This article needs to be updated.(November 2017) |
Visa requirements for EFTA nationals | |
---|---|
Member states | |
Website efta |
Visa requirements for EFTA nationals are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member states.
Current member states of EFTA are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Member states' citizens enjoy freedom of movement in each other's territories in accordance with the EFTA convention. [1] EFTA nationals also enjoy freedom of movement in the European Union (EU). EFTA nationals and EU citizens and are not only visa-exempt but are legally entitled to enter and reside in each other's countries. The Citizens’ Rights Directive [2] (also sometimes called the "Free Movement Directive") defines the right of free movement for citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA), [3] which includes the three EFTA members Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein and the member states of the EU. Switzerland, which is a member of EFTA but not of the EEA, is not bound by the Directive but rather has a separate bilateral agreement on free movement with the EU. [4]
This table lists all countries, as of this date with source information as it is cited inline, for which citizens of at least one EFTA member state may enter without a visa on an ordinary passport. Information regarding visas on arrival and on exit fees is not listed in the table, regarding which, see the relevant section below.
Africa | |||
---|---|---|---|
Country | Visa not required | Visa required | Notes |
Botswana | All states. [5] [6] [7] [8] | 90 days within 12 months. | |
Cape Verde | All states. [9] | 30 days. | |
Eswatini | Norway, Switzerland. [10] | Iceland, Liechtenstein | 30 days. |
Gambia | All states. [11] [12] [13] [14] | 90 days. | |
Lesotho | All others. [15] | Liechtenstein [16] | 14 days. |
Mauritius | All states. [17] [18] [19] [20] | 90 days. | |
Morocco | All states. [21] [22] [23] [24] | 90 days. | |
Namibia | All states. [25] | 3 months within a calendar year. | |
Senegal | All states. [26] | 90 days. | |
Seychelles | All states. [27] | 3 months. | |
South Africa | All states. [28] | 90 days. | |
Tunisia | All states. [29] | 3 months | |
Caribbean | |||
Country | Visa not required | Visa required | Notes |
Antigua and Barbuda | All states. [30] | 3 months. | |
Bahamas | All states. [31] | 3 months. | |
Barbados | All states. [32] | 3 months. | |
Dominica | All states. [33] [34] [35] | 21 days (90 days for Norway). | |
Dominican Republic | All states. [36] | 90 days (30-day tourist cards required). | |
Grenada | All states. [37] [38] | 3 months. | |
Haiti | All states. [39] | 3 months. | |
Jamaica | All states. | 90 days | |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | All states. [40] | 3 months. | |
Saint Lucia | All states. | 6 weeks. | |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | All states. | 1 month. | |
Trinidad and Tobago | All states. | 90 days within any 180 day period. | |
Central and North America | |||
Country | Visa not required | Visa required | Notes |
Belize | All states. [41] | 1 month for Switzerland. | |
Canada | All states. | 6 months, eTA required if arriving by air. [42] | |
Costa Rica | All states. [43] | 90 days. | |
El Salvador | All states. [44] | 90 days. | |
Guatemala | All states. [45] | 90 days. | |
Honduras | All states. [46] | 90 days. | |
Mexico | All states. [47] | 180 days. | |
Nicaragua | All states. [48] | 90 days (30-day tourist cards required). | |
Panama | All states. [49] | 180 days. | |
United States | All states (VWP) | 90 days on every arrival from overseas, ESTA (issued for 2 years) required when arriving by air and cruise ship. | |
South America | |||
Country | Visa not required | Visa required | Notes |
Argentina | All states. [50] | 90 days. | |
Bolivia | All states. | 90 days. | |
Brazil | All states. [51] | 90 days. | |
Chile | All states. [52] | 90 days. | |
Colombia | All states. [53] | 90 days - extendable up to 180-days stay within a one-year period. | |
Ecuador | All states. [54] | 90 days. | |
Guyana | Norway, Switzerland. [55] | Iceland, Liechtenstein | 3 months. |
Paraguay | All states. [56] | 90 days. | |
Peru | All states. | 90 days. | |
Uruguay | All states. [57] | 90 days, extendable once. | |
Venezuela | All states. [58] | 90 days, extendable once. | |
Asia | |||
Country | Visa not required | Visa required | Notes |
Brunei | All states. [59] | 90 days. | |
China | All states. [60] [61] [62] [note 1] | All others. Except short term visits in transit and Hainan. | 30 days. [65] Temporarily until 31 December 2025. [66] [67] |
Indonesia | All states. [68] | 30 days. | |
Japan | All states. [69] | 90 days. | |
Kazakhstan | All others. [70] | Liechtenstein | 30 days. |
Kyrgyzstan | All states | 60 days. | |
Laos | Switzerland | All others. | 15 days. |
Malaysia | All states. [71] | 90 days. | |
Philippines | All states. [72] | 30 days. | |
South Korea | All states. [73] | 90 days. | |
Singapore | All states. [74] | 90 days (30 days for Iceland and Liechtenstein). | |
Thailand | All states. | 30 days, extendable once. | |
Timor-Leste | All states | 90 days. | |
United Arab Emirates | All states. | 90 days. | |
Uzbekistan | All states. [75] [76] [77] [78] | 30 days. | |
Vietnam | Norway. [79] [80] | All others. | 15 days. |
Middle East and Caucasus | |||
Country | Visa not required | Visa required | Notes |
Armenia | All states. [81] [82] | 180 days. | |
Georgia | All states. [83] [84] | 1 year. | |
Israel | All states. [85] [86] | 3 months. | |
Europe | |||
Country | Visa not required | Visa required | Notes |
Albania | All states. [87] | 90 days. | |
Andorra | All states. [88] | ||
Belarus | All states. [89] [90] | 5 days. Must enter through the Minsk National Airport. | |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | All states. [91] | 90 days within 180 days. | |
All states. | Freedom of movement. | ||
Moldova | All states. [92] | 90 days within 180 days. | |
Montenegro | All states. [93] | 90 days within 180 days. | |
North Macedonia | All states. [94] | 90 days within 180 days. | |
Monaco | All states. [95] | ||
San Marino | All states. [96] | ||
Serbia | All states. [97] | 90 days within 180 days. | |
Turkey | All states. [98] | 90 days within 180 days. | |
Ukraine | All states. [99] | 90 days within 180 days. | |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | All states (ETA from 2 April 2025). [100] [101] | 6 months. [102] ETA (issued for 2 years) required from 2 April 2025 [103] Unless holding right under the EU Settlement Scheme. [104] | |
Vatican City | All states. | ||
Oceania | |||
Country | Visa not required | Visa required | Notes |
Australia | All states (eVisitor). [105] | 90 days on each visit in 12-month period if granted. | |
Fiji | All states. [106] | 4 months. | |
Kiribati | All states. [107] | 90 days. | |
Micronesia | All states. [108] | 90 days within 180 days. | |
New Zealand | All states. [109] | 90 days. | |
Palau | All states. [110] | 90 days. | |
Samoa | All states. [111] | 90 days within any 180 day period. | |
Solomon Islands | All states. [112] | 90 days. | |
Tonga | All states[ citation needed ] | 90 days. | |
Tuvalu | All states. | 90 days. | |
Vanuatu | All others. [113] | Iceland | 90 days. |
All EFTA nationals can visit the following partially recognised countries or territories with autonomous immigration policies without a visa:
|
|
The EFTA member states are all part of the Schengen Area, an area comprising 29 European states that have eliminated border controls with other Schengen members and strengthened border controls with non-Schengen countries. The Schengen area mostly functions as a single country for international travel purposes, with a common visa policy. Since 2001, the European Union has issued two lists regarding visas for the Schengen Area: a white list of countries whose nationals do not require visas (Annex II) [124] and a black list of countries whose nationals do require visas (Annex I). [125] As per Regulation No 539/2001 (amended by Regulation No 1289/2013) [126] reciprocity is required from all Annex II countries and territories. That means that these countries must offer visa-free access for 90 days to citizens of the 29 Schengen member states.
When this is not the case, the affected Schengen member state is expected to notify the European Commission. Starting six months after the notification, the Commission may adopt an implementing act to suspend the visa-free regime for certain categories of nationals of the third country concerned, for a period of up to six months, with a possible prolongation by further periods of up to six months. If the Commission decides not to adopt such an act, it has to present a report explaining the reasons why it did not propose the measure. If after two years from the notification the third country is still requiring visas from citizens of one or more Member States, the Commission shall adopt a delegated act to re-impose the visa obligation on all citizens of the third country, for a period of 12 months. Either the European Parliament or the Council could oppose the entry into force of the delegated acts. [126] All of the states that implement the common visa rules – including Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania – may notify the European Commission about non-compliant third states. [127]
According to a report from April 2015, [128] the Commission dismissed notifications by both Bulgaria and Romania of a general visa requirement by Australia. [129] It concluded that the Australian electronic visa 'manual processing' treatment should not be considered as equivalent to the Schengen visa application procedures and consequently will not be covered by the reciprocity mechanism. [128] In its previous report, [130] the Commission also committed to assessing certain provisions of the US electronic visa system — such as the application fee. In its previous report, [130] the Commission also committed to assessing certain provisions of the US ESTA system — such as the application fee — and the Australian eVisitor system.
The following countries require electronic registrations for all EFTA nationals:
The following countries provide visa on arrival to EFTA nationals. Some countries may not provide visa on arrival facilities at all entry points.
Visa on arrival for citizens of all EFTA states | Notes |
---|---|
Bahrain [131] | 14 days. BD 25. [132] |
Bangladesh [133] [134] | 30 days. Fees vary per country. Extensions are possible. [135] |
Burkina Faso | 1 month, extension possible. XOF 47,000 to XOF 61,000. [136] |
Cambodia [137] | 30 days. USD 20. [137] |
Cape Verde [138] [139] | EUR 25. [139] |
Comoros [140] [141] | 50 USD. EUR 30. [141] |
Djibouti [142] [143] | 1 month. EUR 75. [143] |
Egypt [144] [145] | 30 days. USD 25. [144] |
Guinea Bissau [146] | 90 days. EUR 85. [146] |
Indonesia | 30 days. USD 35. [147] |
Iran [148] | 30 days. EUR 30–80. [149] |
Jordan [150] [151] | 30 days. Free of charge. [152] [153] |
Kenya [154] | 3 months, extendable once. USD 50. [155] |
Kuwait | 3 months. KWD 3. [156] |
Laos [157] [158] | 30 days. USD 30. [159] |
Lebanon [160] [161] | 1 month extendable for 2 additional months. [162] |
Madagascar [163] | 30 days. Free of charge. [164] |
Malawi [165] | 30 days. Extendable up to 90 days. Fees vary. |
Maldives [166] | 30 days. Free of charge. Extendable up to 90 days, MVR 750. [167] |
Mauritania [168] | |
Mozambique [169] | 30 days, extendable up to 60 days.[ citation needed ] |
Nepal [170] [171] | 90 days. USD 25-100. [172] |
Oman [173] | 3 months. OMR 5-20. [174] |
Papua New Guinea | 60 days. Free of charge. [175] [176] |
Philippines | 59 days. USD 50. [177] |
Qatar [178] | 1 month. QAR 50-150. [179] |
Sri Lanka [180] [181] | 30 days, extendable up to 150 days. Fees vary. [180] |
Suriname [182] | 90 days. USD 20. [183] |
Tanzania [184] | USD 50 - USD 100. [185] |
Togo [186] | 7 days, extendable for 90 days. XOF 10,000-90,000. [186] |
Uganda [187] | USD 100. [188] |
Zambia [189] | 90 days. USD 50 - USD 80. [186] |
Zimbabwe | 3 months. USD 30 - USD 70. [190] |
Visa on arrival available to the citizens of some EFTA countries. Some countries may not provide visa on arrival facilities at all entry points. | ||
---|---|---|
Country | Visa on arrival available to citizens of | Notes |
Ethiopia [191] | Norway, Switzerland [192] | USD 20. [193] |
Marshall Islands | Iceland, Norway, Switzerland [194] | USD 100 |
The following countries provide electronic visas to EFTA nationals.
Electronic visas available to citizens of the EFTA states | Notes |
---|---|
Azerbaijan [203] | Available to all EFTA nationals. |
Bahrain [204] | Available to all EFTA nationals.Visa on arrival also available. |
Cambodia [205] | Available to all EFTA nationals. Visa on arrival also available. |
Gabon [206] | Available to all EFTA nationals. |
India [207] | Available to all EFTA nationals. |
Ivory Coast [208] | Available to all EFTA nationals. |
Kenya [209] | Available to all EFTA nationals. Visa on arrival also available. |
Kuwait [210] | Available to all EFTA nationals. Visa on arrival also available. |
Malawi [211] [212] [213] [214] | Available to all EFTA nationals. Visa on arrival also available. |
Myanmar [215] | Available to citizens of Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. |
Nepal [216] | Available to all EFTA nationals. Visa on arrival also available. |
Oman [217] | Available to all EFTA nationals. Visa on arrival also available. |
Russia [218] | Available to all EFTA nationals. |
Rwanda [215] [219] | Available to all EFTA nationals. |
São Tomé and Príncipe [220] | Available to all EFTA nationals. |
Sri Lanka [221] | Available to all EFTA nationals. Visa on arrival also available. |
Tajikistan [222] | Available to all EFTA nationals. Visa on arrival also available. |
Uganda [223] | Available to all EFTA nationals. Visa on arrival also available. |
Vietnam [224] | Available to the citizens of Norway. However, Norwegian citizens do not require a visa for visits up to 15 days. |
Zambia [225] | Available to all EFTA nationals. Visa on arrival also available. |
Zimbabwe [226] | Available to all EFTA nationals. Visa on arrival also available. |
All EFTA citizens must always arrange the visa prior to travel to (as of March 2017) the following countries.
Prearranged visa required for citizens of all EFTA states | Notes |
---|---|
Afghanistan | |
Algeria | |
Angola | |
Benin | |
Bhutan | |
Cameroon | |
Central African Republic | |
Chad | |
Republic of the Congo | |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
Cuba | Can be obtained in travel agencies or airlines. |
Equatorial Guinea | |
Eritrea | |
Ghana | |
Guinea | |
Iraq | Outside Iraqi Kurdistan |
Ivory Coast | |
North Korea | |
Liberia | |
Libya | |
Mali | |
Mongolia | |
Nauru | |
Niger | |
Nigeria | |
Russia | 15 days visa-free within the territory covered by the agreement for holders of a border traffic permit. (Eligible inhabitants of the border regions in Norway and Russia). [227] [228] [229] |
Saudi Arabia | |
Sierra Leone | |
South Sudan | |
Sudan | |
Syria | |
Turkmenistan | |
Uzbekistan | |
Yemen |
In addition to visa requirements for normal passport holders certain countries have specific visa requirements towards diplomatic and various official passport holders:
Country | Visa-free access |
---|---|
Iceland | Russia(diplomatic passports) |
Liechtenstein | Russia(diplomatic passports), Thailand(diplomatic or official passports), |
Norway | Azerbaijan(diplomatic passports), India(diplomatic passports), Kazakhstan(diplomatic passports), Mexico(diplomatic, official or service passports), Pakistan(diplomatic passports), Philippines(diplomatic, official or service passports), Russia(diplomatic passports), Turkey(diplomatic passports) |
Switzerland | Algeria(diplomatic or official passports), Angola(diplomatic passports), China(diplomatic passports), Cuba(diplomatic passports), India(diplomatic passports), Indonesia(diplomatic or service passports), Iran(diplomatic passports), Kazakhstan(diplomatic passports), Kuwait(diplomatic or official passports), Qatar(diplomatic or official passports), Russia(diplomatic passports), Thailand(diplomatic or official passports), Vietnam(diplomatic passports) |
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Mali and Zimbabwe grant visa-free access to holders of diplomatic or service passports issued to nationals of any country. Mauritania and Senegal grant visa-free access to holders of diplomatic passports issued to nationals of any country (except Italy for Mauritania). Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cambodia and South Sudan allow holders of diplomatic, official, service and special passports issued to nationals of any country to obtain a visa on arrival.
Many countries require a minimum number of blank pages to be available in the passport being presented, typically one or two pages. [239] 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 [240] to have a current International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, as does the South American territory of French Guiana. [241]
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. [242] [243]
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 [244] [245] or even accept passports that have already expired (but not been cancelled). [246]
Some countries, such as Japan, [247] Ireland and the United Kingdom, [248] 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, [249] 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, [250] Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru, [251] Philippines, [252] 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. [253]
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 [254] and South Africa.
Countries of the Schengen area require non-EU passports to be less than 10 years old upon entry. [255] A number of holders of British passports, which until September 2018 could be issued with a validity period of up to 10 years and nine months if the previous passport was not expired, were unable to travel to the EU subsequent to Brexit due to this restriction. [256]
Some countries, including Australia, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand and the United States, [257] 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 them from entering the country or expelling them if they have already entered. 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. [258]
Kuwait, [259] Lebanon, [260] Libya, [261] and Yemen [262] 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. [263]
Fingerprinting countries/regions include Afghanistan, [264] [265] Argentina, [266] Brunei, Cambodia, [267] China, [268] Ethiopia, [269] Ghana, Guinea, [270] India, Japan, [271] [272] Kenya (both fingerprints and a photo are taken), [273] Malaysia upon entry and departure, [274] Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, [275] Singapore, South Korea, [276] Taiwan, Thailand, [277] Uganda, [278] 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 its own legislation), [279] [280] [281] intends to implement facial recognition for passengers departing from international airports to identify people who overstay their visa. [282]
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 [283] and the United Arab Emirates conducts iris scanning on visitors who need to apply for a visa. [284] [285] The United States Department of Homeland Security has announced plans to greatly increase the biometric data it collects at US borders. [286] In 2018, Singapore began trials of iris scanning at three land and maritime immigration checkpoints. [287] [288]
Passport rankings by the number of countries and territories their holders could visit without a visa or by obtaining visa on arrival as of 5 October 2021 [update] were as follows: Swiss — 186 countries and territories (ranked 6th) Norwegian — 185 (7th); Icelandic — 180 (12th), and Liechtenstein — 178 (14th), according to the Henley Passport Index. [289]
EFTA member states' citizens enjoy freedom of movement in each other's territories in accordance with the EFTA convention. [1] EFTA nationals also enjoy freedom of movement in the European Union (EU). EFTA nationals and EU citizens and are not only visa-exempt but are legally entitled to enter and reside in each other's countries. The Citizens’ Rights Directive [2] (also sometimes called the "Free Movement Directive") defines the right of free movement for citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA), [3] which includes the three EFTA members Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein and the member states of the EU. Switzerland, which is a member of EFTA but not of the EEA, is not bound by the Directive but rather has a separate bilateral agreement on free movement with the EU.
As a result, de facto, a citizen of an EFTA country can live and work in all the other EFTA countries and in all the EU countries, and a citizen of an EU country can live and work in all the EFTA countries (but for voting and working in sensitive fields, such as government / police / military, citizenship is often required, and non-citizens may not have the same rights to welfare and unemployment benefits as citizens). [290]
As an alternative to holding a passport, a valid national identity card can also be used to exercise the right of free movement within EFTA [291] and the EU/EEA [2] [4] Travellers should still bring a passport or national identity card, as one may be required. Strictly speaking, it is not necessary for an EEA or Swiss citizen to possess a valid passport or national identity card to enter the EEA or Switzerland. In theory, if an EEA or Swiss citizen outside of both the EEA and Switzerland can prove his/her nationality by any other means (e.g. by presenting an expired passport or national identity card, or a citizenship certificate), he/she must be permitted to enter the EEA or Switzerland. An EEA or Swiss citizen who is unable to demonstrate his/her nationality satisfactorily must nonetheless be given 'every reasonable opportunity' to obtain the necessary documents or to have them delivered within a reasonable period of time or corroborate or prove by other means that he/she is covered by the right of free movement. [292] [293] [294]
However, EEA member states and Switzerland can refuse entry to an EEA/Swiss national on public policy, public security or public health grounds where the person presents a "genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat affecting one of the fundamental interests of society". [295] If the person has obtained permanent residence in the country where he/she seeks entry (a status which is normally attained after 5 years of residence), the member state can only expel him/her on serious grounds of public policy or public security. Where the person has resided for 10 years or is a minor, the member state can only expel him/her on imperative grounds of public security (and, in the case of minors, if expulsion is necessary in the best interests of the child, as provided for in the Convention on the Rights of the Child). [296] Expulsion on public health grounds must relate to diseases with 'epidemic potential' which have occurred less than 3 months from the person's the date of arrival in the Member State where he/she seeks entry. [297]
A family member of an EEA/Swiss citizen who is in possession of a residence permit indicating their status is exempt from the requirement to hold a visa when entering the European Economic Area or Switzerland when they are accompanying their EEA/Swiss family member or are seeking to join them. [298] However the UK requires family members to obtain a special permit in order to enter the United Kingdom. [299] Non-EEA family members will need a Schengen Visa before they travel to Switzerland even if they possess a UK residence permit that clearly mentions that they are the family member of an EEA citizen.
When in a foreign country, Norwegian and Icelandic citizens can seek help from the mission of any of the Nordic countries if their own country does not have a diplomatic mission in the country they are visiting. This is according to the Helsinki Treaty, which state that public officials in the foreign services of any of the Nordic countries are to assist citizens of another Nordic country if that country is not represented in the territory concerned. [300] [301]
The Principality of Liechtenstein maintains a very small network of diplomatic missions. Switzerland is representing Liechtenstein in those countries wherein Liechtenstein itself does not maintain consular representation. [302]
Visa requirements for Romanian citizens are the administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other territories affecting citizens of Romania. As of 2025, Romanian citizens have visa-free or visa on arrival access to 178 countries and territories, ranking the Romanian passport 15th in terms of travel freedom, according to the Henley Passport Index.
Visa requirements for Turkish citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Turkey.
Visa requirements for Japanese citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Japan.
Visa requirements for Swedish citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Sweden.
Visa requirements for Danish citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the Kingdom of Denmark as a sovereign state comprising the three constituent countries: Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Visa requirements for Argentine citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Argentina.
Visa requirements for Chilean citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Chile entering with a Chilean passport.
Visa requirements for Dutch citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the Netherlands, the joint nationality of the four countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Visa requirements for Filipino citizens are administrative entry restrictions imposed on citizens of the Philippines by the authorities of other territories.
Visa requirements for Singapore citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states which are imposed on citizens of Singapore.
Visa requirements for New Zealand citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of New Zealand.
Visa requirements for Luxembourg citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Luxembourg.
Visa requirements for Swiss citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Switzerland.
Visa requirements for Icelandic citizens are administrative entry restrictions imposed on citizens of Iceland by the authorities of other states.
Visa requirements for Norwegian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Norway.
Visa requirements for Uruguayan citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Uruguay.
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, but do not have enough ties with the United Kingdom to be British Citizens.
Visa requirements for Jamaican citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Jamaica. As of 2024, Jamaican citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 89 countries and territories, ranking the Jamaican passport 55th, tied with Guyanese passport and Nauruan passport in terms of travel freedom according to Henley Passport Index.,
Visa requirements for Liechtenstein citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Liechtenstein. As of October 2024, Liechtenstein citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 182 countries and territories, ranking the Liechtenstein passport 12th in terms of travel freedom overall, and the lowest of the EFTA member states, according to the Henley Passport Index.
Visa requirements for European Union citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other countries placed on citizens of the European Union. They differ among countries. The European Union has achieved full reciprocity with certain countries.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}
: |last=
has generic name (help)The number of remaining blank pages a passport should have is also an issue. Some travellers have reported arriving with one or less than one full page left and waiting for hours at immigration, until an official reluctantly grants them entry. The FCO lists no hard and fast rules because, in many cases, there aren't any.
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.
Passport valid for travel to the United States – Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States (unless exempt by country-specific agreements). Each individual who needs a visa must submit a separate application, including any family members listed in your passport.
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
Q: Do I need at least 6 months passport validity in order to enter Japan? A: 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 27 April 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.
Unlike with documents, it's very hard for a traveler to present a forged copy of a fingerprint or iris. That's why the U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to vastly expand the amount of biometric data it collects at the borders. According to Passcode, a new program will ramp up a process to scan fingers and eyes in order to stop people entering and exiting the country on someone else's passport.
Singapore has started scanning travellers' eyes at some of its border checkpoints, its immigration authority said on Monday, in a trial of expensive technology that could one day replace fingerprint verification.
The iris technology could potentially scan irises covertly, as opposed to the scanning of thumbprints which necessitates active participation.