The UK immigration system has fundamentally transformed in response to Brexit. As a result of structural alterations to the system, the visa requirements have changed for citizens of certain countries, who now may need a visa in order to simply enter the UK, or for the purpose of long-term work, study, or residency. If you are thinking about travelling or immigrating to the UK, you may have basic questions like, “who needs a UK visa?” and, “will EU nationals need a UK visa after Brexit?” Furthermore, if you are simply travelling through a British airport, you may be wondering, “do I need a transit visa for the UK?” Read on for the answers to these questions, and for the list of nationalities who need a visa to enter the UK, and, alternatively, the list of countries that can enter UK without visa.
Will EU nationals need a UK visa after Brexit?
- While the visa requirements for EU citizens have gotten stricter as a result of Brexit, if you are from the EU, you will likely not need a UK visa in the event that you are traveling to the country for the short term.
- However, you may need to apply for a visa in order to live, work, and study in the country for longer than six months.
- The answer to the question “which countries need a visa for the UK?” therefore depends on how long the EU traveler intends to stay in the UK. If they are staying in the country for longer than six months, they will likely need a visa—even if they are an EU national used to having long-term visa-free access to the UK.
List of countries that can enter the UK without a visa
- If you are a citizen of the European Union (EU) or one of the countries below, you do not need a visa to the UK in order to enter the country and remain there for under six months:
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Canada
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Dominica
- East Timor
- El Salvador
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Iceland
- Israel
- Japan
- Kiribati
- Liechtenstein
- Macau
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Monaco
- Namibia
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Norway
- Palau
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- South Korea
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- United States of America
- Uruguay
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
- Please note that the above list does not include those who need a visa to enter the UK for longer than six months, which may include nationals from the above countries.
List of nationalities who need a visa to enter UK
- If you are not a national of one of the countries on the above visa-free entry list, you will likely need a visa in order to simply enter the UK.
Do I need a Transit Visa for the UK?
- Who needs a UK visa for transit? Again, this question can depend on which countries need a visa for the UK, and also how long the traveler intends to remain in the country for.
- If you are planning on simply transiting through an airport located England, Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales, you may be wondering if you are someone who needs a visa for the UK.
- If you are from the EU, EAA, or Switzerland, you will not need a transit visa in order to travel through the UK.
- You will likely need a transit visa if you are from one of the following countries:
- There are two kinds of UK transit visas: Direct Airside Transit Visas (DATV) and the Visitor in Transit Visa.
- Who needs DATV visa for UK transit purposes depends on whether you will be transiting through UK border control. If you won’t be subject to border control while transiting, then you can apply for a DATV.
- If you cannot escape border control, then you must apply for a Visitor in Transit visa.
Asaad