Visa requirements for British Nationals (Overseas)
Entry restrictions
Visa requirements for British Nationals (Overseas) are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states and territories placed on British National (Overseas) passport holders. Several million people, the vast majority with a Hong Kong connection, hold this passport.
The British National (Overseas) status was created in 1985 in anticipation of the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong on 1 July 1997.[1] This nationality was "tailor-made" for British Hong Kong residents with British Dependent Territories Citizen (BDTC) status by virtue of their connection with Hong Kong; it allowed the people of British Hong Kong to retain a relationship with the United Kingdom after the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong to China. BN(O)s enjoy consular protection as British nationals would when travelling outside Hong Kong. Since most BN(O)s also hold Chinese nationality, they do not enjoy consular protection in China, Hong Kong and Macau.[4] From 1 July 1987 to 30 June 1997, nearly 3.4 million of British Dependent Territories Citizens in Hong Kong successfully registered as a British National (Overseas).[5] All BDTCs relate only to Hong Kong lost their BDTC status on 1 July 1997, and any BDTC who did not register as a BN(O) and without other nationality automatically acquired British Overseas Citizenship.
Starting from 31 January 2021, China no longer recognizes British National (Overseas) passports as valid travel documents. BN(O) passport holders need to use other identity documents such as their Hong Kong identity card in conjunction with their BN(O) for immigration clearance.[6]
BN(O) citizens can apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) through the AustralianETA App on smart phone devices, which is valid for 12 months and allows BN(O) citizens to stay in Australia for 90 days per visit during the validity of the ETA.
In response to the imposition of National Security Law on Hong Kong, Australia introduced a pathway for BN(O) citizens to obtain permanent residency. BN(O) citizens in the temporary skilled worker or graduate visa categories are eligible for a visa grant or extension for 5 years, with a pathway to permanent residency after 4 years of residence in Australia, or 3 years in regional Australia.
Be aware you may be given an initial 30 days and can extend it for another 60 days.
The Department of Immigration has imposed an annual limit for tourists of 90 days without a visa. For longer periods you must seek advice from the Bolivian Embassy in London or the Department of Immigration office in La Paz.[47]
From December 2021, passengers of all countries that required visa, can now obtain visa on arrival at Bujumbura International Airport, and all land borders.[57]
Canada introduced a new immigration scheme for British National (Overseas) after the enforcement of the national security law in Hong Kong: 3-year open work permits will be available for applicants who graduated within 10 years from either a recognised Canadian or overseas post-secondary institution. The pathway to permanent residency will be expedited under the scheme if the applicant accrues 1 year of Canadian legal work experience with any work permit. Alternatively, immediate permanent residency is available for current graduates from Canadian post-secondary institutions.
BN(O) citizens who are also permanent residents of Hong Kong must enter China with a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents. Those who are also deemed Chinese citizens can stay in Mainland China for the validity of the Travel Permit, they must apply for a separate resident permit if they stay for longer than six months, for employment or study. Those who are deemed non-Chinese citizens can only stay in China for up to 90 days as visitors, and must apply for an appropriate visa for other purposes using their other travel documents recognised by China.
BN(O) citizens who are not permanent residents of Hong Kong must use other travel documents recognised by China and apply for the appropriate visa to enter the country.[74]
Holders of a visa issued by Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Romania and any Schengen Area country can obtain a Tourist Card on arrival for a maximum stay of 30 days.
Beginning on 1 December 2020, all travellers to Grenada will be required to complete an online application in order to receive a Pure Safe Travel Authorization Certificate to enter Grenada.[116]
BN(O) citizen passport holders require visa to enter Guyana and who may be unable to apply at any of Guyana's missions or consulates, visas will be issued on arrival.
Not eligible to apply for Electronic Travel Authority online: British Nationals (Overseas) must apply traditional sticker visa through Indian embassies or consulates.
On 15 March 2021 the Iraqi government lifted pre-arrival visa requirements, allowing British citizens to apply for visa on arrival in any entry point.[132]
Visa can be obtained upon arrival, it will cost a total of 40 JOD, obtainable at most international ports of entry and land border crossings (except King Hussein/Allenby Bridge)
BN(O) Citizen can enter South Korea as a short term visit (e.g., tours, visiting relatives or friends, attending simple meetings) up to 30 days without a visa, though you should remain aware of the quarantine requirements. You must also have an onward or return ticket. It is illegal to work on a tourist visa, whether as a teacher or in any other capacity.[146]
You must be in possession of a Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) to enter Korea visa-free. You can complete your K-ETA application up to 24 hours before boarding your flight and it will be valid for two years from the date of approval. There is a small, non-refundable charge.[146]
Tourist groups of minimum 8 people can obtain a visa on arrival at Beirut International Airport for a maximum stay of 6 months. They must be sponsored by a registered tour operator in Lebanon.
For periods of longer than 90 days, a resident permit is required and can be issued by the Police Department in place of residence in Morocco.[184][185]
Holders of a British non-citizen passport who can provide evidence of the right to reside permanently in the United Kingdom may be granted a Visitor Visa current for six months on arrival, subject to meeting character requirements and providing that the purposes of the visit do not include medical consultation or treatment. Electronic Travel Authority must be obtained prior to departure.[199]
Holders of an Australian Permanent Resident Visa or Resident Return Visa may be granted a New Zealand Resident Visa on arrival permitting indefinite stay (pursuant to the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement), subject to meeting character requirements and obtaining an Electronic Travel Authority prior to departure.[200]
As of December 2021: The maximum time of stay in Panama will be 1 to 3 months. If the visa is granted for 3 months, it cannot be extended. If the visa is for a shorter time and you need to extend your stay, you must apply personally to the National Immigration Service Directorate upon arrival in Panama.[214]
Regular entry: Visa stamp (180 days) length determined on arrival
The maximum amount of time that you can stay in Panama is six months. For longer than six months, you may extend your stay applying for an extension of visa with the Offices of Immigration in Panama.[215] British nationals don't need a visa to visit Panama except if arriving by sea.[216][217]
6 Months (Visitors, extendable by converting into a BN(O) visa from inside the UK);
Unlimited (With a valid BN(O) visa)
BN(O) citizens who are inside or outside of the UK can choose to apply for a British National (Overseas) BN(O) visa, which allows the passport holder to live, work or study in the UK for unlimited periods of up to 5 years in each visa renewal.
BN(O) citizens are eligible to choose to apply for settled status after 5 years of qualifying residence in the UK.
BN(O) citizens are eligible to choose to additionally register as a British citizen after 12 months with settled status, under Section 4c of the British Nationality Act 1981. British citizenship confers right of abode in the UK.
Obtaining British citizenship under the above route does not cause one to lose BN(O) status.
BN(O) citizens who do receive a visa are normally issued with 10-years multiple-entry combination B1/B2 visas, and each entry can stay for a maximum of 6 months (the period of stay is subject to the border immigration officer)
In response to the imposition of national security law on Hong Kong, certain BN(O) citizens who were present in the US as of 26 January 2023, and continuously meet the eligibility requirements are protected by Deferred Enforced Departure for 24 months from 26 January 2023, with full working right during this period.
Extensions of up to 90 days can be arranged at any SAIME (immigration service) for a fee and must apply before one’s tourist card and stamp expire.[308]
One can only apply for or extend their (residency permit) at the main SAIME office in Caracas.[308]
Special permit required (4 days: 25 euro for Orthodox visitors, 35 euro for non-Orthodox visitors, 18 euro for students). There is a visitors' quota: maximum 100 Orthodox and 10 non-Orthodox per day and women are not allowed.[346][347]
Permit issued by the local police required for staying for less than 24 hours[355] and permit issued by the Norwegian police for staying for more than 24 hours.[356]
Crossing from Ukraine requires visit purpose to be explained to Ukrainian passport control on exit and those who entered from Russia are not allowed to proceed further into Ukraine.[358]
Right of Abode or Right to Land Status Holder. Must use other identity documents in conjunction with the BN(O) passport for Hong Kong immigration clearance.[370]
The Hong Kong SAR government does not recognise BN(O) passports as valid documents for immigration clearance and identification purposes. BN(O) citizens are instead entitled to a Hong Kong identity card which attests the passport holder the Right of Abode or Right to Land status in Hong Kong, implying BN(O) citizens the right to live, work or study in Hong Kong without any immigration controls.[371]
The Macau SAR government has no official announcement regarding the admissibility/ inadmissibility of BN(O) passport holders. BN(O) citizens are able to visit Macau with their Hong Kong Identity Card for up to 1 year.[380]
1 month. These two Malaysian states have their own immigration authorities and a valid passport is required to travel between them, however the same Malaysian visa applies. Length of stay will not be extended for travel between Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia.[381]
With the exception of the capital Malé, tourists are generally prohibited from visiting non-resort islands without the express permission of the Government of Maldives.[382]
Many countries have entry restrictions on foreigners that go beyond the common requirement of having either a valid visa or a visa exemption. Such restrictions may be health related or impose additional documentation requirements on certain classes of people for diplomatic or political purposes.
Many countries require a minimum number of blank pages to be available in the passport being presented, typically one or two pages.[435] Endorsement pages, which often appear after the visa pages, are not counted as being valid or available.
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.[438][439]
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[440][441] or even accept passports that have already expired (but not been cancelled).[442]
Some countries, such as Japan,[443] Ireland and the United Kingdom,[444] 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,[445] 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,[446] Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru,[447] Philippines,[448] 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.[449]
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[450] and South Africa.
Countries of the Schengen area require non-EU passports to be less than 10 years old upon entry.[451] 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.[452]
Some countries, including Australia, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand and the United States,[453] 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.[454]
Kuwait,[455] Lebanon,[456] Libya,[457] and Yemen[458] 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.[459]
Fingerprinting countries/regions include Afghanistan,[460][461] Argentina,[462] Brunei, Cambodia,[463] China,[464] Ethiopia,[465] Ghana, Guinea,[466] India, Japan,[467][468] Kenya (both fingerprints and a photo are taken),[469] Malaysia upon entry and departure,[470] Mongolia, Saudi Arabia,[471] Singapore, South Korea,[472] Taiwan, Thailand,[473] Uganda,[474] 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),[475][476][477] intends to implement facial recognition for passengers departing from international airports to identify people who overstay their visa.[478]
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[479] and the United Arab Emirates conducts iris scanning on visitors who need to apply for a visa.[480][481]
When in a country where there is no British embassy, British Nationals (Overseas) may get help from the embassy of any other commonwealth country present in that country. There are also informal arrangements with some other countries, including New Zealand and Australia, to help British nationals in some countries.[483]
According to the Foreign travel advice provided by the British Government (unless otherwise noted) these are the numbers of British visitors to various countries per annum in 2015 (unless otherwise noted):[484]
^Total number includes tourists, business travelers, students, exchange visitors, temporary workers and families, diplomats and other representatives and all other classes of nonimmigrant admissions (I-94).
^ ab"Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa". House of Commons Library. Retrieved 12 February 2024. The British National (Overseas) status (hereafter, 'BN(O)') was created as part of the arrangements for the handover of sovereignty of Hong Kong on 1 July 1997.
^Visa required, except for Passengers with a British passport exceptthose with nationality of British National (Overseas) shown on the bio-data page for a maximum stay of 3 months.
^"Information about: Australian Resident Visa". immigration.govt.nz. Immigration New Zealand. Retrieved 21 May 2020. Australian citizens and permanent residents can visit, work and live in New Zealand. You do not need a visa before you travel to New Zealand.
^Baker, Vicky (20 June 2013). "Passport expiry dates and blank pages: what are the rules?". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 January 2024. 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.
^"Yellow Fever". Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). African Union. Retrieved 23 August 2021. 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.
^"Fièvre jaune" (in French). 2 September 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
^"Yellow Fever". Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). African Union. Retrieved 23 August 2021. 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.
^"Visitor Visa". travel.state.gov. US Department of State. Retrieved 13 January 2024. 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". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Republic of Turkey. Archived from the original on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2018. 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
^"Frequently Asked Questions". Embassy of Japan in Malaysia. Retrieved 13 January 2024. 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.
^"Entering the UK". Gov.UK. Retrieved 17 March 2021. 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.
^Calder, Simon (24 April 2017). "Airline lobbying for a relaxation of draconian rules for London-Auckland travellers". The Independent. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2018. 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.
^"China to Start Fingerprinting Foreign Visitors". Air Canada. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2018. Effective April 27, 2018, border control authorities at all of China's ports of entry, including its airports, will start collecting the fingerprints of all foreign visitors aged between 14 and 70. Diplomatic passport holders and beneficiaries of reciprocal agreements are exempted..
^"Immigration & Visas FAQs". Kenya Airports Authority. Retrieved 6 May 2019. 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
^"Malaysia". CountryReports. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
^Brown, Theresa Cardinal (9 May 2016). "Biometric Entry-Exit Update: CBP Developing Land Border Process". Bipartisan Policy Center. Retrieved 25 April 2019. 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.
^Lipton, Eric (21 May 2013). "U.S. Quietly Monitors Foreigners' Departures at the Canadian Border". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 April 2019. 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.
^Lipton, Eric (15 December 2006). "Administration to Drop Effort to Track if Visitors Leave". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 April 2019. 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.
^"Iris Scanner Could Replace Emirates ID In UAE". SimplyDXB. 11 June 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2018. 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.
^"2017 年 12 月訪港旅客統計" [Visitor Arrival Statistics: December 2017] (PDF). Hong Kong Tourist Board. January 2018. Archived from the original(PDF) on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
^"2013 International Arrivals Statistics"(PDF). Department of Research and Development, Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation. June 2014. Archived from the original(PDF) on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
^"Data"(PDF). www.insse.ro. February 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
^"Въезд иностранных граждан в РФ" [Entry of foreign citizens to the Russian Federation] (in Russian). ЕМИСС. 18 October 2017. Archived from the original on 18 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
^"Statistics"(PDF). Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority. December 2015. Archived from the original(PDF) on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
1British Overseas Territories.
2 These countries span the conventional boundary between Europe and Asia.
3 Partially recognized.
4Unincorporated territory of the United States.
5 Part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
6Egypt spans the boundary between Africa and Asia.