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.
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 |
|
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] |
| |
Belgium | Visa not required [18] | 90 days |
|
Belize | Visa not required [19] | 1 month | |
Benin | eVisa [20] | 30 days | |
Bhutan | Visa required [21] |
| |
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 |
|
Burkina Faso | Visa on arrival [28] | 1 month | |
Myanmar | eVisa [29] | 28 days |
|
Burundi | Visa required [31] [32] | ||
Cambodia | Visa on arrival [33] | 30 days |
|
Cameroon | Visa required [35] |
| |
Canada | Visa not required [36] | 6 months |
|
Cape Verde | Visa on arrival [38] | ||
Central African Republic | Visa required [39] | ||
Chad | Visa required [40] | ||
Chile | Visa not required [41] | 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 |
|
Cuba | Tourist Card required [49] | ||
Cyprus | Visa not required [50] | 90 days |
|
Czech Republic | Visa not required [51] | 90 days |
|
Denmark | Visa not required [52] | 90 days |
|
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] |
| |
Estonia | Visa not required [61] | 90 days |
|
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 |
|
France | Visa not required [66] | 90 days |
|
Gabon | Visa required [67] |
| |
Gambia | Visa not required [68] | 90 days | |
Georgia | eVisa [69] | ||
Germany | Visa not required [70] | 90 days |
|
Ghana | Visa required [71] |
| |
Greece | Visa not required [72] | 90 days |
|
Grenada | Visa not required [73] | 6 months |
|
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 |
|
Iceland | Visa not required [82] | 90 days |
|
India | Visa required [83] | ||
Indonesia | Visa required [84] | ||
Iran | Visa required [85] | ||
Iraq | Visa required [86] |
| |
Ireland | Visa not required [87] | ||
Israel | Visa not required [88] | 3 months | |
Italy | Visa not required [89] | 90 days |
|
Côte d'Ivoire | eVisa [90] | 3 months |
|
Jamaica | Visa not required [91] | 30 days | |
Japan | Visa required [92] | ||
Jordan | Visa on arrival [93] |
| |
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 |
|
Kuwait | Visa on arrival [101] | 3 months | |
Kyrgyzstan | eVisa [102] | ||
Laos | Visa on arrival [103] | 30 days | |
Latvia | Visa not required [104] | 90 days |
|
Lebanon | Visa required [105] | ||
Lesotho | Visa not required [106] | 14 days | |
Liberia | Visa required [107] |
| |
Libya | Visa required [108] |
| |
Liechtenstein | Visa not required [109] | 90 days |
|
Lithuania | Visa not required [110] | 90 days |
|
Luxembourg | Visa not required [111] | 90 days |
|
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 |
|
Marshall Islands | Visa required [118] | ||
Mauritania | Visa on arrival [119] |
| |
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 |
|
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 |
|
New Zealand | Visa required [133] |
| |
Nicaragua | Visa not required [137] | 90 days | |
Niger | Visa required [138] | ||
Nigeria | Visa required [139] |
| |
North Macedonia | Visa required [140] | 90 days | |
Norway | Visa not required [141] | 90 days |
|
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 |
|
Portugal | Visa not required [151] | 90 days |
|
Qatar | Free visa on arrival [152] | 30 days |
|
Romania | Visa not required [153] | 90 days |
|
Russia | Visa required [154] |
| |
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 |
|
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 |
|
Sierra Leone | Visa required [167] |
| |
Singapore | Visa not required [168] | 30 days | |
Slovakia | Visa not required [169] | 90 days |
|
Slovenia | Visa not required [170] | 90 days |
|
Solomon Islands | Free Visitor's permit on arrival [171] | 3 months |
|
Somalia | Visa on arrival [172] |
| |
South Africa | Visa required [173] | ||
South Sudan | Visa required [174] | ||
Spain | Visa not required [175] | 90 days |
|
Sri Lanka | Electronic Travel Authorization [176] | 30 days | |
Sudan | Visa required [177] | ||
Suriname | Visa not required [178] | 90 days | |
Sweden | Visa not required [181] | 90 days |
|
Switzerland | Visa not required [182] | 90 days |
|
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 |
|
Togo | Visa on arrival [189] | 7 days | |
Tonga | Free visa on arrival [190] | 31 days |
|
Trinidad and Tobago | Visa not required [191] | 30 days | |
Tunisia | Visa not required [192] | 3 months | |
Turkey | Visa required [193] | ||
Turkmenistan | Visa required [194] |
| |
Tuvalu | Free visa on arrival [195] | 1 month |
|
Uganda | Visa on arrival [196] |
| |
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 |
|
Vanuatu | Visa not required [205] | 30 days | |
Vatican City | Visa not required [206] | ||
Venezuela | Visa not required [207] | 90 days | |
Vietnam | eVisa [208] |
| |
Yemen | Visa required [210] | ||
Zambia | Visa on arrival [211] | 90 days | |
Zimbabwe | Visa on arrival [212] | 3 months |
British Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories | |||
---|---|---|---|
Visitor to | Visa requirement | Allowed stay | Notes |
Ascension Island | eVisa [213] [214] | 3 months |
|
Anguilla | Visa not required | 3 months [215] [216] |
|
Bermuda | Visa not required | 6 months [217] [218] |
|
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] |
|
Cayman Islands | Visa not required | 30 Days [225] [226] |
|
Falkland Islands | Visitor's permit on arrival | 4 weeks [227] [228] |
|
Guernsey | Visa not required [229] | ||
Isle of Man | Visa not required | ||
Jersey | Visa not required |
| |
Gibraltar | Visa not required [233] | ||
Montserrat | Visa not required | 6 months [234] |
|
Pitcairn Islands | Visa not required | 14 days [234] | |
Saint Helena | Entry permit on arrival | 183 days [239] |
|
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | Permit required |
| |
Turks and Caicos Islands | Visa not required | 90 days [243] [244] |
|
Tristan da Cunha | Permission required |
|
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 |
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic | Visa required [260] [261] | Travellers with Nagorno-Karabakh visa (expired or valid) or evidence of travel to Nagorno-Karabakh (stamps) will be permanently denied entry to Azerbaijan. [262] |
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. [263] |
Russia | Special authorization required | Several closed cities and regions in Russia require special authorization. [264] |
South Ossetia | Visa not required | Multiple entry visa to Russia and three-day prior notification are required to enter South Ossetia. [265] [266] |
Transnistria | Visa not required | Registration required after 24h. [267] [268] |
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). [269] |
Mayotte | Visa not required [270] | 90 days |
Réunion | Visa not required [270] | 90 days |
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | Visa not required up to 3 months. [271] | |
Somaliland | Visa on arrival | 30 days for 30 US dollars, payable on arrival. [272] [273] |
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. [274] |
Asia | ||
Visitor to | Visa requirement | Notes (excluding departure fees) |
Hong Kong | Visa not required [275] | 3 months [275] 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. [276] |
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. [277] [278] [279] [280] [281] [282] |
Iraqi Kurdistan | Visa on arrival | 15 days [283] |
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. [284] |
Kish Island | Visa not required | Visitors to Kish Island do not require a visa. [285] |
Macao | Visa not required [286] | 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. [287] |
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. [288] |
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 [289] | Arrival by sea to Gaza Strip not allowed. [290] |
Taiwan | Visa required [291] | |
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. [292] [293] [294] |
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. [295] |
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. [296] |
Yemen | Special permission required | Special permission needed for travel outside Sana’a or Aden. [297] |
Caribbean and North Atlantic | ||
Visitor to | Visa requirement | Notes (excluding departure fees)f |
Aruba | Visa not required [298] | 30 days, extendable to 180 days [299] |
Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba | Visa not required [300] | 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. [301] |
Curacao | Visa not required [302] | 3 months |
French Guiana | Visa not required [303] | 90 days |
French West Indies | Visa not required | 90 days. French West Indies refers to Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy. [304] |
Greenland | Visa not required [254] | |
Margarita Island | Visa not required | All visitors are fingerprinted. [305] |
Puerto Rico | Visa required [306] | |
Saint Pierre and Miquelon | Visa not required [270] | |
Sint Maarten | Visa not required [307] | 3 months [308] |
U.S. Virgin Islands | Visa required [309] | |
Oceania | ||
Visitor to | Visa requirement | Notes (excluding departure fees) |
American Samoa | Visa required [310] [311] | |
Ashmore and Cartier Islands | Special authorisation required | Special authorisation required. [312] |
Clipperton Island | Special permit required | Special permit required. [313] |
Cook Islands | Visa not required [314] | 31 days |
Lau Province | Special permission required | Special permission required. [315] |
French Polynesia | Visa not required [316] | 90 days |
Guam | Visa not required [317] | 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 [270] | 90 days |
Niue | Visa on arrival [318] | 30 days |
Northern Mariana Islands | Visa not required [319] | 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. [320] [321] [322] [323] [324] [325] [326] |
Wallis and Futuna | Visa not required [270] | 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. [327] |
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. [328] [329] [330] [331] [332] [333] [334] [335] [336] [337] [338] [339] |
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.
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.
Many countries require a minimum number of blank pages to be available in the passport being presented, typically one or two pages. [340] Endorsement pages, which often appear after the visa pages, are not counted as being valid or available.
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 [341] to have a current International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, as does the South American territory of French Guiana. [342]
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. [343] [344]
An increasing number of countries have been imposing additional COVID-19 related health restrictions such as quarantine measures and testing requirements. Many countries increasingly consider the vaccination status of travellers with regard to quarantine requirements or when deciding to allow them entry at all. [345]
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 [346] [347] or even accept passports that have already expired (but not been cancelled). [348]
Some countries, such as Japan, [349] Ireland and the United Kingdom, [350] 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, [351] 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, [352] Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru, [353] Philippines, [354] 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. [355]
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 the Republic of 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 [356] and South Africa.
Some countries, including Australia, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand and the United States, [357] 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.
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. [358]
For example, Azerbaijan bans visits by foreign citizens that have previously entered Azerbaijan through non-Azerbaijani controlled borders. This includes the illegal entry into the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh [359] (the de facto independent Republic of Artsakh), its surrounding Armenian-occupied territories, and the Azerbaijani exclaves of Karki, Yuxarı Əskipara, Barxudarlı, and Sofulu which are de jure part of Azerbaijan but under the control of Armenia. Foreign citizens who enter these territories will be permanently banned from entering the Republic of Azerbaijan [360] and will be included in their "list of personae non gratae ". [361] As of 2 September 2019, [update] the list mentioned 852 people.
Kuwait, [362] Lebanon, [363] Libya, [364] Syria, [365] and Yemen [366] 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.
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. [367]
Fingerprinting countries/regions include Afghanistan, [368] [369] Argentina, [370] Brunei, Cambodia, [371] China, [372] Ethiopia, [373] Ghana, Guinea, [374] India, Japan, [375] [376] Kenya (both fingerprints and a photo are taken), [377] Malaysia upon entry and departure, [378] Mongolia, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, [379] Singapore, South Korea, [380] Taiwan, Thailand, [381] Uganda, [382] 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), [383] [384] [385] intends to implement facial recognition for passengers departing from international airports to identify people who overstay their visa. [386]
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 [387] and the United Arab Emirates conducts iris scanning on visitors who need to apply for a visa. [388] [389]
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): [390]
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)African countries that requires (sic) Yellow Fever vaccination certificate: Countries that require vaccination for all travellers older that 9 months or 1 year: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameron, Central African Republic, Congo, Côte d'lvoire, DRC, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Niger, Togo.
African countries that requires Yellow Fever vaccination certificate: Countries that requires (sic) vaccination for travellers from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission or transit 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, Zimbabwe.
Only travellers already vaccinated and those registered to receive COVID-19 shots in Palau will be allowed to take part in the travel bubble with Taiwan, the Pacific island nation announced Tuesday (Aug. 17).
Countries whose citizens are allowed to enter Turkey with their expired passports: 1. Germany – Passports expired within the last year / ID's expired within the last year, 2. Belgium - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 3. France - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 4. Spain - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 5. Switzerland - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 6. Luxemburg - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 7. Portugal - Passports expired within the last 5 years, 8. Bulgaria – Valid ordinary passport
15. How long does my passport need to be valid in order to enter Japan? Japan does not have any regulations relating to passport validity, so long as your passport will be valid until after you leave Japan.
You're not from an EEA country: you must have a valid passport to enter the UK. It should be valid for the whole of your stay.
Travellers heading west from the UK to New Zealand may soon be able to avoid the onerous requirement to clear US border control during the refuelling stop at Los Angeles airport (LAX). Unlike almost every other country in the world, the US insists on a full immigration check even for passengers who simply intend to re-board their plane to continue onwards to a foreign destination. Air New Zealand, which flies daily from Heathrow via Los Angeles to Auckland, says there are currently "strict requirements for travellers" in transit at LAX. Through passengers to Auckland on flight NZ1 or Heathrow on NZ2 must apply in advance for an ESTA (online visa) even though they have no intention of staying in the US. They also have to undergo screening by the Transportation Security Administration.
Effective April 27, 2018, border control authorities at all of China's ports of entry, including its airports, will start collecting the fingerprints of all foreign visitors aged between 14 and 70. Diplomatic passport holders and beneficiaries of reciprocal agreements are exempted..
Will visitors still have their digital photo and fingerprints taken at the immigration desk on arrival? Yes, the need to have photos and fingerprints taken upon arrival is to authenticate that the person who applied for the Visa is the same person at the port of entry
While a requirement for a biometric entry-exit system has been in law for over a decade, it is not yet a reality. Many reasons for the long gestating development have been documented in BPC's 2014 report Entry-Exit System: Progress, Challenges, and Outlook, including the technological, operational, and cost challenges of creating exit systems and infrastructure where none exist today. However, many critics, especially in Congress, simply accused the Department of Homeland security of dragging its feet... the major operational, logistical, and technical challenge in implementing exit capability at our ports has been the land borders. Unlike airports and seaports, the land border environment is not physically controlled, there is no means to get advance information on who is arriving, and the sheer volume of travel—both vehicular and pedestrian—creates challenges in any system to not further exacerbate delays. While biometric exit for land vehicular traffic is still in the "what if" stage, CBP is moving ahead and piloting systems and technology to use with the large population of pedestrian crossers at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Long demanded by lawmakers in Congress, it is considered a critical step to developing a coherent program to curb illegal immigration, as historically about 30 percent to 40 percent of illegal immigrants in the United States arrived on tourist visas or other legal means and then never left, according to estimates by Homeland Security officials.
Efforts to determine whether visitors actually leave have faltered. Departure monitoring would help officials hunt for foreigners who have not left, if necessary. Domestic security officials say, however, it would be too expensive to conduct fingerprint or facial recognition scans for land departures.
The breach of privacy is probably the biggest threat to the biometric technique of iris recognition. Secondly, a device error can false reject or false accept the identity which can also have some heinous consequences. Lastly, the method isn't the most cost-effective one. It is complex and therefore expensive. Furthermore, the maintenance of devices and data can also be relatively burdensome. However, thanks to the oil money and spending ability of Dubai, they are economically equipped to effectively embrace this system.
Visa requirements for Canadian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Canada. As of October 2023, Canadian citizens have visa-free access to 119 countries and territories, can obtain a visa on arrival in 26, and can enter with a e-visa 38 countries and territories and require a visa for 23, ranking the Canadian passport 6th in the world in terms of freedom of travel according to the Henley & Partners Passport Index.
Visa requirements for United States citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states that are imposed on citizens of the United States.
Visa requirements for Romanian citizens are the administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other territories affecting citizens of Romania. As of May 2023, Romanian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 178 countries and territories, ranking the Romanian passport 14th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.
Visa requirements for Indian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of India. As of 21 July 2023, Indian citizens had visa-free, visa on arrival and e-visa access to 60 countries and territories, ranking the Indian passport 84, in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index. With visa-free entry to 57 countries and visa on arrival facility to 47 countries India is 72nd out of 96 in Global Passport Power Rank.
Visa requirements for Bahraini citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Bahrain. As of 13 April 2021, Bahraini citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 87 countries and territories, ranking the Bahraini passport 59th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.
Visa requirements for British citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the United Kingdom. As of 18 July 2023 British citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 188 countries and territories, ranking their passport 4th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index. Additionally, the World Tourism Organisation also published a report on 15 January 2016 ranking the passport 1st in the world in terms of travel freedom, with the mobility index of 160.
Visa requirements for Malaysian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Malaysia. As of August 2023, Malaysian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 182 countries and territories, ranking the Malaysian passport 11th in the world according to the Henley Passport Index, making it the 2nd highest-ranked passport in Southeast Asia after Singapore, the 4th highest-ranked in Asia and the highest-ranked passport in the developing world and among Muslim-majority countries.
Visa requirements for Guatemalan citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Guatemala. As of July, Guatemalan citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 136 countries and territories, ranking the Guatemalan passport 36th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.
Visa requirements for Australian passport holders are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Australia entering with an Australian passport.
Visa requirements for Argentine citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Argentina.
Visa requirements for Democratic Republic of the Congo citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Visa requirements for Finnish citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Finland. As of May 2023, Finnish citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 191 countries and territories, ranking the Finnish passport 4th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index. Additionally, the World Tourism Organization also published a report on 15 January 2016 ranking the Finnish passport 1st in the world in terms of travel freedom, with the mobility index of 160.
Visa requirements for Chinese citizens of Macau are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on Chinese citizens who are permanent residents of Macau.
Visa requirements for Nauruan citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Nauru. As of 2 July 2019, Nauruan citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 85 countries and territories, ranking the Nauruan passport 61st in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.
Visa requirements for Tongan citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Tonga. As of 2 July 2019, Tongan citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 123 countries and territories, ranking the Tongan passport 46th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.
Visa requirements for British Nationals (Overseas) are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states and territories placed on British National (Overseas) passport holders. Several million people, the vast majority with a Hong Kong connection, hold this passport.
Visa requirements for Nigerian citizens are administrative entry restrictions imposed by the authorities of other states on citizens of Nigeria.
Visa requirements for Zimbabwean citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Zimbabwe. As of 2 July 2019, Zimbabwean citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 64 countries and territories, ranking the Zimbabwean passport 80th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.
Visa requirements for Mozambican citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Mozambique. As of 2 July 2019, Mozambican citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 58 countries and territories, ranking the Mozambican passport 85th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.
Visa requirements for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. As of 2 July 2019, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 150 countries and territories, ranking the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines passport 29 in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley Passport Index.