocco
      69. Mozambique
      70. Myanmar (formerly Burma)
      71. Namibia
      72. Nepal
      73. Niger
      74. Nigeria
      75. North Macedonia (formerly Macedonia)
      76. Pakistan
      77. Philippines
      78. Russia
      79. Rwanda
      80. São Tomé and Principe
      81. Senegal
      82. Serbia
      83. Sierra Leone
      84. Somalia
      85. South Africa*
      86. South Sudan
      87. Sri Lanka
      88. Sudan
      89. Suriname
      90. Syria
      91. Taiwan*
      92. Tajikistan
      93. Tanzania
      94. Thailand
      95. Timor-Leste
      96. Togo
      97. Tunisia
      98. Turkey*
      99. Turkmenistan
      100. Uganda
      101. Ukraine
      102. Uzbekistan
      103. Vanuatu
      104. Venezuela
      105. Vietnam*
      106. Yemen
      107. Zambia
      108. Zimbabwe
    2. (b) stateless people; and
    3. (c) people travelling on any document other than a national passport, or, in the case of a person to whom paragraphs 11A and 11B of these rules apply, a national identity card, regardless of whether the document is issued by or evidences nationality of a state not listed in VN 1.1. (a), except where that document has been issued by the UK.

Exceptions to the list of visa nationals

Holders of specified travel documents

  1. VN 2.1. It is not necessary for a Transit Visitor to hold an entry clearance before they travel to the UK if they are travelling on an emergency travel document issued by, and evidencing the nationality of, a country not listed in VN 1.1.(a) and the purpose of their transit is to travel to the country in which they are ordinarily resident.
  1. VN 2.2. The following people do not need a visit visa before they travel to the UK as a Visitor, other than where VN 2.3. applies:
    1. (a) nationals or citizens of the People’s Republic of China who hold a passport issued by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; or
    2. (b) nationals or citizens of the People’s Republic of China who hold a passport issued by the Macao Special Administrative Region; or
    3. (c) nationals or citizens of Taiwan who hold a passport issued by Taiwan that includes in it the number of the identification card issued by the competent authority in Taiwan; or
    4. (d) people who hold a Service, Temporary Service or Diplomatic passport issued by the Holy See; or
    5. (e) DELETED
    6. (f) DELETED
    7. (g) DELETED
    8. (h) nationals or citizens of Turkey who hold a diplomatic passport issued by Turkey; or
    9. (i) DELETED
    10. (j) DELETED
    11. (k) nationals or citizens of South Africa who hold a diplomatic passport issued by South Africa; or
    12. (l) nationals or citizens of Vietnam who hold a diplomatic passport issued by Vietnam; or
    13. (m) nationals or citizens of Indonesia who hold a diplomatic passport issued by Indonesia.
    14. (n) DELETED
    15. (o) nationals or citizens of Jordan, who hold a valid Electronic Travel Authorisation and a confirmed booking to the UK made before 15:00 BST on 10 September 2024 where arrival in the UK is no later than 15:00 BST on 8 October 2024.
  1. VN 2.3. VN 2.2. does not apply where the person is:
    1. (a) visiting the UK to marry or to form a civil partnership, or to give notice of marriage or civil partnership, unless they are a “relevant national” as defined in section 62 of the Immigration Act 2014; or
    2. (b) seeking to visit the UK for more than 6 months.

Exception where the applicant holds an Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) Document (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates nationals or citizens only)

  1. VN 3.1. DELETED
  1. VN 3.2. DELETED
  1. VN 3.3. DELETED

Obtaining an Electronic Visa Waiver Document

  1. VN 4.1. DELETED
  1. VN 4.2. DELETED
  1. VN 4.3. DELETED

Validity Requirements for an Electronic Visa Waiver Document

  1. VN 5.1. DELETED
  1. VN 5.2. DELETED
  1. VN 5.3. DELETED
  1. VN 5.4. DELETED
  1. VN 5.5. DELETED
  1. VN 5.6. DELETED
  1. VN 5.7. DELETED

Use of the Electronic Visa Waiver Document

  1. VN 6.1. DELETED
  1. VN 6.2. DELETED
  1. VN 6.3. TDELETED
  1. VN 6.4. DELETED
  1. VN 6.5. DELETED

Exception where the Visitor is a person aged 18 or under on an organised trip from a school in France

  1. VN 7.0. Nationals or citizens of any country who are aged 18 or under, studying at a school or educational institution in France registered with the French Ministry of Education and seeking to enter the UK as part of a school party of 5 or more pupils organised by that school or institution, do not need entry clearance before they travel to the UK as a Visitor.