Visa Requirements for British Citizens
Visa requirements for British citizens are rules and regulations that apply to UK citizens that must be complied with when traveling internationally. Visa requirements state whether UK citizens need a visa to enter a selected foreign country and, if so, what type of visa they can use.
UK citizens can visit 109 different destinations without a visa.
The only documents required for this type of travel are a valid passport or ID, depending on the country chosen. There are also 34 countries that offer an e-visa option for visiting British citizens, allowing them to obtain their visa online a few days before their planned trip. Approved documents will be sent to each applicant via email as a PDF file.
41 countries allow British citizens to manage their visa upon arrival at one of their border crossings.
Travelers wishing to apply for a visa on arrival should check the specific VoA requirements applicable to the particular country of destination and prepare the necessary documents before departure. Finally, 30 countries require British citizens to present a valid visa issued by their embassy on arrival.
Embassy-issued visas are regular, traditional visas that often require full supporting documents and have long processing times.
Detailed information on each visa type for UK citizens, including a list of countries for each visa/entry type, is available below.
Electronic visa
Electronic visas are an electronic alternative to regular visas issued by foreign authorities.
Electronic visas are issued as short-term travel authorization documents and are typically processed within a maximum of 72 hours.
List of countries offering eVisas for British citizens
- Angola
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Benin
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Ivory Coast
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Laos
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Myanmar
- New Zealand
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Rwanda
- Saudi Arabia
- Sri Lanka
- Suriname
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- USA
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
34 countries offer an eVisa option that UK citizens can use when traveling internationally. This means UK citizens can apply for a visa online a few days before their planned trip. What is typically required to apply for an eVisa is simply a valid passport, the expiration date of which will be more than six months from the intended date of arrival in the chosen country. Additionally, e-Visa applicants will need an active email address and access to any online payment methods.
Completing the eVisa application process takes up to a few minutes and can be done entirely online.
The approved travel authorization document will be emailed to each traveler as a PDF file, which can be easily downloaded and printed for travel.
The issued electronic visa can be used for short-term stays abroad, typically 30, 60 or 90 days, for any reason related to leisure, business or transit, e.g.
go on vacation, visit family or friends, manage any commercial business abroad, attend a conference, meeting, trade show or simply make a stop during your commute.
Visa on Arrival
Visas on arrival are short-term visas (usually 30, 60 or 90 days) that are processed upon arrival in the selected country.
UK nationals wishing to visit VoA destinations must go to the nearest border control point and complete the visa application process there to receive their travel permit.
List of countries that offer a Visa on Arrival for British citizens
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Cambodia
- Comoros
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Guinea-Bissau
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- The Maldives
- Mauritania
- Mozambique
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Rwanda
- Saudi Arabia
- Sierra Leone
- Sierra Leone
- The Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- Sri Lanka
- Tanzania
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- The United Arab Emirates
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
41 countries allow British citizens to apply for a visa on arrival at their chosen destination. To obtain a visa on arrival, travelers must prepare for the application process. So, the first step is to check if there are any supporting documents to collect before departure.
With all documents in hand and a valid passport, travelers must go to the nearest border crossing after arriving at their chosen destination and request a VoA application form. The application form must be filled out carefully and with accurate data to avoid any approval issues.
The completed application form must be submitted along with the necessary supporting documents at the border control point. Additional measures, such as providing additional supporting documents or covering visa costs (sometimes in cash and local currency), may be necessary. The approved document can be used for leisure, business and transit purposes during short-term stays abroad.
Embassy Visa
An embassy visa is a regular visa obtained after applying in person at an embassy or consulate.
Visas issued by embassies can come in many different types, including short-term visas and long-term visas, and there are even visas that allow the holder to work, study or reunite with relatives in the country.
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List of countries that require British citizens to present a valid Embassy visa upon arrival
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Bhutan
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- The Central African Republic
- Chad
- China
- The Republic of the Congo
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Cuba
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ghana
- India
- Iran
- Liberia
- Libya
- Mali
- Mongolia
- Nauru
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- Russia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Turkmenistan
- Yemen
30 countries require UK citizens to present a valid embassy visa on arrival. The first step in obtaining an embassy visa is to choose a specific visa type appropriate to the purpose of one’s trip abroad.
Next, it is necessary to collect the necessary documents, which may vary between countries and embassy visa types. With the documents collected and the application form filled out (obtained from the official website of the government of the country to be visited), the traveler must submit the application to the embassy or consulate and awaiting approval. Some countries may require additional steps, including an in-person interview or payment of visa fees.
Additionally, visa processing by the embassy can take some time, even weeks.
This is why it is important to start the registration process well before your planned departure.
Visa-free countries
109 countries welcome British citizens visa-free. This means that visiting these destinations from the United Kingdom does not require any type of visa to be handled.
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Cape Verde
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kiribati
- Kyrgyzstan
- Latvia
- Lesotho
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Namibia
- Netherlands
- Nicaragua
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
Holders of diplomatic and special passports of the United Kingdom also have visa-free access to:
- China (diplomatic passports);
- Ethiopia (diplomatic or service passports);
- Kuwait (diplomatic or official passports);
- Mongolia (diplomatic or official passports);
- Qatar (diplomatic or official passports and British Diplomatic Messenger or Queen’s Messenger Passports);
- the United Arab Emirates (diplomatic or official passports);
- Zimbabwe (diplomatic or service passports).
To travel visa-free from the UK, British citizens will need to prepare a valid passport or ID, depending on the chosen destination. When traveling by road within the Common Travel Area, UK passport holders do not even need to show identification on arrival. However, traveling by air or sea requires valid identification.
Other countries not in the Common Travel Area will require British nationals to prepare a valid passport.
Additionally, some countries may require additional documentation supporting the purpose of the intended trip, such as proof of a hotel reservation, return ticket, or proof of sufficient funds for the stay.
Visa-free travel is ideal for short-term, business or transit-related stays, including vacations, business meetings, trade shows, conferences, transits, family visits, etc.