Visa requirements for British Overseas citizens

British Overseas citizenship is a form of British nationality under the British Nationality Act 1983. BOCs are British nationals but do not have the right of abode in the United Kingdom. This citizenship is normally for certain people who retained British nationality after independence (e.g. Kenya), but do not have enough ties with the United Kingdom to be British Citizens.

Visa requirements for other classes of British nationals such as British citizens, British Nationals (Overseas), British Overseas Territories Citizens, British Protected Persons or British Subjects are different.

Visa requirements map[edit]

Visa requirements[edit]

Country	Visa requirement	Allowed stay	Notes (excluding departure fees)
Afghanistan	Visa required[1]
Albania	Visa not required[2]	90 days
Algeria	Visa required[3]
Andorra	Visa not required[4]
Angola	Visa required[5]
Antigua and Barbuda	Visa not required[6]	6 months
Argentina	Visa not required[7]	30 days
Armenia	Visa required[8]
Australia	Visa required[9]
Austria	Visa not required[10]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Azerbaijan	Visa required[11]
Bahamas	Visa not required[12]	3 months
Bahrain	Visa on arrival[13]	3 months
Bangladesh	Visa on arrival[14]	30 days
Barbados	Visa not required[15]	6 months
Belarus	Visa required[16]		Visas are issued on arrival at the Minsk International Airport if the support documents were submitted not later than 3 business days before expected date of arrival.[17]
Belgium	Visa not required[18]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Belize	Visa not required[19]	1 month
Benin	eVisa[20]	30 days
Bhutan	Visa required[21]		Pre-approved visa can be picked up on arrival.
Bolivia	Visa not required[22]	90 days
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Visa not required[23]	90 days
Botswana	Visa not required[24]	90 days
Brazil	Visa not required[25]	90 days
Brunei	Visa required[26]
Bulgaria	Visa not required[27]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period
Burkina Faso	Visa on arrival[28]	1 month
Myanmar	eVisa[29]	28 days	eVisa holders must arrive via Yangon International Airport. Also visa on arrival for 28 days, if arriving from Siem Reap, Guangzhou or Phnom Penh on MAI.[30]
Burundi	Visa required[31][32]
Cambodia	Visa on arrival[33]	30 days	Visa is also obtainable online.[34]
Cameroon	Visa required[35]		Pre-approved visa can be picked up on arrival.
Canada	Visa not required[36]	6 months	Visa Free Access only to BOCs with right of abode in the UK. ETA required if arriving by air. Not applicable to BOCs with indefinite leave to remain in the UK.[37]
Cape Verde	Visa on arrival[38]
Central African Republic	Visa required[39]
Chad	Visa required[40]
Chile	Visa not required[41]	90 days	Extension of stay possible for additional 90 days.
People's Republic of China	Visa required[42]
Republic of China	Visa required
Colombia	Visa not required[43]	180 days
Comoros	Visa on arrival[44]
Republic of the Congo	Visa required[45]
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Visa required[46]
Costa Rica	Visa required[47]
Croatia	Visa not required[48]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period
Cuba	Tourist Card required[49]
Cyprus	Visa not required[50]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period
Czech Republic	Visa not required[51]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Denmark	Visa not required[52]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area (DK)
Djibouti	Visa on arrival[53]
Dominica	Visa not required[54]	6 months
Dominican Republic	Visa required[55]
Ecuador	Visa not required[56]	90 days
Egypt	Visa on arrival[57]	30 days
El Salvador	Visa required[58]
Equatorial Guinea	Visa required[59]
Eritrea	Visa required[60]		Pre-approved visa can be picked up on arrival.
Estonia	Visa not required[61]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Eswatini	Visa not required[62]	30 days
Ethiopia	eVisa / Visa on arrival[63]
Fiji	Visa not required[64]	4 months
Finland	Visa not required[65]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
France	Visa not required[66]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area (in Regions of France)
Gabon	Visa required[67]		Pre-approved visa can be picked up on arrival.
Gambia	Visa not required[68]	90 days
Georgia	eVisa[69]
Germany	Visa not required[70]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Ghana	Visa required[71]		Pre-approved visa can be picked up on arrival.
Greece	Visa not required[72]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Grenada	Visa not required[73]	6 months	Beginning on 1 December 2020, all travellers to Grenada will be required to complete an online application in order to receive a Pure Safe Travel Authorization Certificate to enter Grenada.[74]
Guatemala	Visa required[75]
Guinea	Visa required[76]
Guinea-Bissau	Visa on arrival[77]	90 days
Guyana	Visa required[78]
Haiti	Visa not required[79]	90 days
Honduras	Visa required[80]
Hungary	Visa not required[81]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Iceland	Visa not required[82]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
India	Visa required[83]
Indonesia	Visa required[84]
Iran	Visa required[85]
Iraq	Visa required[86]		Visa on arrival for 15 days at Erbil and Sulaymaniyah airports.
Ireland	Visa not required[87]
Israel	Visa not required[88]	3 months
Italy	Visa not required[89]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Côte d'Ivoire	eVisa[90]	3 months	eVisa holders must arrive via Port Bouet Airport.
Jamaica	Visa not required[91]	30 days
Japan	Visa required[92]
Jordan	Visa on arrival[93]		Conditions apply[94]
Kazakhstan	Visa not required[95]
Kenya	Visa on arrival[96]	3 months
Kiribati	Visa required[97]
North Korea	Visa required[98]
South Korea	K-ETA required[99]	30 days	British Overseas citizens can enter South Korea as a short term visit (e.g., tours, visiting relatives or friends, attending simple meetings) up to 90 days without a visa, though you should remain aware of the quarantine requirements. You must also have an onward or return ticket. It is illegal to work on a tourist visa, whether as a teacher or in any other capacity.[100] You must be in possession of a Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) to enter Korea visa-free. You can complete your K-ETA application up to 24 hours before boarding your flight and it will be valid for two years from the date of approval. There is a small, non-refundable charge.[100]
Kuwait	Visa on arrival[101]	3 months
Kyrgyzstan	eVisa[102]
Laos	Visa on arrival[103]	30 days
Latvia	Visa not required[104]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Lebanon	Visa required[105]
Lesotho	Visa not required[106]	14 days
Liberia	Visa required[107]		Pre-approved visa can be picked up on arrival.
Libya	Visa required[108]		Pre-approved visa can be picked up on arrival.
Liechtenstein	Visa not required[109]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Lithuania	Visa not required[110]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Luxembourg	Visa not required[111]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Madagascar	Visa on arrival[112]	90 days
Malawi	Visa required[113]
Malaysia	Visa not required[114]	3 months
Maldives	Visa on arrival[115]	30 days
Mali	Visa required[116]
Malta	Visa not required[117]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Marshall Islands	Visa required[118]
Mauritania	Visa on arrival[119]		Available at Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport.
Mauritius	Visa not required[120]	90 days
Mexico	Visa required[121]
Micronesia	Visa not required[122]	30 days
Moldova	Visa not required[123]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period
Monaco	Visa not required[124]
Mongolia	Visa required[125]
Montenegro	Visa required[126]
Morocco	Visa required[127]
Mozambique	Visa on arrival[128]
Namibia	Visa not required[129]	3 months
Nauru	Visa required[130]
Nepal	Visa on arrival[131]	90 days
Netherlands	Visa not required[132]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area (European Netherlands)
New Zealand	Visa required[133]		May enter using eGate.[134] Holders of a British non-citizen passport who can provide evidence of the right to reside permanently in the United Kingdom may be granted a Visitor Visa current for six months on arrival, subject to meeting character requirements and providing that the purposes of the visit do not include medical consultation or treatment. Electronic Travel Authority must be obtained prior to departure.[135] Holders of an Australian Permanent Resident Visa or Resident Return Visa may be granted a New Zealand Resident Visa on arrival permitting indefinite stay (pursuant to the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement), subject to meeting character requirements and obtaining an Electronic Travel Authority prior to departure.[136]
Nicaragua	Visa not required[137]	90 days
Niger	Visa required[138]
Nigeria	Visa required[139]		Pre-approved visa can be picked up on arrival.
North Macedonia	Visa required[140]	90 days
Norway	Visa not required[141]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Oman	Visa on arrival[142]	3 months
Pakistan	Visa required[143]
Palau	Visa on arrival[144]	30 days
Panama	Visa not required[145]	180 days
Papua New Guinea	Visa required[146]
Paraguay	Visa not required[147]	90 days
Peru	Visa not required[148]	183 days
Philippines	Visa not required[149]	7 days
Poland	Visa not required[150]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Portugal	Visa not required[151]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Qatar	Free visa on arrival[152]	30 days	Available at Hamad International Airport. eVisa is also available.
Romania	Visa not required[153]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period
Russia	Visa required[154]		72-hour Visa on arrival in Kaliningrad if traveling as part of a tour group organized by an authorized travel agent.[155]
Rwanda	Visa not required[156]	90 days
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Visa not required[157]	3 months
Saint Lucia	Visa not required[158]	6 weeks
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Visa not required[159]	1 month
Samoa	Free Entry Permit on arrival[160]	60 days	Free of charge.
San Marino	Visa not required[161]
São Tomé and Príncipe	eVisa[162]
Saudi Arabia	Visa required[163]
Senegal	eVisa[164]	3 months
Serbia	Visa not required[165]	90 days
Seychelles	Free Visitor's Permit on arrival[166]	3 months	Free of charge.
Sierra Leone	Visa required[167]		Pre-approved visa can be picked up on arrival.
Singapore	Visa not required[168]	30 days
Slovakia	Visa not required[169]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Slovenia	Visa not required[170]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Solomon Islands	Free Visitor's permit on arrival[171]	3 months	Free of charge.
Somalia	Visa on arrival[172]		Available at Berbera, Borama, Burao, Erigavo and Hargeisa airports.[citation needed] 30 days, available at Bosaso Airport, Galcaio Airport and Mogadishu Airport.[citation needed]
South Africa	Visa required[173]
South Sudan	Visa required[174]
Spain	Visa not required[175]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Sri Lanka	Electronic Travel Authorization[176]	30 days
Sudan	Visa required[177]
Suriname	Visa not required[178]	90 days	An entrance fee of 25 USD or 25 Euros must be paid online prior to arrival.[179] Multiple entry eVisa is also available.[180]
Sweden	Visa not required[181]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Switzerland	Visa not required[182]	90 days	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Syria	Visa required[183]
Tajikistan	Visa required[184]
Tanzania	Visa on arrival[185]
Thailand	Visa required[186]
Timor-Leste	Visa on arrival[187]	30 days	Not available at all entry points.[188]
Togo	Visa on arrival[189]	7 days
Tonga	Free visa on arrival[190]	31 days	Free of charge.
Trinidad and Tobago	Visa not required[191]	30 days
Tunisia	Visa not required[192]	3 months
Turkey	Visa required[193]
Turkmenistan	Visa required[194]		Pre-approved visa can be picked up on arrival.
Tuvalu	Free visa on arrival[195]	1 month	Free of charge.
Uganda	Visa on arrival[196]		May apply online.[197]
Ukraine	Visa required[198]
United Arab Emirates	Visa required[199]
United Kingdom	Visa not required[200]	6 months
United States	Visa required[201]
Uruguay	Visa not required[202]	90 days
Uzbekistan	eVisa[203][204]	30 days	Pre-approved visa can be picked up on arrival.
Vanuatu	Visa not required[205]	30 days
Vatican City	Visa not required[206]
Venezuela	Visa not required[207]	90 days
Vietnam	eVisa[208]		A single entry eVisa valid for 30 days is available.[209]
Yemen	Visa required[210]
Zambia	Visa on arrival[211]	90 days
Zimbabwe	Visa on arrival[212]	3 months

British Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories[edit]

British Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories
Visitor to	Visa requirement	Allowed stay	Notes
Ascension Island	eVisa[213][214]	3 months	3 months within any year period
Anguilla	Visa not required	3 months[215][216]	British Overseas citizens with a connection to the territory have right of abode.
Bermuda	Visa not required	6 months[217][218]	British Overseas citizens with a connection to the territory have right of abode.
British Antarctic Territory	Special permit required[219][220]
British Indian Ocean Territory	Special permit required[221][222]
British Virgin Islands	Visa not required	1 month[223][224]	Extension of stay possible. British Overseas citizens with a connection to the territory have right of abode.
Cayman Islands	Visa not required	30 Days[225][226]	The passenger must arrive directly from the United Kingdom. British Overseas citizens with a connection to the territory have right of abode.
Falkland Islands	Visitor's permit on arrival	4 weeks[227][228]	The initial visitor's permit is valid for 4 weeks. Visitors who have a connection with the Falkland Islands have right of abode.
Guernsey	Visa not required[229]
Isle of Man	Visa not required		Work or employment permit is required for persons without "Isle of Man worker" status.[230][231]
Jersey	Visa not required		Work or employment permit is required.[232]
Gibraltar	Visa not required[233]
Montserrat	Visa not required	6 months[234]	British Overseas citizens with a connection to the territory have right of abode.
Pitcairn Islands	Visa not required	14 days[234]	Landing fee applies.[235][236][237][238]
Saint Helena	Entry permit on arrival	183 days[239]	The entry permit costs £25 and is issued on arrival.
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	Permit required		Pre-arrival permit from the Commissioner required (72 hours/1 month for 110/160 pounds sterling).[240][241][242]
Turks and Caicos Islands	Visa not required	90 days[243][244]	British Overseas citizens with a connection to the territory have right of abode.
Tristan da Cunha	Permission required		Permission to land required for 15/30 pounds sterling (yacht/ship passenger) for Tristan da Cunha Island or 20 pounds sterling for Gough Island, Inaccessible Island or Nightingale Islands, unless connection with Tristan da Cunha, in which case right of abode.[245]

Territories[edit]

Europe
Visitor to	Visa requirement	Notes (excluding departure fees)
Abkhazia	Visa required[246]
Mount Athos	Special permit required	Special permit required (4 days: 25 euro for Orthodox visitors, 35 euro for non-Orthodox visitors, 18 euro for students). There is a visitors' quota: maximum 100 Orthodox and 10 non-Orthodox per day and women are not allowed.[247][248]
Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park	Visa not required	3 days;[249] must first obtain an electronic pass[250]
Crimea	Visa required	Visa policy of Russia applies de facto.[251]
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus	Visa not required	3 months[252]
UN Buffer Zone in Cyprus	Access Permit required[253]	Access Permit is required for travelling inside the zone, except Civil Use Areas.
Faroe Islands	Visa not required[254]
Jan Mayen	Permit required[255]	Permit issued by the local police required for staying for less than 24 hours[256] and permit issued by the Norwegian police for staying for more than 24 hours.[257]
Jersey	Visa not required[258]
Kosovo	Visa not required[259]	90 days
Novorossiya	Restricted area	Crossing from Ukraine requires visit purpose to be explained to Ukrainian passport control on exit and those who entered from Russia are not allowed to proceed further into Ukraine.[260]
Russia	Special authorization required	Several closed cities and regions in Russia require special authorization.[261]
South Ossetia	Visa not required	Multiple entry visa to Russia and three-day prior notification are required to enter South Ossetia.[262][263]
Transnistria	Visa not required	Registration required after 24h.[264][265]
Africa
Visitor to	Visa requirement	Notes (excluding departure fees)
Eritrea outside Asmara	Travel permit required	To travel in the rest of the country, a Travel Permit for Foreigners is required (20 Eritrean nakfa).[266]
Mayotte	Visa not required[267]	90 days
Réunion	Visa not required[267]	90 days
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic		Visa not required up to 3 months.[268]
Somaliland	Visa on arrival	30 days for 30 US dollars, payable on arrival.[269][270]
Sudan	Travel permit required	All foreigners traveling more than 25 kilometers outside of Khartoum must obtain a travel permit.
Darfur	Travel permit required	Separate travel permit is required.[271]
Asia
Visitor to	Visa requirement	Notes (excluding departure fees)
Hong Kong	Visa not required[272]	3 months[272] Prior to April 1997, British Overseas citizens were allowed to land and remain in Hong Kong for 12 months without being subject to any other condition of stay.[273]
India PAP/RAP	PAP/RAP required	Protected Area Permit (PAP) required for whole states of Nagaland and Sikkim and parts of states Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh. Restricted Area Permit (RAP) required for all of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and parts of Sikkim. Some of these requirements are occasionally lifted for a year.[274][275][276][277][278][279]
Iraqi Kurdistan	Visa on arrival	15 days[280]
Kazakhstan	Special permission required	Special permission required for the town of Baikonur and surrounding areas in Kyzylorda Oblast, and the town of Gvardeyskiy near Almaty.[281]
Kish Island	Visa not required	Visitors to Kish Island do not require a visa.[282]
Macao	Visa not required[283]	6 months
Sabah and Sarawak	Visa not required	These states have their own immigration authorities and passport is required to travel to them, however the same visa applies.[284]
Maldives	Permission required	With the exception of the capital Malé, tourists are generally prohibited from visiting non-resort islands without the express permission of the Government of Maldives.[285]
North Korea outside Pyongyang	Special permit required	People are not allowed to leave the capital city, tourists can only leave the capital with a governmental tourist guide (no independent moving)
Palestine	Visa not required[286]	Arrival by sea to Gaza Strip not allowed.[287]
Taiwan	Visa required[288]
Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province	OIVR permit required	OIVR permit required (15+5 Tajikistani Somoni) and another special permit (free of charge) is required for Lake Sarez.[289][290][291]
Turkmenistan	Special permit required	A special permit, issued prior to arrival by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is required if visiting the following places: Atamurat, Cheleken, Dashoguz, Serakhs and Serhetabat.[292]
Korean Demilitarized Zone	Restricted zone
UNDOF Zone and Ghajar	Restricted zone
Phú Quốc	Visa not required	Can visit without a visa for up to 30 days.[293]
Yemen	Special permission required	Special permission needed for travel outside Sana’a or Aden.[294]
Caribbean and North Atlantic
Visitor to	Visa requirement	Notes (excluding departure fees)f
Aruba	Visa not required[295]	30 days, extendable to 180 days[296]
Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba	Visa not required[297]	90 days
San Andrés and Leticia	Tourist Card on arrival	Visitors arriving at Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport and Alfredo Vásquez Cobo International Airport must buy tourist cards on arrival.[298]
Curacao	Visa not required[299]	3 months
French Guiana	Visa not required[300]	90 days
French West Indies	Visa not required	90 days. French West Indies refers to Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy.[301]
Greenland	Visa not required[254]
Margarita Island	Visa not required	All visitors are fingerprinted.[302]
Puerto Rico	Visa required[303]
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	Visa not required[267]
Sint Maarten	Visa not required[304]	3 months[305]
U.S. Virgin Islands	Visa required[306]
Oceania
Visitor to	Visa requirement	Notes (excluding departure fees)
American Samoa	Visa required[307][308]
Ashmore and Cartier Islands	Special authorisation required	Special authorisation required.[309]
Clipperton Island	Special permit required	Special permit required.[310]
Cook Islands	Visa not required[311]	31 days
Lau Province	Special permission required	Special permission required.[312]
French Polynesia	Visa not required[313]	90 days
Guam	Visa not required[314]	Visa not required under the Guam - CNMI Visa Waiver Program, for 45 days. Must also present a Hong Kong identity card.
New Caledonia	Visa not required[267]	90 days
Niue	Visa on arrival[315]	30 days
Northern Mariana Islands	Visa not required[316]	Visa not required under the Guam - CNMI Visa Waiver Program, for 45 days. Must also present a Hong Kong identity card.
United States Minor Outlying Islands	Special permit required	Special permits required for Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island.[317][318][319][320][321][322][323]
Wallis and Futuna	Visa not required[267]	90 days
South America
Visitor to	Visa requirement	Notes (excluding departure fees)
Galápagos	Pre-registration required	Online pre-registration is required. Transit Control Card must also be obtained at the airport prior to departure.[324]
South Atlantic and Antarctica
Visitor to	Visa requirement	Notes (excluding departure fees)
Antarctica		Special permits required for  French Southern and Antarctic Lands,  Argentine Antarctica, Australian Antarctic Territory, Bouvet Island, Chilean Antarctic Territory, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Peter I Island, Queen Maud Land, Ross Dependency.[325][326][327][328][329][330][331][332][333][334][335][336]

Right to consular protection[edit]

When in a country where there is no British embassy, British Overseas citizens have the right to get consular protection from the embassy of any other commonwealth country present in that country.

See also List of diplomatic missions of the United Kingdom.

Non-visa restrictions[edit]

Many countries have entry restrictions on foreigners that go beyond the common requirement of having either a valid visa or a visa exemption. Such restrictions may be health related or impose additional documentation requirements on certain classes of people for diplomatic or political purposes.

Blank passport pages[edit]

Many countries require a minimum number of blank pages to be available in the passport being presented, typically one or two pages.^[337] Endorsement pages, which often appear after the visa pages, are not counted as being valid or available.

Vaccination[edit]

Many African countries, including Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, South Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia, require all incoming passengers older than nine months to one year^[338] to have a current International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, as does the South American territory of French Guiana.^[339]

Some other countries require vaccination only if the passenger is coming from an infected area or has visited one recently or has transited for 12 hours in those countries: Algeria, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.^[340][341]

Passport validity length[edit]

Very few countries, such as Paraguay, just require a valid passport on arrival.

However many countries and groupings now require only an identity card – especially from their neighbours. Other countries may have special bilateral arrangements that depart from the generality of their passport validity length policies to shorten the period of passport validity required for each other's citizens^[342][343] or even accept passports that have already expired (but not been cancelled).^[344]

Some countries, such as Japan,^[345] Ireland and the United Kingdom,^[346] require a passport valid throughout the period of the intended stay.

In the absence of specific bilateral agreements, countries requiring passports to be valid for at least 6 more months on arrival include Afghanistan, Algeria, Anguilla, Bahrain,^[347] Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Curaçao, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel,^[348] Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru,^[349] Philippines,^[350] Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Vietnam.^[351]

Countries requiring passports valid for at least 4 months on arrival include Micronesia and Zambia.

Countries requiring passports with a validity of at least 3 months beyond the date of intended departure include Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Honduras, Montenegro, Nauru, Moldova and New Zealand. Similarly, the EEA countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, all European Union countries (except Ireland) together with Switzerland also require 3 months validity beyond the date of the bearer's intended departure unless the bearer is an EEA or Swiss national.

Countries requiring passports valid for at least 3 months on arrival include Albania, North Macedonia, Panama, and Senegal.

Bermuda requires passports to be valid for at least 45 days upon entry.

Countries that require a passport validity of at least one month beyond the date of intended departure include Eritrea, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Macau, the Maldives^[352] and South Africa.

Criminal record[edit]

Some countries, including Australia, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand and the United States,^[353] routinely deny entry to non-citizens who have a criminal record while others impose restrictions depending on the type of conviction and the length of the sentence.

Persona non grata[edit]

The government of a country can declare a diplomat persona non grata, banning entry into that country. In non-diplomatic use, the authorities of a country may also declare a foreigner persona non grata permanently or temporarily, usually because of unlawful activity.^[354]

Israeli stamps[edit]

Kuwait,^[355] Lebanon,^[356] Libya,^[357] Syria,^[358] and Yemen^[359] do not allow entry to people with passport stamps from Israel or whose passports have either a used or an unused Israeli visa, or where there is evidence of previous travel to Israel such as entry or exit stamps from neighbouring border posts in transit countries such as Jordan and Egypt.

To circumvent this Arab League boycott of Israel, the Israeli immigration services have now mostly ceased to stamp foreign nationals' passports on either entry to or exit from Israel (unless the entry is for some work-related purposes). Since 15 January 2013, Israel no longer stamps foreign passports at Ben Gurion Airport. Passports are still (as of 22 June 2017^[update]) stamped at Erez when passing into and out of Gaza.^{[citation needed]}

Iran refuses admission to holders of passports containing an Israeli visa or stamp that is less than 12 months old.

Biometrics[edit]

Several countries mandate that all travellers, or all foreign travellers, be fingerprinted on arrival and will refuse admission to or even arrest travellers who refuse to comply. In some countries, such as the United States, this may apply even to transit passengers who merely wish to change planes rather than go landside.^[360]

Fingerprinting countries/regions include Afghanistan,^[361][362] Argentina,^[363] Brunei, Cambodia,^[364] China,^[365] Ethiopia,^[366] Ghana, Guinea,^[367] India, Japan,^[368][369] Kenya (both fingerprints and a photo are taken),^[370] Malaysia upon entry and departure,^[371] Mongolia, Saudi Arabia,^[372] Singapore, South Korea,^[373] Taiwan, Thailand,^[374] Uganda,^[375] the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Many countries also require a photo be taken of people entering the country. The United States, which does not fully implement exit control formalities at its land frontiers (although long mandated by domestic legislation),^{[376][377][378]} intends to implement facial recognition for passengers departing from international airports to identify people who overstay their visa.^[379]

Together with fingerprint and face recognition, iris scanning is one of three biometric identification technologies internationally standardised since 2006 by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for use in e-passports^[380] and the United Arab Emirates conducts iris scanning on visitors who need to apply for a visa.^[381][382]

Foreign travel statistics[edit]

According to the Foreign travel advice provided by the British Government (unless otherwise noted) these are the numbers of British visitors to various countries per annum in 2015 (unless otherwise noted):^[383]

Foreign travel statistics

Country	Number of visitors	Lost or stolen passports
Albania[note 1]	80,000
American Samoa[note 2][384][385][failed verification]	119
Angola[note 3][386]	14,267/12,319 ?
Andorra[note 4]	150,000
Anguilla[note 4][387]	5,021
Antarctica[note 2][388]	3,915
Antigua and Barbuda[note 2][389]	70,701
Aruba[note 1][390]	10,447
Australia[note 2][391]	731,900	640
Austria[note 5][note 4][392]	919,500
Azerbaijan[note 4][393]	29,514
Bahamas[394]	28,022
Bangladesh[note 1]	150,000
Barbados[note 5][note 4][395]	218,638
Belarus[note 4]	6,000
Belgium[note 4][396]	868,173
Belize[note 4][note 5][397]	13,342
Bermuda[note 2][398]	41,348
Bhutan[note 2][399]	3,246
Bolivia[note 4][400]	17,528
Bosnia and Herzegovina[note 2][401]	12,715
Botswana[402]	41,011
Brazil[note 2][403]	185,858
Brunei[note 6][404]	18,222
Bulgaria[note 7][405]	424,384
Burkina Faso[note 4][406]	1,343
Cambodia[note 4][407]	159,489
Cameroon[note 1][note 5][408]	16,008
Canada[note 2][409]	819,530
Cape Verde[note 5][410]	126,685
Cayman Islands[note 2][note 8][411]	14,017
Chile[note 2][412]	54,714
China[note 4][413][414]	594,300
Colombia[415]	39,715
Congo[note 9][416]	6,115
Cook Islands[note 2][384][417]	2,954
Costa Rica[note 2][418]	76,173
Croatia[note 2][419]	750,675
Cuba[420]	155,802
Curacao[note 4][421]	2,806
Cyprus[note 7][422]	1,327,805
Czech Republic[note 5][note 2][423]	470,576
Denmark[note 1]	150,000
Dominica[424]	4,951
Dominican Republic[note 2][425]	177,534
Ecuador[note 1][426]	27,126
Egypt	865,000
Ethiopia[note 1]	20,000
Estonia[note 5][note 2][427]	58,402
Eswatini[note 4][428]	15,503
Fiji[note 2][429]	16,925
Finland[note 5][note 7][430]	232,071
France[431]	12,235,713	1,344
French Polynesia[note 2][432]	2,840
Gambia[note 9][433]	60,424
Ghana[note 1]	90,000
Georgia[note 7][434]	29,406
Germany[note 4][435]	2,551,061	606
Greece[436]	2,397,169
Greenland[note 4][437]	1,595
Grenada[note 2][438]	25,351
Guadeloupe[note 1]	<1,000
Hong Kong[note 2][439]	555,353
Hungary[note 5][note 4][440]	376,573
Iceland[note 7][441]	297,963
Indonesia[note 4][442]	352,017
India[note 2][443]	986,296
Ireland[444]	3,547,000
Israel[note 2][445]	198,500
Italy[note 4][446]	4,922,000	737
Jamaica[note 2][447]	217,647
Japan[note 2][448]	310,500
Jordan[note 4][449]	64,776
Kazakhstan[note 2][450]	21,341
Kiribati[note 2][384][451]	173
Kuwait[note 4]	7,000
Kenya[note 3]	100,000
Kyrgyzstan[note 2][452]	6,900
Laos[note 2][453]	27,723
Latvia[note 5][note 2][454]	95,357
Lebanon[note 4][455]	61,994
Lesotho[note 10][456]	2,380
Liechtenstein[note 1]	2,200
Lithuania[note 4][457]	58,200
Luxembourg[note 4][note 5][458]	69,350
Macau[note 2][459]	57,121
Madagascar[460]	3,167
Malaysia[note 2][461]	358,818
Malawi[note 11][462]	51,145
Maldives[note 2][463]	103,977
Malta[note 7][464]	640,570
Mali[note 1][465]	900
Marshall Islands[note 2][384]	51
Mauritius[note 2][463]	149,807
Mexico[note 2][note 8][466]	563,099
Moldova[note 2][467]	11,555
Mongolia[note 2][468]	6,012
Montenegro[note 5][note 4][469]	37,464
Montserrat[note 12][470]	1,380
Morocco[471]	554,000
Myanmar[note 4][472]	51,051
Namibia[473]	27,365
Nepal[474]	29,730
New Caledonia[note 2][384]	708
Nigeria[note 1]	117,000
Niue[note 2][384][475]	146
North Macedonia[note 4][note 5][476]	8,856
Norway[note 1]	581,000
Netherlands[note 2][477]	2,195,000	602
New Zealand[note 2][478]	249,264
Nicaragua[note 4][479]	16,923
Oman[note 2][480]	143,224
Pakistan[note 11][481]	275,400
Palau[note 4][482]	852
Panama[483]	16,338
Papua New Guinea[note 4][484]	6,974
Peru[note 2][485]	69,506
Philippines[note 2][486]	182,708
Poland[note 4][487]	796,900
Portugal	2,600,000	405
Qatar[note 2][488]	120,495
Romania[note 13][489]	243,991
Russia[note 2][490]	193,522
Saba[note 1][note 8][491]	200
Saint Lucia[492]	68,175
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines[493]	17,045
Samoa[note 2][384][494]	1,422
San Marino[citation needed]	5,750
São Tomé and Príncipe[note 14][495]	83
Serbia[note 7][note 5][496]	32,802
Seychelles[note 2][497]	21,906
Singapore[note 2][498]	518,903
Sint Eustatius[note 1][note 8][491]	200
Slovakia[note 4][note 5][499]	77,837
Slovenia[note 2][note 5][500]	118,508
Solomon Islands[note 2][501]	496
South Africa[502]	407,486
South Korea[note 2][503]	126,024
Spain[note 7][504]	18,502,722	5,605
Sri Lanka[note 2][505]	201,879
Suriname[note 2][506]	1,077
Switzerland	709,925	430
Sweden[note 1][507]	603,000
Taiwan[note 2][508]	104,911
Tanzania[note 4][509]	67,742
Thailand[note 2][510]	994,468	603
Timor-Leste[note 2][384][note 8][511]	1,253
Tonga[note 2][384][512]	1,102
Trinidad and Tobago[note 1][513]	37,473
Turkey[note 7][514]	2,254,871
Turks and Caicos[515]	6,399
Tuvalu[note 2][384][516]	59
Uganda[note 10][517]	43,009
Uruguay[note 1]	20,000
Ukraine[note 2][518]	78,603
United Arab Emirates[note 2][519]	1,265,000
United States[note 2][note 15][520]	5,076,167	1,539
Uzbekistan[note 3][521]	1,800
Venezuela[note 10][522]	20,837
Vietnam[note 2][523]	283,537
Zambia[524]	36,997

See also[edit]

• British Overseas citizen
• British passport
• Visa requirements for British citizens
• Visa requirements for British Overseas Territories Citizens
• Visa requirements for British Nationals (Overseas)

References and Notes[edit]

References