Immigration Rules
Immigration Rules: Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor Visa National List
gov.uk change note: Changes made in line with Statement of Changes HC 1691.
Headline
The document's formatting has been standardized to use consistent bullet point markers, but no substantive policy changes were made to visa requirements.
Changes in detail
This diff shows purely formatting changes where all numbered and lettered paragraph markers have been converted to use bullet point formatting (adding "-" markers). No substantive policy content has been altered.
Practical implications
None. These changes are entirely cosmetic and do not affect: - Which nationals require visas - Visa exemption criteria - Electronic Travel Authorisation requirements for Nicaragua and St Lucia nationals - School trip exemptions for French and German institutions - Any other substantive immigration requirements
Practitioners can continue to apply the existing rules without any operational changes.
Administrative changes
The entire document has been reformatted to use consistent bullet point markers ("-") throughout all sections:
- VN 1.1: All country names in the visa-required list now use bullet points instead of plain text
- VN 2.2: All lettered subsections (a) through (t) converted to bullet points
- VN 2.3: Subsections (a) and (b) converted to bullet points
- VN 3.1-3.3, VN 4.1-4.3, VN 5.1-5.7, VN 6.1-6.5: All deleted provisions reformatted with bullet points
- VN 7.0 and VN 8.0: School trip exemption paragraphs converted to bullet points
The formatting changes affect approximately 150+ individual items but involve no substantive policy modifications.
Diff
@@ -1,244 +1,244 @@ -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.). - - -(a) Nationals or citizens of the following countries or territorial entities (a “*” indicates there are exceptions in VN 2.2 to VN 6.5): +- 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.). + + +- (a) Nationals or citizens of the following countries or territorial entities (a “*” indicates there are exceptions in VN 2.2 to VN 6.5): -Afghanistan - -Albania - -Algeria - -Angola - -Armenia - -Azerbaijan - -Bangladesh - -Belarus - -Benin - -Bhutan - -Bolivia - -Bosnia Herzegovina - -Botswana - -Burkina Faso - -Burundi - -Cambodia - -Cameroon - -Cape Verde - -Central African Republic - -Chad - -People’s Republic of China* - -Colombia - -Comoros - -Congo - -Côte d’Ivoire (formerly Ivory Coast) - -Cuba - -Democratic Republic of the Congo - -Djibouti - -Dominica - -Dominican Republic - -Ecuador - -Egypt - -El Salvador - -Equatorial Guinea - -Eritrea - -Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) - -Ethiopia - -Fiji - -Gabon - -Gambia - -Georgia - -Ghana - -Guinea - -Guinea Bissau - -Haiti - -Honduras - -India - -Indonesia - -Iran - -Iraq - -Jamaica - -Jordan - -Kazakhstan - -Kenya - -Korea (North) - -Kosovo - -Kyrgyzstan - -Laos - -Lebanon - -Lesotho - -Liberia - -Libya - -Madagascar - -Malawi - -Mali - -Mauritania - -Moldova - -Mongolia - -Montenegro - -Morocco - -Mozambique - -Myanmar (formerly Burma) - -Namibia - -Nauru - -Nepal - -Nicaragua - -Niger - -Nigeria - -North Macedonia (formerly Macedonia) - -Pakistan - -Palestine - -Philippines - -Russia - -Rwanda - -São Tomé and Principe - -Senegal - -Serbia - -Sierra Leone - -Somalia - -South Africa - -South Sudan - -Sri Lanka - -St Lucia - -Sudan - -Suriname - -Syria - -Taiwan* - -Tajikistan - -Tanzania - -Thailand - -Timor-Leste - -Togo - -Trinidad and Tobago - -Tunisia - -Turkey - -Turkmenistan - -Uganda - -Ukraine - -Uzbekistan - -Vanuatu - -Venezuela - -Vietnam - -Yemen - -Zambia - -Zimbabwe +- Afghanistan + +- Albania + +- Algeria + +- Angola + +- Armenia + +- Azerbaijan + +- Bangladesh + +- Belarus + +- Benin + +- Bhutan + +- Bolivia + +- Bosnia Herzegovina + +- Botswana + +- Burkina Faso + +- Burundi + +- Cambodia + +- Cameroon + +- Cape Verde + +- Central African Republic + +- Chad + +- People’s Republic of China* + +- Colombia + +- Comoros + +- Congo + +- Côte d’Ivoire (formerly Ivory Coast) + +- Cuba + +- Democratic Republic of the Congo + +- Djibouti + +- Dominica + +- Dominican Republic + +- Ecuador + +- Egypt + +- El Salvador + +- Equatorial Guinea + +- Eritrea + +- Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) + +- Ethiopia + +- Fiji + +- Gabon + +- Gambia + +- Georgia + +- Ghana + +- Guinea + +- Guinea Bissau + +- Haiti + +- Honduras + +- India + +- Indonesia + +- Iran + +- Iraq + +- Jamaica + +- Jordan + +- Kazakhstan + +- Kenya + +- Korea (North) + +- Kosovo + +- Kyrgyzstan + +- Laos + +- Lebanon + +- Lesotho + +- Liberia + +- Libya + +- Madagascar + +- Malawi + +- Mali + +- Mauritania + +- Moldova + +- Mongolia + +- Montenegro + +- Morocco + +- Mozambique + +- Myanmar (formerly Burma) + +- Namibia + +- Nauru + +- Nepal + +- Nicaragua + +- Niger + +- Nigeria + +- North Macedonia (formerly Macedonia) + +- Pakistan + +- Palestine + +- Philippines + +- Russia + +- Rwanda + +- São Tomé and Principe + +- Senegal + +- Serbia + +- Sierra Leone + +- Somalia + +- South Africa + +- South Sudan + +- Sri Lanka + +- St Lucia + +- Sudan + +- Suriname + +- Syria + +- Taiwan* + +- Tajikistan + +- Tanzania + +- Thailand + +- Timor-Leste + +- Togo + +- Trinidad and Tobago + +- Tunisia + +- Turkey + +- Turkmenistan + +- Uganda + +- Ukraine + +- Uzbekistan + +- Vanuatu + +- Venezuela + +- Vietnam + +- Yemen + +- Zambia + +- Zimbabwe -(b) stateless people; and - -(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. +- (b) stateless people; and + +- (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. @@ -253,74 +253,71 @@ ## Holders of specified travel documents - - - -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. - - - - - - - -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: - - -(a) nationals or citizens of the People’s Republic of China who hold a passport issued by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; or - -(b) nationals or citizens of the People’s Republic of China who hold a passport issued by the Macao Special Administrative Region; or - -(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 - -(d) people who hold a Service, Temporary Service or Diplomatic passport issued by the Holy See; or - -(e) DELETED - -(f) DELETED - -(g) DELETED - -(h) DELETED - -(i) DELETED - -(j) DELETED - -(k) DELETED - -(l) DELETED - -(m) DELETED - -(n) DELETED - -(o) DELETED - -(p) DELETED - -(q) DELETED - -(r) DELETED - -(s) DELETED - -(t) nationals or citizens of Nicaragua and nationals or citizens of St Lucia, who hold a confirmed booking to the UK, and who have been granted an Electronic Travel Authorisation, on or before 15:00 GMT on 5 March 2026 where arrival in the UK is no later than 15:00 BST on 16 April 2026. - - - - - - - - - -VN 2.3. VN 2.2. does not apply where the person is: - - -(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 - -(b) seeking to visit the UK for more than 6 months. + + +- 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. + + + + + + +- 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: + + +- (a) nationals or citizens of the People’s Republic of China who hold a passport issued by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; or + +- (b) nationals or citizens of the People’s Republic of China who hold a passport issued by the Macao Special Administrative Region; or + +- (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 + +- (d) people who hold a Service, Temporary Service or Diplomatic passport issued by the Holy See; or + +- (e) DELETED + +- (f) DELETED + +- (g) DELETED + +- (h) DELETED + +- (i) DELETED + +- (j) DELETED + +- (k) DELETED + +- (l) DELETED + +- (m) DELETED + +- (n) DELETED + +- (o) DELETED + +- (p) DELETED + +- (q) DELETED + +- (r) DELETED + +- (s) DELETED + +- (t) nationals or citizens of Nicaragua and nationals or citizens of St Lucia, who hold a confirmed booking to the UK, and who have been granted an Electronic Travel Authorisation, on or before 15:00 GMT on 5 March 2026 where arrival in the UK is no later than 15:00 BST on 16 April 2026. + + + + + + + + +- VN 2.3. VN 2.2. does not apply where the person is: + + +- (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 + +- (b) seeking to visit the UK for more than 6 months. @@ -331,14 +328,13 @@ ## Exception where the applicant holds an Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) Document (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates nationals or citizens only) - - - -VN 3.1. DELETED - -VN 3.2. DELETED - -VN 3.3. DELETED + + +- VN 3.1. DELETED + +- VN 3.2. DELETED + +- VN 3.3. DELETED @@ -347,14 +343,13 @@ ## Obtaining an Electronic Visa Waiver Document - - - -VN 4.1. DELETED - -VN 4.2. DELETED - -VN 4.3. DELETED + + +- VN 4.1. DELETED + +- VN 4.2. DELETED + +- VN 4.3. DELETED @@ -363,22 +358,21 @@ ## Validity Requirements for an Electronic Visa Waiver Document - - - -VN 5.1. DELETED - -VN 5.2. DELETED - -VN 5.3. DELETED - -VN 5.4. DELETED - -VN 5.5. DELETED - -VN 5.6. DELETED - -VN 5.7. DELETED + + +- VN 5.1. DELETED + +- VN 5.2. DELETED + +- VN 5.3. DELETED + +- VN 5.4. DELETED + +- VN 5.5. DELETED + +- VN 5.6. DELETED + +- VN 5.7. DELETED @@ -387,18 +381,17 @@ ## Use of the Electronic Visa Waiver Document - - - -VN 6.1. DELETED - -VN 6.2. DELETED - -VN 6.3. DELETED - -VN 6.4. DELETED - -VN 6.5. DELETED + + +- VN 6.1. DELETED + +- VN 6.2. DELETED + +- VN 6.3. DELETED + +- VN 6.4. DELETED + +- VN 6.5. DELETED @@ -407,10 +400,9 @@ ## Exception where the Visitor is a person aged 18 or under on an organised trip from a school in France - - - -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. + + +- 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. @@ -419,7 +411,6 @@ ## Exception where the Visitor is a person aged 19 or under on an organised trip from a school in Germany - - - -VN 8.0. Nationals or citizens of any country who are aged 19 or under, studying at a school or educational institution in Germany, the existence of which is confirmed by the relevant German municipal or competent authority, and seeking to enter the UK as part of a school party of 5 or more organised by that school or institution, do not need entry clearance before they travel to the UK as a Visitor. + + +- VN 8.0. Nationals or citizens of any country who are aged 19 or under, studying at a school or educational institution in Germany, the existence of which is confirmed by the relevant German municipal or competent authority, and seeking to enter the UK as part of a school party of 5 or more organised by that school or institution, do not need entry clearance before they travel to the UK as a Visitor.