Visa policy in the European Union

A specimen Schengen visa. A Schengen visa, in general, permits the holder to travel throughout the 26 countries in the Schengen Area

Twenty-two European Union member states are part of the Schengen Area and have a uniform visa policy. In addition, four countries outside the European Union - Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland - adopt the same uniform visa policy as they are also part of the Schengen Area.

Three EU member states — Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania — are not yet part of the Schengen Area, but nonetheless have a visa policy that is based on the Schengen acquis.

Two EU member states — Ireland and the United Kingdom — are not part of the Schengen Area, instead operating a travel zone known as the Common Travel Area. The two countries each operate separate visa policies which are different from that of the Schengen Area.

Citizens of all EEA member states, (EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Switzerland are not only visa-exempt, but are legally entitled to enter and reside in each other's countries. Their right to the freedom of movement in each other's countries can, however, be limited in a small number of situations.

The below lists cover the visa requirements for regular passport holders only. Individual countries may allow some holders of official (service or diplomatic) passport holders visa-free access, whilst requiring visas from regular passport holders (or the reverse, albeit a much rarer scenario). The rules relating to visa requirements for official passport holders have not been unified (even within countries that have fully implemented the Schengen acquis).

Freedom of movement

Main article: Directive 2004/38/EC on the right to move and reside freely

Citizens of all European Union member states, the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and Switzerland holding a valid passport or national identity card enjoy freedom of movement rights in each other's territory and can enter and reside in the each other's territory without a visa.

If EU, EEA and Swiss nationals are unable to present a valid passport or national identity card at the border, they must nonetheless be afforded every reasonable opportunity to obtain the necessary documents or have them brought to them within a reasonable period of time or corroborate or prove by other means that he/she is covered by the right of free movement.

However, EU, EEA member states and Switzerland can refuse entry to an EU/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". 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). 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.

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizen Family members

A family member of an EU/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 Union, European Economic Area or Switzerland when they are accompanying their EU/EEA/Swiss family member or are seeking to join them. However the UK requires family members to obtain a special permit in order to enter the United Kingdom.

Schengen Area, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania

Schengen Area visa lists

  Schengen member states

  Other EU members and special territories of EU and Schengen members

  Visa-free access to the Schengen states for 90 days in a 180 day period, except for New Zealand citizens, who enjoy longer visa-free access in some circumstances (EC 539/2001 Annex II)

  Visa required to enter the Schengen states (EC 539/2001 Annex I)

  Visa required for transit via the Schengen states (EC 810/2009 Annex IV)

  Passport not accepted

  Visa status unknown

Starting from 2001, the European Commission issues two lists regarding visas for the Schengen Area: a white list of countries whose nationals do not require visas (Annex II) and a black list of countries whose nationals do require visas (Annex I). The two lists are also adopted by Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania, even though the three countries are not yet part of the Schengen Area.

Visa exemptions

Individuals in the following categories can enter the Schengen Area, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Romania without a visa:

As of right

• Citizens of European Union member states
• Citizens of non-EU member states of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and Switzerland

If EU, EEA and Swiss nationals are unable to present a valid passport or national identity card at the border, they must nonetheless be afforded every reasonable opportunity to obtain the necessary documents or have them brought to them within a reasonable period of time or corroborate or prove by other means that he/she is covered by the right of free movement.

Family members of EU, EEA and Swiss citizens

An individual can enter the Schengen Area as a whole for up to 90 days without a visa if he/she:

• holds a valid travel document, and
• possesses a residence permit indicating either "family member of an EU citizen" or "family member of an EEA or CH citizen", and
• is travelling together with or joining an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen family member.

A family member of an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen satisfying the above conditions can also enter Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania and stay for up to 90 days in each country.

In theory, a family member of an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen who does not fulfil the above conditions does not have to apply for a visa in advance, and can instead obtain a visa on arrival at the border checkpoint of a Schengen country, Bulgaria, Cyprus or Romania by presenting evidence of the familial relationship.

Citizens of 'Annex II' countries and territories

• Citizens of the following countries and territories holding ordinary passports:

Albania Andorra Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Australia Bahamas Barbados Bosnia and Herzegovina Brazil Brunei Canada

Chile Costa Rica Croatia El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Hong Kong Israel Japan Macau Macedonia

Malaysia Mauritius Mexico Monaco Montenegro New Zealand Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Saint Kitts and Nevis San Marino

Serbia Seychelles Singapore South Korea Taiwan United States Uruguay Vatican City Venezuela

The above Annex II nationals (except for New Zealand citizens) can enter the Schengen Area as a whole for pleasure or for business without the need to apply for a visa for a maximum of 90 days in a 180 day period. New Zealand citizens, however, can spend up to 90 days in each of Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland (as well as Hungary if visiting it as the final Schengen destination) without reference to time spent in other Schengen signatory states, but if travelling to other Schengen countries the 90 days in a 180 day period time limit applies. In addition, above the framework of the Schengen visa exemption of 90 days in a 180 day period, Argentine, Brazilian, Chilean, Costa Rican, Croatian, Israeli, Malaysian, South Korean and Uruguayan citizens are permitted to spend an extra 3 months visa-free in the Czech Republic. Similarly, above the framework of the Schengen visa exemption of 90 days in a 180 day period, Australian, Brazilian, Canadian, Chilean, Israeli, Japanese, Malaysian, Singaporean, South Korean and United States citizens are permitted to spend an extra 90 days visa-free in Denmark.

The above Annex II nationals can also enter Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania without a visa for a maximum of 90 days in a 180 day period in each of these countries. The visa-free time restrictions for each of these countries is calculated separately (as well as being separate to the Schengen Area visa-free time restriction).

Although all Annex II nationals can enter Schengen countries, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania visa-free for pleasure or for business, individual countries can decide to impose a visa requirement on those who wish to enter to work (i.e. to carry out a 'paid activity'). The table at the end of the article indicates which individual countries permit Annex II nationals to work during their visa-free stay.

To be able to enter the Schengen Area without a visa, the above Annex II nationals are required to have a valid travel document, have sufficient funds for their stay and onward/return journey, justify the purpose and conditions of their stay, not be listed in the Schengen Information System as someone to be refused entry and not be considered as a threat to public policy, internal security, public health or the international relations of any Schengen country.

In addition, British overseas territories citizens holding Bermudian passports can enter France and Norway without a visa for up to 90 days (but must obtain a visa if visiting other Schengen countries).

Classes of British nationality

British citizens and Gibraltarians are considered to be EU citizens and are visa exempt as of right. Holders of British National (Overseas) passports – a passport available to individuals with a connection to the former British Hong Kong – are exempt from visa requirements as Annex II nationals, but other classifications of British nationals are not exempt and require a visa. These are:

• British Overseas Territories citizens other than Gibraltarians without the right of abode in the UK (those related solely to Akrotiri and Dhekelia)
• British Overseas citizens
• British subjects without the right of abode in the UK
• British protected persons

School pupils resident in the EU, EEA and Switzerland

A school pupil who is not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, but who legally resides in the EU, EEA or Switzerland, can enter the Schengen Area, Bulgaria, Cyprus and/or Romania without a visa for a short stay or transit if:

• he/she is travelling as a member of a group of school pupils from a general education school, and
• the group is accompanied by a teacher from the school, and
• the teacher can present a 'List of Travellers' form identifying the pupils on the trip, the purpose and circumstances of the intended stay/transit.

Even though a school pupil fulfilling all of the above conditions is exempt from having to obtain a visa to enter the Schengen Area, Bulgaria, Cyprus and/or Romania, he/she is nonetheless required to have a valid travel document. However, he/she is exempt from having to carry a valid travel document if:

• a photograph of him/her is included in the 'List of Travellers' form, and
• the responsible authority in the member state where he/she resides endorses the 'List of Travellers' form to confirm his/her residence status and his/her right to re-entry.

School pupils resident in Annex II countries and territories

School pupils travelling in the context of a school excursion as members of a group of school pupils accompanied by a teacher from the school in question who reside in an Annex II country/territory, but hold the nationality of an Annex I country/territory, are granted visa-free entry to Cyprus, Germany, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden, but not other Schengen countries.

Note that school pupils (of any nationality and resident in any country) who require a visa for the Schengen Area, Bulgaria, Cyprus and/or Romania and who are visiting for the purpose of study and/or educational training are waived the visa application fee (but are still required to submit the relevant supporting documents).

Refugees and stateless persons resident in Annex II countries and territories

Refugees and stateless persons who are legally resident in an Annex II country/territory and hold a travel document issued by the competent authorities in their country/territory of residence can enter Germany, Hungary and Slovenia visa-free. For Germany, the visa exemption only applies if the travel document is issued in accordance with the rules in the Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons. Refugees (but not stateless persons) legally resident in Annex II countries holding a travel document issued by the competent authorities in their country of residence can also enter Slovakia visa-free. However, these visa exemptions do not apply at all to refugees and stateless persons seeking visa-free entry into Germany, Hungary and/or Slovakia who reside in Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Mauritius, Montenegro, Serbia or Seychelles. In addition, refugees residing in the United States and holding a travel document issued by the American authorities can enter Belgium and the Netherlands without a visa.

Holders of local border traffic permits

Schengen countries are authorised by virtue of the EU regulation no 1931/2006 to conclude bilateral agreements with neighbouring third countries to introduce a local border traffic permit scheme. Such permits are a type of multiple-entry visa in the form of a passport sticker or a card containing the holder's name and photo, as well as a statement that its holder is not authorised to move outside the border area and that any abuse shall be subject to penalties. The border area may include any administrative district within 30 kilometres from the external border (and, if any district extends beyond that limit, the whole district up to 50 kilometres from the border). The applicant for the permit has to show legitimate reasons to frequently cross an external land border under the local border traffic regime. The validity of the permit can be up to five years.

Holders of local border traffic permits are able to spend up to 3 months every time they enter the border area of the Schengen country which has issued the permit (this time limit is far more generous than the '90 days in a 180 day period' normally granted to third-country nationals visiting the Schengen Area).

A local border traffic permit scheme has been implemented in Hungary, Poland and Slovakia for Ukrainian citizens, is being implemented or negotiated in Poland and Lithuania regarding Belarus and the Kaliningrad area, and has also been implemented in a 30 km border zone between Norway and Russia in 2012. See Schengen Area#Local border traffic at external borders.

The is also a tendency of especially Finland to allow more and more one-year multiple-entry visas to Russians. There are plans in EU to allow up to 5 year validity on multiple-entry visas for Russians, partly to relieve work load at embassies.

Obtaining a visa

If a traveller cannot benefit from one of the visa exemptions listed above, he or she must take the following steps to obtain a Schengen visa:

• He or she must first identify which Schengen country is the main destination. This determines the State responsible for deciding on the Schengen visa application and therefore the embassy, high commission or the consulate where the traveller will have to lodge the application. If the main destination cannot be determined, the traveller should file the visa application at the embassy, high commission or consulate of the Schengen country of first entry. If the Schengen State of the main destination or first entry does not have a diplomatic mission or consular post in his country (or consular district), the traveller must contact the embassy or the consulate of another Schengen country, normally located in the traveller's country (or consular district), which represents, for the purpose of issuing Schengen visas, the country of the main destination or first entry.
• Some Schengen member state embassies, high commissions and consulates require visa applicants to obtain an appointment in advance.
• In certain countries, the embassy, high commission or the consulate where the traveller has to lodge his or her visa application may have appointed an external service provider (e.g. VFS Global) to collect and return visa applications. Often, the external service provider will collect an additional service charge on top of the Schengen visa application fee. However, if an embassy, high commission or consulate of a Schengen member state decides to appoint an external service provider, it is obliged to retain the option for visa applicants to continue to lodge applications directly at the embassy/high commission/consulate rather than through the external service provider. According to instructions from the European Commission, visa applicants must have a 'genuine choice' between using an external service provider and applying directly at the relevant Schengen member state embassy/high commission/consulate. Specifically, this means that the waiting time to obtain an appointment directly at the embassy/high commission/consulate must not be so long in comparison with the waiting time to obtain an appointment through the external service provider so as to render direct access to the embassy/high commission/consulate 'impossible in practice'. In addition, visa applicants must be clearly told by both the embassy/high commission/consulate and the external service provider that they have the choice either to apply directly at the embassy/high commission/consulate or to use the external service provider, as well as the fact (if applicable) that the external service provider charges an additional service fee.
• The traveller must then present the Schengen visa application to the responsible embassy, high commission or consulate (or its appointed external service provider). The application cannot be submitted more than three months before the date he or she intends to enter the Schengen Area. An application form is to be submitted (all Schengen countries issue Schengen visa application forms in a harmonised, uniform format in a variety of languages), together with a valid passport/travel document and, if necessary, the documents supporting the purpose and conditions of the stay in the Schengen Area (aim of the visit, duration of the stay, lodging). The traveller will also have to prove his or her means of subsistence, i.e., the funds available to cover, on the one hand, the expenses of the stay, taking into account its duration and the destination, and, on the other hand, the cost of the return to the home country. Certain embassies or consulates sometimes call the applicant to appear in person in order to explain verbally the reasons for the visa application.
• Some embassies, high commissions and consulates may require applicants to provide biometric identifiers (typically fingerprints and a digital photograph) as part of the visa application process to be stored on the Visa Information System (VIS). Biometric identifiers are not collected from children under the age of 12.
• Finally, the traveller must have travel insurance that covers, for a minimum of €30,000, any expenses incurred as a result of emergency medical treatment or repatriation for health reasons. The proof of the travel insurance must in principle be provided at the end of the procedure, i.e. when the decision to grant the Schengen visa has already been made.
• If the visa application is 'admissible' (i.e. it has been submitted to the embassy/high commission/consulate of the correct Schengen member state), a decision must be given within 15 calendar days of the date on which the application was lodged. Where further scrutiny of the application is required or where the embassy/high commission/consulate receiving the application is representing another Member State, the decision must be given within 30 calendar days of the date on which the application was lodged. Exceptionally, where additional documentation is required, the decision must be given within 60 calendar days of the date on which the application was lodged.

It is possible, exceptionally, to obtain a single-entry Schengen visa valid for up to 15 days on arrival at the border if the individual can prove that he/she was unable to apply for a visa in advance due to time constraints arising out of 'unforeseeable' and 'imperative' reasons as long as he/she fulfils the regular criteria for the issuing of a Schengen visa. However, if the individual requesting a Schengen visa at the border falls within a category of people for which it is necessary to consult one or more of the central authorities of other Schengen States, he/she may only be issued a visa at the border in exceptional cases on humanitarian grounds, on grounds of national interest or on account of international obligations (such as the death or sudden serious illness of a close relative or of another close person). In 2011, over 106,000 Schengen visas were issued to travellers on arrival at the border.

The fee for a Schengen visa application is set at €60. Children between the ages of 6 and 11 (inclusive) pay a visa fee of €35, as do Georgian, Moldovan, Russian and Ukrainian passport holders. Children under the age of 6, students and teachers undertaking a stay for the purpose of study or educational training, certain scientific researchers and representatives aged 25 or under of non-profit organisations attending events organised by non-profit organisations have their visa fee completely waived. If the visa fee is being charged in the local currency (rather than in Euros), the Schengen member state embassy/high commission/consulate should review the exchange rate used at least every two weeks.

Consular staff, external service providers' staff and border guards are not permitted to discriminate against visa applicants on the basis of their race, sex, ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.

A Schengen visa is only valid for the Schengen Area. For individuals who require a visa for Bulgaria, Cyprus and/or Romania, a separate Bulgarian/Cypriot/Romanian visa has to be obtained. Note that holders of a Schengen visa can enter Bulgaria for up to 90 days in a 180 day period and/or transit through Romania for up to 5 days during the validity of their Schengen visa without having to apply for Bulgarian and/or Romanian visas. However, holders of Bulgarian, Cypriot or Romanian visas need to apply for a Schengen visa to enter the Schengen Area.

A different procedure applies to long-stay visas issued by Schengen countries, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania for stays of more than 3 months (see below).

Unrecognised travel documents

As the following travel documents are not recognised by any Schengen country, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania, visas are not endorsed inside the travel documents.

• Northern Cypriot passport
• Sahrawi passport
• Camouflage and fantasy passports

In addition, the following entities are not recognised as sovereign states by any Schengen country, Bulgaria, Cyprus or Romania. As such, passports issued by them are not recognised as valid travel documents by any Schengen country, Bulgaria, Cyprus or Romania, and visas will not be attached to such passports.

• Abkhazian passport
• Nagorno-Karabakh passport
• Somaliland passport
• South Ossetian passport
• Transnistrian passport

Airport transit

In general, a passenger who transits through an airport in the Schengen Area, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania while remaining airside will not require a visa.

However, on 5 April 2010, common visa requirements for airport transit were introduced by the European Union. At present, citizens of the following 12 countries are required to hold an airport transit visa (ATV) when transiting through any airport in the Schengen Area, Bulgaria, Cyprus or Romania, even they remain airside:

Afghanistan Bangladesh Democratic Republic of the Congo

Eritrea Ethiopia Ghana

Iran Iraq Nigeria

Pakistan Somalia Sri Lanka

However, citizens of the above 12 countries are exempt from airport transit visas if they:

• hold a Schengen visa, a national long-stay visa or a residence permit issued by an EU member state,
• hold certain residence permits issued by Andorra, Canada, Japan, San Marino or the United States guaranteeing the holder's unconditional readmission to that country,
• hold a valid visa for an EU member state or for a member of the European Economic Area Agreement, Canada, Japan or the United States of America, or when they return from those countries after having used the visa,
• are family members of an EU citizen,
• hold a diplomatic passport, or
• are flight crew members whose state of nationality is a party to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.

Additionally, individual Schengen countries can impose airport transit visa requirements for nationals of other countries in urgent cases of mass influx of illegal immigrants. Eleven countries (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Poland, Malta, Romania, Slovenia, and Sweden) currently do not use this provision and have no additional requirements. As Liechtenstein has indicated not to accept flights originating outside the Schengen Area, airport transit visa requirements are not relevant there. Airport transit visa requirements are not relevant in Norway because no airport in the country has international airside transit facility. The other Schengen countries require airport transit visas for nationals from up to 23 (in the case of France) additional countries (See the table below).

Additional nationalities that are subject to the airport transit visa requirement in some Schengen countries

Country	Additional nationals required to have an ATV	Reference
Belgium Netherlands Luxembourg	Angola, Colombia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Nepal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria (also Gambia for The Netherlands only)
Czech Republic	Algeria, Chad, Egypt, India, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Palestinian National Authority, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Yemen
Cyprus	Turkey
Estonia	Angola, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Syria and Togo	None of these countries has been registered with the EU.
France	Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Congo (Republic), Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, India, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Peru, Russia, Senegal, Sudan, Syria and Togo, as well as holders of Palestinian refugee travel documents	,
Germany	Burma, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Mali, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Turkey
Greece	South Sudan, Sudan and Syria
Hungary	Cameroon, Guinea, Lebanon, Liberia, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan, Syria	None of these countries has been registered with the EU.
Italy	Colombia, Senegal and Syria
Lithuania	North Korea and Sudan
Portugal	Guinea and Senegal
Spain	Angola, Cuba, Djibouti, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Syria and Togo
Switzerland	Cameroon and Turkey

Non-ordinary passports

Unlike the common Schengen rules for ordinary passports there are no common black, white and transit lists for holders of diplomatic, service and other official passports and each state has different policy on these.

Recent Changes (2009-2011)

Changes to the entries on Annex I (list of visa nationals) and Annex II (list of visa-exempt nationals) are regularly considered by the Council of the European Union based on advice from the individual member states. The Council then proposes draft legislation which has to be approved by the European Parliament.

The Balkan countries of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia were added to Annex II on 19 December 2009, from which point on their citizens can enter the Schengen Area, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania without a visa when travelling with biometric passports.

On 8 November 2010, the Council of the European Union decided to introduce visa-free travel for citizens of Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina holding biometric passports. The decision entered into force on 15 December 2010.

On 25 November 2010, the Council of the European Union decided to approve visa-free travel for holders of Taiwan passports that contain an identity card number (indicating the right of abode in Taiwan). Visa requirements were dropped on 11 January 2011. The same legislation removed the entry of the Northern Mariana Islands from the visa list as there is no Northern Mariana Islands citizenship and those with a citizenship connection to the island have United States citizenship.

Future changes

On 22 November 2010, the European Council and Ukraine announced "an action plan for Ukraine toward the establishment of a visa-free regime for short-stay travel". On 24 January 2011, Moldova officially received a similar "action plan" from the EU's Internal Affairs Commissioner. On 14 June 2012, Kosovo received a roadmap for visa liberalisation with the EU. An action plan on visa liberalisation with Georgia was launched on 25 February 2013.

On 15 December 2011, in a statement given after an EU-Russia summit, the President of the European Commission confirmed the launch of “Common Steps towards visa-free travel” with Russia.

According to the Soysal decision from 19 February 2009, the European Court of Justice decided that Turkish citizens may enter to render services within the European Union without a visa. In its judgement, the Court ruled that Article 41(1) of the Additional Protocol signed between Turkey and the EU on 23 November 1970 obliges EU member states to refrain from introducing further restrictions on the freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide services. On the other hand, the Court emphasized that since the Schengen visa requires additional charges and costs, it constitutes a new restriction. The EU Commissioner of Interior Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom indicated on 29 September 2011 that the visa requirement for Turkish citizens will eventually be discontinued. Visa liberalization will be ushered in several phases. Initial changes are expected in the fall of 2011 which will include the reduction of visa paperwork, more multi-entry visas, and extended stay periods. In June 2012, the EU authorized the beginning of negotiations with Turkey on visa exemptions for its citizens. Turkish EU Minister Egemen Bağış stated that he expected the process to take 3–4 years.

On 7 November 2012, the European Commission announced a proposal to introduce visa-free travel for citizens from 16 island nations — 5 from the Caribbean (Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago), 10 from the Pacific (Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu) and Timor-Leste. In addition, the European Commission proposed to introduce visa-free travel for citizens of British overseas territories, such as Bermuda and the Turks and Caicos Islands (it should be noted that citizens of all British overseas territories, with the exception of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, are entitled to full British citizenship, which gives them the right to freedom of movement in the Schengen Area, and so the proposal would simply mean that they can use either their British citizen or British overseas territories citizen passport to enter the Schengen Area visa-free). If approved by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, the proposal would result in closer harmonisation of the Schengen Area and UK visa lists (since citizens of all 16 of the proposed countries, as well as all British overseas territories, are already granted visa-free entry to the UK).

Some countries, including Sweden and Germany, suggested in late 2012 that visas should be reintroduced for Serbian and Macedonian citizens due to the significant increase in the number of applications for asylum from these countries, predominantly by Romani.

Some European Union member states, including Italy and Spain, supports visa-free travel for citizens of United Arab Emirates.

Reciprocity

A clickable Euler diagram showing the relationships between various multinational European organisations.v • d • e

It is a political goal of the European Union to achieve freedom from visa requirements for citizens of the European Union at least in foreign countries whose citizens may enter the Schengen Area without a visa (i.e. Annex II countries and territories).

Where an Annex II country or territory does not grant visa-free entry to all European Union citizens, the European Commission enters into negotiations with the relevant authorities in that country to abolish the visa requirements imposed on some EU citizens in order to achieve reciprocity. The European Commission involves the EU member state concerned in the negotiations, and has to frequently report on the mutuality situation to the European Parliament and the Council. The Commission may recommend the temporary restoration of the visa requirement for nationals of the Annex II country in question.

The European Commission has dealt with the question of mutuality of the abolishment of visa requirements towards third countries on the highest political level. With regards to Mexico, Costa Rica and New Zealand, it already has achieved complete mutuality. With respect to Canada, the Commission has achieved visa-free status for all members except Bulgaria, Romania and more recently the Czech Republic due to the influx of Czech nationals seeking refugee status in Canada. With respect to the U.S., it is optimistic about new legislation modifying the Visa Waiver Program but "reserves the right to propose retaliatory measures if expected progress towards full visa reciprocity fails to materialise in good time."

Reciprocity is sought from all Annex II countries and territories. That means that the EU expects that these countries offer visa-free access for 90 days to all EU citizens and to the citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. When this is not the case, the affected Schengen member state is expected to notify the European Commission, so that the EC takes an appropriate action - negotiate with the Annex II state or remove it from the Annex II list. All of the states that implement the Schengen visa rules (including Norway, Iceland,Liechtenstein, Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus) with the exception of Switzerland have notified the European Commission about non-compliant third states. Switzerland has so far made no notifications, possibly because there are no reciprocity issues for Swiss citizens.

When the European Commission carried out its first visa reciprocity assessment on 1 May 2004 following the accession of 10 new Member States, the following Annex II countries and territories were found to offer fully reciprocal visa-free treatment to all EU citizens: Andorra, Argentina, Chile, Croatia, Holy See, Hong Kong SAR, Israel, Japan, Monaco and South Korea.

Since adoption of this policy full reciprocity has been achieved with the following countries (listed in order of achieving reciprocity): Nicaragua, Venezuela, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zealand, Israel, Malaysia, Paraguay, Panama, Singapore, Taiwan, Brazil and Brunei.

According to the seventh (and latest) report on visa reciprocity issued on 26 November 2012, the following countries are still not implementing it fully:

• Australia: The European Commission has yet to evaluate for compliance the eVisitor system of Australia which covers all member states, but for which certain application provisions will be assessed.
• Brunei: Full reciprocity was achieved in 2011 for EU citizens, and after subsequent European Commission request in 2012 for Norway, Iceland and Switzerland citizens. The Commission now intends to formally request Brunei to extend the period of visa free stay to 90 days also for Liechtenstein citizens in order to achieve full reciprocity for all Schengen area signatory countries' citizens.
• Canada: Bulgarian, Czech and Romanian citizens are still required to apply for visas to enter Canada. This was an important setback to the visa reciprocity policy because Canada reintroduced a visa requirement for Czechs on 13 July 2009.
• Japan: Currently all EU citizens enjoy visa-free access to Japan. For Romanian citizens a first temporary waiver was enacted in 2009 and an extension of the waiver is in effect until 31 December 2015.
• United States: Bulgarian, Cypriot, Polish and Romanian citizens are still required to apply for a visa to enter the US. Furthermore, certain provisions of the US ESTA system — such as the application fee — will be assessed.

Stays exceeding three months

For stays in the Schengen Area as a whole which exceed three months, as a general rule, a third-country national (i.e. a non-EU, EEA or Swiss national) will need to hold either a long-stay visa for a period of no longer than a year or a residence permit for longer periods. Similarly, a third-country national who wishes to stay for more than three months in Bulgaria, Cyprus or Romania will be required to hold a long-stay visa or a residence permit.

Although long-stay visas issued by Schengen countries, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania have the same uniform design, as a national visa, the procedures and conditions for issue are determined by each individual country. For example, whilst some Schengen countries (such as France) require applications for long-stay visas to be made in the applicant's home country, other Schengen countries permit applicants to lodge their applications after arrival. Some countries, such as Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands and Switzerland offer a hybrid regime, whereby third-country nationals are required to apply for long-stay visas in their home country, with the exception of a few nationalities who are permitted to apply for a residence permit directly upon arrival without having first to obtain a long-stay visa. For example, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands and Switzerland allow New Zealand citizens to apply for a residence permit upon arrival without having to apply for a long-stay visa in advance, but not South African citizens.

Long-stay visas issued by a Schengen country entitle the holder to enter the Schengen Area and remain in the territory of the issuing state for a period longer than three months, but no more than one year. If a Schengen state wishes to allow the holder of a long-stay visa remain there for longer than a year, the state must issue him or her with a residence permit.

The holder of a long-stay visa or a residence permit issued by a Schengen country is entitled to move freely within the other states which comprise the Schengen Area for a period of up to three months in any half year. Third-country nationals who are long-term residents in a Schengen state may also acquire the right to move to and settle in another Schengen state without losing their legal status and social benefits.

However, some third-country nationals are permitted to stay in the Schengen Area for more than three months without the need to apply for a long-stay visa. For example, France does not require citizens of Andorra, the Holy See, Monaco and San Marino to apply for a long-stay visa. In addition, Article 20(2) of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement allows for this 'in exceptional circumstances' and for bilateral agreements concluded by individual signatory states with other countries before the Convention entered into force to remain applicable. As a result, for example, New Zealand citizens are permitted to stay for up to 90 days in each of the Schengen countries (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) which had already concluded bilateral visa exemption agreements with the New Zealand Government prior to the Convention entering into force without the need to apply for long-stay visas, but if travelling to other Schengen countries the 90 days in a 180 day period time limit applies.

Example of residence permits issued by Austria conforming to the Schengen common design

• 

  Biometric card
• 

  Card
• 

  Vignette

United Kingdom

UK visa lists

  EU member states

  Special visa-free provisions (EEA, OCT or other)

  Visa-free access to the UK for 6 months

  Visa required to enter the UK, airside transit without visa, landside transit without visa if qualifying under the TWV exemption

  Visa required to enter the UK and for landside transit, airside transit without visa if qualifying under the DATV exemption

  Visa-status unknown

Visa exemptions

The following individuals can enter the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man without a visa:

As of right

• Citizens of Commonwealth countries who have the right of abode in the United Kingdom under the Immigration Act 1971
• Citizens of European Union member states
• Citizens of non-EU member states of the European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and Switzerland
• British Nationals (whether they have the right of abode in the UK or not) of the following categories:
  • British citizens
  • British Overseas Territories citizens
  • British National (Overseas)
  • British Overseas citizens
  • British protected persons
  • British subjects

Non-visa nationals

Citizens of the following countries and territories are visa-exempt for stays in the UK of up to 6 months (or 3 months if they enter from the Republic of Ireland) as long as they fulfil all of the following criteria:

• they do not work during their stay in the UK (although study is permitted as a 'student visitor')
• they must not register a marriage or register a civil partnership during their stay in the UK
• they can present evidence of sufficient money to fund their stay in the UK (if requested by the border inspection officer)
• they intend to leave the UK at the end of their visit and can meet the cost of the return/onward journey
• they have completed a landing card and submitted it at passport control (unless in direct transit to a destination outside the Common Travel Area)
• if under the age of 18, they can demonstrate evidence of suitable care arrangements and parental (or guardian's) consent for their stay in the UK

Andorra Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Australia Bahamas Barbados Belize Botswana Brazil Brunei Canada Chile Costa Rica Croatia Dominica

El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Honduras Hong Kong Israel Japan Kiribati Macau Malaysia Maldives Marshall Islands Mauritius Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of

Monaco Namibia Nauru New Zealand Nicaragua Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines San Marino Samoa Seychelles

Singapore Solomon Islands South Korea Taiwan Timor-Leste Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tuvalu United States Uruguay Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela

School pupils resident in the European Economic Area and Switzerland

School pupils who fulfil all of the following conditions can enter the UK without a visa:

• are not EU, EEA or Swiss citizens, and
• legally reside in a European Union member state, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, and
• are travelling to the UK as a member of an organised school group (the school must be a general education school, not a specialist institution), and
• the group is accompanied by a teacher from the school, and
• the pupils' details and the purpose of the journey is listed on the common format form endorsed by the school

Additional exemptions for Gibraltar

Visa nationals who fulfil one of the following criteria can enter Gibraltar without a visa:

• holders of a valid UK multiple entry visa issued for 12 months or more, regardless of category (not including residence permits), or
• holders of indefinite leave to remain in the UK, or
• holders of a Certificate of Entitlement to the Right of Abode in the UK
• Moroccan citizens holding valid Schengen multiple entry visas (for a stay of up to 21 days in Gibraltar)

Obtaining an entry visa

Travellers entering the UK, the Channel Islands, Gibraltar and/or the Isle of Man who do not qualify for one of the visa exemptions listed above have to apply for a visa in advance through the UK Border Agency at a British embassy, high commission or consulate. An applicant must lodge a visitor's visa application at a British embassy, high commission or consulate in a country/territory in which he/she has permission to stay (including temporary permission to stay as a visitor).

A visitor's visa for a single stay or multiple stays of up to 6 months costs £80. A multiple-entry visitor's visa valid for 2 years costs £278, 5 years £511 and 10 years £737.

In deciding whether to issue an applicant a long-term multiple-entry visitor's visa, the UK Border Agency takes into account the following factors:

• whether the applicant can show a frequent and sustained need to come to the UK (such as family links or an established business connection)
• whether the applicant's personal circumstances are likely to change significantly while the visa is valid
• whether the applicant can support himself/herself in the UK without public funds
• whether the applicant intends to leave the UK at the end of each visit
• the applicant's previous travel history as shown in a current valid passport (in particular, previous travel to Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Schengen countries and/or the United States on a valid visa is viewed favourably)

The UK Border Agency advises applicants obtaining a UK visa for the first time to apply for a short-term visitor's visa first, rather than a long-term multiple-entry visitor's visa.

Family members of EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who are not covered by one of the visa exemptions above can apply for an EEA Family Permit free of charge (instead of a visa).

Travellers applying for most types of UK visas (including a visitor's visa and an EEA Family Permit) are required to submit biometric identifiers (all fingerprints and a digital facial image) as part of the visa application process. However, children under the age of 5, diplomats, foreign government ministers and officials and members of Commonwealth Forces are exempt from the requirement to submit biometric identifiers. Applicants who have obtained a new passport and are merely requesting a transfer of their visa vignette from their old passport to their new passport are not required to re-submit biometric identifiers. In addition, applicants who are travelling directly to the Channel Islands or Gibraltar without passing through the UK or the Isle of Man are exempt from providing biometric information. Children aged 5–16 must be accompanied by an adult when their biometric identifiers are taken. Biometric identifiers may be shared by the UK Border Agency with foreign governments. Biometric identifiers are destroyed 10 years after the last date a person's fingerprints and digital facial image were captured.

The UK Border Agency aims to handle 90 per cent of non-settlement visa applications within 3 weeks, 98 per cent within 6 weeks and 100 per cent within 12 weeks of the application date.

Applicants resident in the following countries and territories who wish to enter the UK for 6 months or more are required to be tested for tuberculosis as part of the visa application process:

Afghanistan Angola Bangladesh Bhutan Bolivia Botswana Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad China Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Timor-Leste Ecuador Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Haiti Hong Kong India Indonesia Ivory Coast Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kyrgyzstan Laos Lesotho Liberia Macau Madagascar

Malawi Malaysia Mali Mauritania Federated States of Micronesia Moldova Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nepal Niger Nigeria North Korea Pakistan Papua New Guinea Peru Philippines Russia Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe

Senegal Sierra Leone Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea Suriname Swaziland Sudan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine Uzbekistan Vietnam Zambia Zimbabwe

After a person has successfully obtained a UK visa, if he/she subsequently obtains a new passport, but the UK visa in his/her old passport still has remaining validity, he/she is not required to have the UK visa vignette affixed in the old passport transferred to the new passport, but must be able to present both the new and old passports at passport control when entering the UK.

If a person who has successfully obtained a UK visa (lodging the application at a British embassy, high commission, consulate or visa application centre outside the UK) subsequently loses the passport in which the visa vignette is affixed (or if it is stolen), he/she has to pay the original visa fee in full again and may be required to show that his/her circumstances have not changed when applying for a replacement visa. However, a new 'confirmation of acceptance for studies' (CAS)/'certificate of sponsorship' (COS) is not required when applying for a replacement Tier 4/Tier 2 visa.

If a person who has successfully obtained a UK visa (lodging the application within the UK) subsequently loses the biometric residence permit (BRP) on which the visa was issued (or it is stolen), he/she must report this as soon as possible to the UK Border Agency by e-mail. If the BRP is lost/stolen whilst the person is in the UK, after reporting the loss/theft by e-mail, he/she must apply for a replacement BRP at a cost of £37 using form BRP(RC) within 3 months. If the BRP is lost/stolen whilst the person is outside the UK, after reporting the loss/theft by e-mail, he/she must apply for a 'Replacement BRP' visa at a cost of £72 at a British embassy, high commission, consulate or visa application centre which can be used once to return to the UK, and then apply for a replacement BRP at a cost of £38 using form BRP(RC) within 1 month after arriving back in the UK.

Transit

In general, a traveller does not need a visa for airside transit (i.e. transit through the UK if he/she arrives on a flight, remains in the arrival lounge of the airport without passing through immigration control, and then departs on another flight from the same airport to a destination outside the Common Travel Area).

For landside transit (i.e. arriving in the UK, passing through immigration control and then leaving the UK within 48 hours to a destination outside the Common Travel Area), in general a traveller who is a visa national (see above) must apply for a 'visitor in transit' visa in advance at a British embassy, high commission or consulate at a cost of £52 unless he/she qualifies for a 'transit without visa' exemption (TWV exemption).

However, citizens of the following countries must apply for a visa in advance at a British embassy, high commission or consulate at a cost of £52 to transit airside through a UK airport (unless they qualify for a direct airside transit visa exemption (DATV exemption)), and also must apply for a visa in advance if they wish to transit landside (and do not qualify for any exemption for landside transit):

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Bangladesh Belarus Bolivia Burma Burundi Cameroon China Colombia Democratic Republic of the Congo Congo Northern Cyprus

Ecuador Egypt Eritrea Ethiopia Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau India Iran Iraq Ivory Coast Jamaica Kenya Kosovo

Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Macedonia Malawi Moldova Mongolia Montenegro Nepal Nigeria Palestine Pakistan Rwanda Senegal

Serbia Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sri Lanka Sudan Swaziland Syria Tanzania Turkey Uganda Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zimbabwe

DATV and TWV exemptions

The exemption applies where travellers:

• arrive and depart by air, and
• the onward flight must be confirmed, and must depart within 24 hours of the arrival flight, and
• have proper documentation for their destination (including a visa for the destination country if necessary), and
• fulfil any one of the below conditions:

1. have a valid entry visa for Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, and a valid airline ticket for travel via the UK, as part of a journey to or from one of those countries, or
2. have a valid airline ticket for travel via the UK as part of a journey from Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, if you are transiting the UK no more than 6 months after the date when you last entered Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA with a valid entry visa for that country; or
3. have a valid USA I-551 permanent resident card issued on or after 21 April 1998; or
4. have an expired I-551 permanent resident card issued on or after 21 April 1998, accompanied by an I-797 extension letter issued by the Bureau of Citizenship; or
5. have a valid Canadian permanent resident card issued on or after 28 June 2002; or
6. have a valid Australian or New Zealand residence visa; or
7. have a valid uniform format category D visa for entry to a state in the European Economic Area (EEA); or
8. have a valid uniform format residence permit issued by an EEA state under Council Regulation (EC) number 1030/2002; or
9. have a valid UK residence card; or
10. have a valid EEA family permit issued by the UK government; or
11. have a diplomatic or service passport issued by China, India or Vietnam.

Review of visa exemptions

In March 2007, the Home Office announced that it would carry out its first Visa Waiver Test to review the list of countries and territories outside the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland whose nationals are exempt from holding a visa for the UK.

After carrying out the review, in July 2008, Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, and David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, announced to Parliament that the results of the test showed a 'strong case' for introducing visa regimes for 11 countries (Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Lesotho, Malaysia, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela) having taken into account the following factors (including the extent to which they were being addressed by the countries' authorities):

• Passport security and integrity
• The degree of co-operation over deportation or removal of the countries' nationals from the UK
• Levels of illegal working in the UK and other immigration abuse (such as fraudulent asylum claims)
• Levels of crime and terrorism risk posed to the UK

Following the July 2008 announcement, the UK Government entered into a 6 month period of 'detailed dialogue' with the governments of the 11 countries 'to examine how risks can be reduced in a way that obviates the need for a visa regime to be introduced'. In order to maintain visa-free access to the UK, the 11 countries had to 'demonstrate a genuine commitment to put into effect credible and realistic plans, with clear timetables, to reduce the risks to the UK, and begin real implementation of these plans by the end of the dialogue period'.

On 9 January 2009, the new visa rules announced required citizens of Bolivia, Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland to obtain a visa, and only Venezuelan nationals travelling on biometric passports with an electronic chip issued since 2007 could continue to enter the UK without a visa. The existing visa-free status for citizens of Botswana, Brazil, Malaysia, Mauritius, Namibia and Trinidad and Tobago was maintained.

Starting from 3 March 2009, a transitional regime was put in place until 30 June 2009 for South African citizens - those who held a valid South African passport and had previously entered the UK lawfully using that passport could continue to enter the UK without a visa, whilst all other South African citizens were required to apply for a visa. On the same day, Taiwan citizens were able to enter the UK without a visa. On 18 May 2009, Bolivian citizens were no longer able to enter the UK without a visa and Venezuelan citizens were required to present a biometric passport to enter the UK without a visa. On 1 July 2009, all South African citizens were required to apply for a visa to enter the UK. On the same day, citizens of Lesotho and Swaziland were required to apply for a visa to enter the UK.

On 30 March 2010, Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary, and David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, announced to Parliament that, having carried out a review of visa regimes in relation to Eastern Caribbean countries, 5 countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis and St Vincent and the Grenadines) would have their visa-free status maintained. At the same time, the UK Government would enter into a 6 month period of 'detailed dialogue' with the governments of 2 countries (Dominica and St Lucia), who would have to 'demonstrate a genuine commitment to put into effect credible and realistic plans, with clear timetables, to reduce the risks to the UK, and begin implementing these plans by the end of the dialogue period' to maintain their visa-free status. On 2 March 2011, Theresa May, the Home Secretary, and William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, announced to Parliament that the governments of Dominica and St Lucia 'have made concrete improvements to the immigration, border control and identity systems which would not have happened without the test', and so the visa-free status for the 2 countries would be maintained.

On 13 June 2011, new Immigration Rules were laid before Parliament that came into force on 4 July 2011 introducing a new streamlined application procedure (waiving the normal requirements to provide documentary evidence of maintenance and qualifications at the time of application) for some non-visa nationals from 'low-risk countries' who wish to study in the UK for more than 6 months and apply for Tier 4 entry clearance. The following 15 countries and territories were categorised as 'low-risk': Argentina, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago and the United States. Although the announcement did not relate to a Visa Waiver Test per se, it showed that the UK Border Agency considers some countries and territories in the list of visa-free nationalities to be lower risk than others. In particular, Trinidad and Tobago, which was considered to be a high-risk country from a visa regime perspective in 2008 when the Visa Waiver Test was carried out, was now viewed by the UK Border Agency as a low-risk country. On 5 September 2012, two more countries (Botswana and Malaysia) were added to the list of 'low-risk' nationalities for the purpose of Tier 4 entry clearance applications (taking effect on 1 October 2012). Again, although the announcement did not relate to a Visa Waiver Test per se, it showed that Botswana and Malaysia, which were both considered to be a high-risk countries from a visa regime perspective in 2008 when the Visa Waiver Test was carried out, were now viewed by the UK Border Agency as low-risk countries.

In March 2013, it was revealed that Theresa May, the Home Secretary, was considering removing Brazil from the list of visa-exempt nationalities due to concerns about illegal immigration, since Brazil is fifth in the top 10 of illegal immigrant nationalities in the UK according to Home Office figures for 2011, and is the only country on the list for which short-term visitors do not need a visa. However, the UK Government later decided to retain the visa exemption for Brazilian citizens, a decision which was seen as attempting to develop closer trading links with Brazil.

At present, although citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Israel, holders of Hong Kong SAR passports and Macao SAR passports are able to visit the UK without a visa for a stay of up to 6 months, if they decide to stay for more than 6 months and have been granted entry clearance permitting them to do so, they are required to register with the police at a cost of £34 within 7 days of arriving in the UK (or within 7 days of obtaining their visa if they apply within the UK). This suggests that citizens of these 5 countries and territories are considered to be higher-risk than other non-visa nationalities (who are not required to register with the police if they obtain a visa to stay in the UK for more than 6 months), although it should be noted that Argentina and Hong Kong are deemed to be 'low-risk' from a visa regime perspective for the purpose of Tier 4 student visa applications (see above).

Reciprocity

Main article: Visa requirements for British nationals

Of the 58 countries and territories outside the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland whose citizens are granted 6 months' visa-free access to the UK, the following offer full reciprocal treatment to British citizens: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Hong Kong, Macao, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Panama, San Marino and Vatican City.

Other countries and territories only offer partially reciprocal treatment to British citizens (i.e. visa-free access that is less than 6 months). The following countries permit British citizens to stay without a visa for up to 90 days (or 3 months) only: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Israel, Malaysia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela. (However, the United States requires British citizens to obtain an ESTA (at a cost of US$14) in advance if entering the US by air or by sea, whilst Australia requires British citizens to obtain an eVisitor authorisation online in advance free of charge, although the UK does not require Australian and US citizens to obtain an authorisation in advance.) The following countries and territories permit British citizens to stay without a visa for up to 90 days (although an extension is possible for a stay beyond 90 days): Botswana, Japan and Taiwan. The following countries also only offer partially reciprocal treatment: Belize (1 month), Fiji (4 months, extendable for an extra 2 months), Kiribati (30 days), Maldives (30 days), Marshall Islands (30 days), Mauritius (60 days for tourists, 90 days on business), Micronesia (30 days), Nauru (30 days), Palau (30 days), St Lucia (6 weeks), Samoa (60 days), Seychelles (1 month, extendable to 12 months), Tonga (31 days), Tuvalu (1 month) and Vanuatu (30 days).

Two countries whose citizens can enter the UK visa-free for up to 6 months require British citizens to obtain a visa: Papua New Guinea requires British citizens to obtain a visa on arrival that is valid for up to 60 days and costs PGK100 (tourist) or PGK500 (business); Timor-Leste requires British citizens to obtain a visa on arrival valid for up to 30 days at a cost of US$30.

Ireland

Ireland visa lists

  EU member states

  Special visa-free provisions (EEA, OCT or other)

  Visa-free access to Ireland for 90 days

  Visa required to enter Ireland, transit without visa

  Visa required to enter Ireland and for transit through Ireland

Visa exemptions

Citizens of the following countries and territories can enter Ireland without a visa:

As of right

• Citizens of European Union member states
• Citizens of non-EU member states of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and Switzerland

Visa-exempt

• Holders of a Residence Card of a family member of a Union citizen.
• British Overseas Territories citizens
• British National (Overseas)
• British Overseas citizens
• Holders of a red United Nations laissez-passer
• Citizens of the following countries and territories holding valid passports:
  

Andorra Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Australia Bahamas Barbados Belize Bolivia Botswana Brazil Brunei Canada Chile Costa Rica Croatia

Dominica El Salvador Fiji Grenada Guatemala Guyana Honduras Hong Kong Israel Japan Kiribati Lesotho Macau Malawi Malaysia

Maldives Mexico Monaco Nauru New Zealand Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Seychelles Singapore

Solomon Islands South Africa South Korea Swaziland Taiwan Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tuvalu United States Uruguay Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela

• Holders of a valid refugee travel document issued by one of the following countries:

Belgium Czech Republic Denmark Finland Germany

Iceland Italy Hungary Liechtenstein Luxembourg

Malta Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal

Romania Slovakia Spain Sweden Switzerland

(As of 1 November 2012 this list represents the countries which have ratified the European Agreement on the Abolition of Visas for Refugees and who have not suspended its operation.)

Visa Waiver Programme

Under a Visa Waiver Programme introduced in July 2011, citizens of the following 17 countries who hold a valid UK visa (limited to the following kinds: general visitor, child visitor, business visitor, sports visitor or academic visitor) and who have cleared immigration in the United Kingdom can visit Ireland visa-free for up to 90 days (or until the expiry of their UK visa, whichever is shorter). The programme is being run on a pilot basis and was originally due to expire on 31 October 2012 but was extended to 31 October 2016.

Bahrain Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina China India

Kazakhstan Kuwait Montenegro Oman

Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Serbia

Turkey Ukraine United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan

Citizens of the above 17 countries who hold a UK or Schengen long-term visa or residence permit still need to apply for an Irish visa, but will have the application fee waived.

Obtaining an entry visa

A traveller who does not qualify for one of the visa exemptions above is required to apply for an Irish visa in advance at an Irish embassy or consulate.

A single entry visa costs €60, whilst a multiple entry visa costs €100. However, spouses and certain family members of EEA and Swiss citizens are issued Irish visas free of charge.

All visa applicants aged 6 years and over, residing in Nigeria (irrespective of nationality) are required to submit their fingerprints as part of the visa application process.

Transit

In general, a passenger who transits through an Irish airport to a destination outside the Common Travel Area while remaining airside does not require a visa.

However, citizens of the following countries are required to apply for a transit visa at a cost of €25 in advance from an Irish embassy or consulate:

Afghanistan Albania Cuba Democratic Republic of the Congo

Eritrea Ethiopia Ghana Iran

Iraq Lebanon Moldova Nigeria

Somalia Sri Lanka Zimbabwe

Reciprocity

Main article: Visa requirements for Irish citizens

Of the 58 countries and territories outside the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland whose citizens are entitled to exercise free movement rights in Ireland, the following offer full reciprocal treatment to Irish citizens (i.e. visa-free access of at least 3 months): Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Lesotho, Macao, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela. However, the United States requires Irish citizens to obtain an ESTA (at a cost of US$14) in advance if entering the US by air or by sea, whilst Australia requires Irish citizens to obtain an eVisitor authorisation online in advance free of charge (Ireland does not require Australian and US citizens to obtain an authorisation prior to arriving in Ireland).

Other countries and territories only offer partially reciprocal treatment to Irish citizens (i.e. visa-free access that is less than 3 months). The following countries permit Irish citizens to stay without a visa for up to 30 days (or 1 month) only: Belize, Kiribati, Maldives, Nauru, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles (1 month, extendable to 12 months), Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Also, the following countries the following countries permit Irish citizens to stay without a visa for less than 3 months: Mauritius (60 days for tourists, 90 days on business), St Lucia (6 weeks), Samoa (60 days) and Swaziland (60 days).

French overseas departments, Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin

The French overseas departments of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion and the French overseas collectivities of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin are categorised as outermost regions of an EU member state and, hence, are part of the European Union. However, they are not part of the Schengen Area, but have nonetheless adopted visa policies similar to that of the Schengen acquis.

Visa exemptions

EU, EEA, Swiss, Andorran, Monégasque and San Marinese citizens can enter and reside for an unlimited period without a visa in the four French overseas departments and the two French overseas collectivities of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin.

For short stays of up to 90 days in a 180 day period in the four French overseas departments and the two French overseas collectivities of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin, visa-free entry is granted to the following individuals:

• All 'Annex II' nationals (except for Brazilian citizens, who can enter three French overseas departments of Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion and the two French overseas collectivities of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin without a visa, but must obtain a visa for the French overseas department of French Guiana)
• Bolivian citizens
• British Overseas Territories citizens holding a Bermudian passport
• Holders of a valid long-term visa or residence permit issued in Metropolitan France or by a Schengen country
• Holders of a valid travel document for refugees or stateless persons issued by a Schengen country

In addition, for the French overseas departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique and the French overseas collectivities of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin (but not the French overseas departments of French Guiana and Réunion), visa-free entry for short stays of up to 90 days in a 180 day period is also granted to the following individuals:

• British Overseas Territories citizens holding an Anguillan, British Virgin Islands, Caymanian, Montserratian or Turks and Caicos Islands passport

For the French overseas departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique (but not the French overseas departments of French Guiana and Réunion, nor the French overseas collectivities of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin), visa-free entry for short stays of up to 90 days in a 180 day period is also granted to the following individuals:

• Grenadian citizens
• Trinidadian and Tobagonian citizens

Furthermore, for the French overseas departments of French Guiana, Guadeloupe and Martinique and the French overseas collectivities of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin (but not the French overseas department of Réunion), visa-free entry of up to 15 days for each short stay is also granted to the following individuals, as long as the visa-free short stays do not total more than 120 days over a 12 month period:

• Dominican citizens
• Saint Lucian citizens

Obtaining a visa

Foreign nationals who require a visa for the four French overseas departments and/or the two French overseas collectivities of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin can obtain one by lodging an application at a French embassy or consulate, for a fee of 60€ (short stay visas) or 99€ (long stay visas). Note that a Schengen short stay visa ('C visa') is not valid for the four French overseas departments and the two French overseas collectivities of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin, and vice versa.

Visa policy of candidate and applicant states

Main articles: Visa policy of Croatia, Visa policy of the Republic of Macedonia, Visa policy of Montenegro, Visa policy of Serbia, and Visa policy of Turkey

Although the visa lists drawn up by the European Union only apply legally to Schengen signatories, in practice the visa policies of other European countries which aspire to join the European Union largely mirror those of Schengen countries, with the exception of Iceland, an EU candidate country which has fully implemented the Schengen acquis.

Croatia grants 90 day visa-free entry to exactly the same nationalities which appear in Annex II of the Schengen acquis.

Macedonia grants 90 day visa-free entry to all Schengen Annex II nationalities (except Taiwan), as well as others, such as Botswana, Kazakhstan and Peru.

Montenegro grants 90 day visa-free entry to exactly the same nationalities which appear in Annex II of the Schengen acquis and 30 day visa-free entry to a few other nationalities (such as Cuba, Russia and Ukraine, which are Schengen Annex I countries).

Serbia grants 90 day visa-free entry to all Schengen Annex II nationalities, except for Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Brunei, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Malaysia, Mauritius, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. As of 3 November 2011 Serbia has granted visa-free access to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport holders for stays of up to two weeks, with immediate effect. For Macao SAR passport holders (who have their application fee waived) visa is still required and Taiwan passport holders (which is not recognized by Serbia and instead of which a 'certificate for entry' is issued to facilitate entry).

Turkey, however, has more complicated arrangements, granting visa-free entry only to some Annex II nationalities (such as Brazil, Hong Kong SAR and New Zealand) whilst requiring other Annex II nationalities to obtain a visa on arrival at a fee (such as Australia, Canada and the United States).

Schengen countries grant visa-free access to their territory by citizens of all European Union candidate and applicant states (with the exception of Turkey).

Summary

Short-stay visas

Country		Schengen Area, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania	Ireland	United Kingdom	French Guiana	Guadeloupe and Martinique	Réunion	Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin
Albania		Yes (biometric passports only)	No	No	Yes (biometric passports only)	Yes (biometric passports only)	Yes (biometric passports only)	Yes (biometric passports only)
Andorra		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Antigua and Barbuda		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Argentina		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Australia		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bahamas		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Barbados		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Belize		No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Bolivia		No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bosnia and Herzegovina		Yes (biometric passports only)	No (Visa Waiver available with UK visa)	No	Yes (biometric passports only)	Yes (biometric passports only)	Yes (biometric passports only)	Yes (biometric passports only)
Botswana		No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Brazil		Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Brunei		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Canada		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Chile		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Costa Rica		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Croatia		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dominica		No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Timor-Leste		No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
El Salvador		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fiji		No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Grenada		No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Guatemala		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Guyana		No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Honduras		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hong Kong		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Israel		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Japan		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Kiribati		No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Lesotho		No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Macau		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Macedonia		Yes (biometric passports only)	No	No	Yes (biometric passports only)	Yes (biometric passports only)	Yes (biometric passports only)	Yes (biometric passports only)
Malawi		No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Malaysia		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Maldives		No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Marshall Islands		No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Mauritius		Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mexico		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Federated States of Micronesia		No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Monaco		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Montenegro		Yes (biometric passports only)	No (Visa Waiver available with UK visa)	No	Yes (biometric passports only)	Yes (biometric passports only)	Yes (biometric passports only)	Yes (biometric passports only)
Namibia		No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Nauru		No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
New Zealand		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nicaragua		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Palau		No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Panama		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Papua New Guinea		No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Paraguay		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Saint Kitts and Nevis		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Saint Lucia		No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines		No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Samoa		No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
San Marino		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Serbia		Yes (biometric passports only that have not been issued by the Coordination Directorate)	No (Visa Waiver available with UK visa)	No	Yes (biometric passports only that have not been issued by the Coordination Directorate)	Yes (biometric passports only that have not been issued by the Coordination Directorate)	Yes (biometric passports only that have not been issued by the Coordination Directorate)	Yes (biometric passports only that have not been issued by the Coordination Directorate)
Seychelles		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Singapore		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Solomon Islands		No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
South Africa		No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
South Korea		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Swaziland		No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Taiwan		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tonga		No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Trinidad and Tobago		No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Tuvalu		No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
United States		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Uruguay		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Vanuatu		No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Vatican City		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Venezuela		Yes	Yes	Yes (biometric passports only)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
British National (Overseas)		Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
British Overseas Territories citizens of Anguilla		No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
British Overseas Territories citizens of Bermuda		No (except for France and Norway, which can be visited visa-free)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
British Overseas Territories citizens of the British Virgin Islands		No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
British Overseas Territories citizens of the Cayman Islands		No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
British Overseas Territories citizens of Montserrat		No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
British Overseas Territories citizens of the Turks and Caicos Islands		No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
All other British Overseas Territories citizens (other than Gibraltarians) without the right of abode in the UK		No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
British Overseas citizens		No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
British subjects without the right of abode in the UK		No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
British protected persons		No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No

Visa-free stays involving paid activity in the Schengen Area

Below is a table of Schengen countries which permit nationals of Annex II countries and territories to enter the country on a 90 day visa-free period of stay with the intention of working in the country during that period. Nonetheless, some Schengen countries which permit certain Annex II nationals to work during their visa-free stay may still require them to obtain a work permit (either in advance or on arrival).

The table below includes Romania (which applies implements the Schengen Area's visa list), but excludes states which do not allow any Annex II nationals to work during their visa-free stay, namely: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Malta and Portugal.

Nationality
Albania	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Andorra	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Antigua and Barbuda	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Argentina	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Australia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bahamas	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Barbados	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Bosnia and Herzegovina	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Brazil	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Brunei	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Canada	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Chile	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Costa Rica	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Croatia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
El Salvador	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Guatemala	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Honduras	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hong Kong	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Israel	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Japan	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Macau	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Macedonia	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Malaysia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mauritius	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Mexico	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Monaco	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Montenegro	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
New Zealand	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nicaragua	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Panama	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Paraguay	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
San Marino	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Serbia	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Seychelles	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Singapore	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
South Korea	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Taiwan	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
United States	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Uruguay	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Vatican City	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Venezuela	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

See also

• Central America-4 Border Control Agreement
• Foreign relations of the European Union
• Visa Information System
• Visa Waiver Program
• Working holiday visa (a type of visa issued by many EU member states to young people from foreign countries to undertake employment (and sometimes study) for the purpose of supplementing their travel funds)

External links

• Council regulation 539/2001 in its consolidated version (as of 19 January 2007) with bibliography
• List of nationals who do need a visa to visit the UK
• List of countries whose passport holders do not require visas to enter Ireland
• List of visa requirements provided by KLM