Residents » Documents » Entry Visa

The government website www.ukvisas.gov.uk contains a useful tool for determining whether or not you need a visa to enter the UK based on where you are coming from, the purpose of your visit and your proposed length of stay. You can also download application forms and check the latest regulations here. Remember that you need to sort out the paperwork with your nearest British embassy or diplomatic mission before you leave your home country, although the application forms can usually be filled in and payment made online. The processing fees for visas vary depending on the type you are applying for, but expect to pay upwards of £100. The Home Office website www.workingintheuk.gov.uk contains information about work permits and other entry schemes, while the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk) deals with immigration queries once you are in the UK.

European Citizens

If you are a citizen of one of the 27 European Union member states, or Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you do not require a visa to enter the UK, whether it’s to live, look for work or claim benefits. You’ll still need to have a valid passport to travel, however.

If you intend to stay in the UK on a long-term basis, you should apply for a residence permit from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate once you are in the country. This will allow you to stay for five years, and means any dependants who are not themselves EU or European Economic Area nationals can then apply to enter the country to be with you.

Visas

Short-term visitors from the majority of countries, including most English-speaking nations, are able to enter the UK as ’visitors’ and do not need to have a visa. If you enter in this way you need to be able to support yourself financially as you will not be permitted to work legally. This does not apply to the following ’visa national’ countries, whose citizens require a visa whatever their length of stay: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China (excluding Hong Kong and Macao), Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cuba, Cyprus, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, ...