The United Kingdom has revised its Immigration Rules under the Visitor Appendix, confirming the countries and categories of travellers who must secure a visa before entering the country for visits or stays of up to six months.
According to the updated regulations, citizens of more than 100 countries and territories are required to obtain entry clearance before travelling to the UK, except where they qualify for exemptions provided under other sections of the immigration rules.
The guidance, released by the UK Home Office on July 1 and obtained on Saturday, also clarifies that stateless individuals and travellers using documents other than a national passport or, where applicable, a national identity card, must obtain entry clearance before travelling unless the travel document was issued by UK authorities.
The Home Office further explained that certain exceptions apply to nationals of the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan. These exemptions are identified with an asterisk in the Immigration Rules and are outlined in subsequent provisions of the Visitor Appendix.
Countries whose nationals require a UK visa
The countries and territories listed in the updated Immigration Rules are:
1. Afghanistan
2. Albania
3. Algeria
4. Angola
5. Armenia
6. Azerbaijan
7. Bangladesh
8. Belarus
9. Benin
10. Bhutan
11. Bolivia
12. Bosnia and Herzegovina
13. Botswana
14. Burkina Faso
15. Burundi
16. Cambodia
17. Cameroon
18. Cape Verde
19. Central African Republic
20. Chad
21. People’s Republic of China*
22. Colombia
23. Comoros
24. Republic of the Congo
25. Côte d’Ivoire
26. Cuba
27. Democratic Republic of the Congo
28. Djibouti
29. Dominica
30. Dominican Republic
31. Ecuador
32. Egypt
33. El Salvador
34. Equatorial Guinea
35. Eritrea
36. Eswatini
37. Ethiopia
38. Fiji
39. Gabon
40. Gambia
41. Georgia
42. Ghana
43. Guinea
44. Guinea-Bissau
45. Haiti
46. Honduras
47. India
48. Indonesia
49. Iran
50. Iraq
51. Jamaica
52. Jordan
53. Kazakhstan
54. Kenya
55. North Korea
56. Kosovo
57. Kyrgyzstan
58. Laos
59. Lebanon
60. Lesotho
61. Liberia
62. Libya
63. Madagascar
64. Malawi
65. Mali
66. Mauritania
67. Moldova
68. Mongolia
69. Montenegro
70. Morocco
71. Mozambique
72. Myanmar
73. Namibia
74. Nauru
75. Nepal
76. Nicaragua
77. Niger
78. Nigeria
79. North Macedonia
80. Pakistan
81. Palestine
82. Philippines
83. Russia
84. Rwanda
85. São Tomé and Príncipe
86. Senegal
87. Serbia
88. Sierra Leone
89. Somalia
90. South Africa
91. South Sudan
92. Sri Lanka
93. St Lucia
94. Sudan
95. Suriname
96. Syria
97. Taiwan*
98. Tajikistan
99. Tanzania
100. Thailand
101. Timor-Leste
102. Togo
103. Trinidad and Tobago
104. Tunisia
105. Turkey
106. Turkmenistan
107. Uganda
108. Ukraine
109. Uzbekistan
110. Vanuatu
111. Venezuela
112. Vietnam
113. Yemen
114. Zambia
115. Zimbabwe
Other Travellers Required to Obtain a UK Visa
In addition to nationals of the listed countries, the UK Immigration Rules state that certain other travellers must also obtain entry clearance before travelling.
These include stateless individuals and anyone travelling with a document other than a national passport or, where permitted under the rules, a national identity card. This requirement applies regardless of whether the travel document was issued by, or reflects the nationality of, a country not included on the visa-required list. The only exception is for travel documents issued by the United Kingdom.
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