Do I need a visa for United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom is not in the Schengen Area or the European Union. A Schengen visa does not admit you to the UK, and time spent in the UK does not count against your Schengen days.
Now pick the passport you travel on.
Entry rules by passport
Select your nationality for the full answer: stay length, passport validity, pre-registration and how to apply.
These links go to our partner Evisa Express. trip1 earns a commission if you apply through one, at no extra cost to you. You can always apply directly with the government instead.
Need a visa for United Kingdom?
Apply through our partner Evisa Express. Forms, fees and government submission are handled, with status updates until it is approved.
trip1 earns a commission if you apply through this link. It costs you nothing extra.
What to do next
The part most visa checkers leave out: what actually needs doing before you fly.
Confirm with the official source
Rules change without notice, and only the immigration authority of United Kingdom can tell you where you stand. Search for its official site before you travel.
Check your passport
Passport validity required: valid for period of stay. Renew first if you are close, because this is the most common reason travellers are turned away.
Check the rule for your own passport
What United Kingdom asks for depends on the passport you travel on, and the table above differs from row to row. Open your nationality for the stay length, the validity required and whether anything has to be applied for.
Good to know about United Kingdom
Treat Britain and mainland Europe as two separate permissions on the same trip.
The Common Travel Area covers movement between the UK and Ireland and is separate from anything on this page.
Common questions
Entry to United Kingdom, answered from the same rules the table shows.
On the 20 most-checked passports listed above, yes: every one has to arrange something before travelling to United Kingdom. The table gives the exact document each nationality needs.
Valid for period of stay. Renew before you travel if you are close to that, because it is one of the most common reasons travellers are refused boarding — by the airline, before they ever reach the border.
Not for any of the 20 most-checked passports listed above. Nationalities outside that list may still be offered one, so check the rule for the passport you hold.
Not for any of the 20 most-checked passports listed above. Nationalities outside that list may still have one available.
No separate arrival registration is listed for United Kingdom. Your airline may still ask for advance passenger information, which is not the same thing and is handled at check-in.
Once you are in United Kingdom
Where trip1 travellers go, and what to read before you book.
- 15 Top Attractions & Things to Do in London, England
- Edinburgh in October: Autumn Walks, Whisky and Weather
- 5 Best Things to Do in Edinburgh During Halloween
- 5 Best Things to Do in London During Bonfire Night
- London in October: Weather, Art Fairs and Autumn Parks
- 5 Best Things to Do in London During the BFI London Film Festival
Travelling somewhere else?
Check any passport against any destination
🇬🇧 United Kingdom travel guide
