
Visa policies of British Overseas Territories

The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) maintain their own rules regarding immigration requirements different from the visa policy of the United Kingdom, but remain under its sovereignty. As a general rule, British citizen passport holders do not generally have automatic right of abode in these territories.
Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
 – The visa policy is the same as for Cyprus, which follows the visa policy of the Schengen Area. However, stays longer than 28 days per 12-month period require a permit. The territory has open borders with Cyprus, but performs police checks that are de facto immigration checks on those entering from Northern Cyprus. The Republic of Cyprus and the United Kingdom do not recognize Northern Cyprus as a country and consequently do not consider the demarcation line to be an international border.
Anguilla.
 – A maximum visa-free stay of 3 months is granted to holders of British passports, nationals of all European Union countries, and nationals of Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, East Timor, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Switzerland, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu and Western Sahara.
Passengers can stay in transit for 24 hours without a visa except for nationals of Afghanistan, China, Colombia, Croatia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Montenegro, Nigeria, Serbia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Uganda.
In addition, holders of a valid visa or residence permit from the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom and holders of diplomatic passports do not require a visa.
In January 2021, Anguilla's Department of Immigration introduced a new online portal, e-Visa Anguilla, to facilitate the application process for visitors who need a visa to travel to Anguilla.
Most visitors arriving in Anguilla were from the following countries:
Bermuda.
 – Visitors are granted entry for not more than 6 months and usually for only 21 days. Extensions of stay are possible from the Bermuda Department of Immigration.
Since 1 March 2014, Bermuda does not issue its own visas. However, it requires that visitors who need a multiple-entry visa to transit the United Kingdom, the United States or Canada (the only countries with direct flights from Bermuda) present this visa upon arrival in Bermuda. For visitors who need such visa, both the passport and the visa must be valid for at least 45 days beyond the end of their intended stay.
Bermuda does not require the following nationals to present a visa, regardless of the country of transit: holders of British passports; all European Union citizens; nationals of Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Comoros, Costa Rica, Dominica, East Timor, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Laos, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City and Zambia.
Nationals of the following additional countries do not need a visa only if transiting the United Kingdom: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Colombia, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Georgia, Haiti, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Macau, Montenegro, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Panama, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan; and nationals of Venezuela with a biometric passport.
Most visitors arriving in Bermuda (including arrivals by air, cruise and yacht) were from the following countries:
British Antarctic Territory.
 – Is administered in London by staff in the Polar Regions Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It issues permits to those travelling to the British Antarctic Territory. New applications should be filed at least four months in advance. Organisers need to demonstrate that they are sufficiently prepared for a visit to Antarctica.
British Indian Ocean Territory.
 – Visitors must obtain a valid permit before travelling. Permits are issued by British Indian Ocean Territory Administration at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. Any permit issued is valid for the outer islands only while the access to Diego Garcia is restricted to those with connections to the military facility. No unauthorised vessel is permitted to approach the Diego Garcia within 3 nautical miles and vessels in transit, on “innocent passage” as defined under Maritime Law, should maintain their course away from Diego Garcia. Proof of travel insurance and yacht insurance is required. Passports must be valid for six months. Any person who enters BIOT without a permit is liable to imprisonment for 3 years and/or a fine of £3000.
British Virgin Islands.
 – Usually visitors are granted a one-month entry stamp on arrival. Persons visiting can be granted leave up to one calendar month in the first instance and may also be granted an extension for one further month, except for Taiwanese visitors who are granted a stay of six months upon arrival. Extensions for up to six months are granted on the discretion of the Chief Immigration Officer. There is a departure tax.
A visa-free stay is granted to holders of British passports, all European Union citizens, and nationals of Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Dominica, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Permanent residents of the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom do not require a visa. They must arrive directly from their countries of permanent residence, or, for permanent residents of Canada and the UK, on an immediate connecting flight from their countries of permanent residence. Visa holders of these three countries may also visit BVI for up to six months providing they have a used, multiple-entry visa valid for at least six months.
Cayman Islands.
 – A maximum visa-free stay of 6 months (the period of stay is determined by the immigration officer on arrival), for tourist purposes only, is granted to: holders of British passports; all European Union citizens; nationals of Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Swaziland, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United States, Vanuatu, Venezuela and Zambia; and nationals of Jamaica under 15 or over 70 years of age.
A maximum visa-free stay of 30 days is also granted to permanent residents of the United States when arriving directly from the United States, of Canada when arriving directly from Canada or the United States, or of the United Kingdom when arriving directly from the United Kingdom.
Nationals of China, India and Jamaica who hold a valid visa issued by the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom can visit the Cayman Islands for up to 30 days only if arriving directly from the country that issued the visa.
Passengers can stay in transit for 24 hours without a visa except for nationals of Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Belarus, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, India, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Liberia, Moldova, Montenegro, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Northern Cyprus, Pakistan, Palestine, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Uganda, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
Most visitors arriving in the Cayman Islands by air were from the following countries:
Falkland Islands.
 – The territory maintains its own rules regarding immigration requirements different from the visa policy of the United Kingdom, but remains under its sovereignty. The Customs and Immigration Department controls entry into the Falkland Islands.
Visa exemption.
All cruise ship visitors regardless of nationality do not require a visa to enter the Falklands or to participate in shore excursions for a period of 7 days. However, visitors arriving by air or intending to spend time in the Falklands before or after a cruise need a visa if not otherwise exempt.
All visitors to the Falkland Islands are required to have accommodation booked for the duration of their stay, and a paid return ticket. Immigration officers also ask visitors if they have sufficient travel and medical insurance covering a minimum of £200,000 that includes repatriation cover should it be required.
Nationals of the following countries and territories holding a valid passport can enter the Falkland Islands without a visa for a period of 30 days and are issued a visitor's permit on arrival:
In addition, holders of international travel documents issued by the International Committee of the Red Cross and holders of a laissez-passer issued by the United Nations do not need a visa. All visa-exempt visitors may extend their visit up to a maximum of 12 months by applying directly to Customs and Immigration in Stanley.
Transit.
All people who would normally require a visa to enter the Falkland Islands but are transiting by air or sea for less than 24 hours are exempted from the visa requirement.
Gibraltar.
 – Follows mainly the visa policy of the United Kingdom. All British citizens have the right of abode in Gibraltar. A visa-free stay is granted to other holders of British passports and to nationals holding ordinary passports of the member states of the European Union, and of Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, East Timor, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Liechtenstein, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan (holding passports with national identification number), Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City and Western Sahara. Passports are required by all visitors to Gibraltar, except EU citizens who are in possession of a valid national identity card.
On 31 December 2020, the European Union, Spain, the United Kingdom and Gibraltar agreed in principle to make Gibraltar part of the Schengen area. A treaty to this effect is expected to be concluded within half a year. This would mean that visas to Gibraltar would be issued by a Schengen country, mainly Spain, following the Visa policy of the Schengen Area. See also: Effect of Brexit on Gibraltar.
Montserrat.
 – A visa-free stay of 6 months (or 14 days if holding a form of ID other than passports unless otherwise stated) is granted to holders of British passports (also 6 months for holders of a form of ID), all European Union citizens (except Croatia) (also 6 months for French ID Card holders), and nationals of Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Cameroon, Canada (also 6 months for holders of a form of ID), Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Western Sahara, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Multiple-entry eVisa valid for 1 year can be obtained through the internet, prior to departure.
Pitcairn Islands.
 – Visitors wishing to stay on Pitcairn for less than two weeks do not require a visa or licence prior to arrival. The Immigration Officer assesses applications for short-term visitors to Pitcairn upon arrival.
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.
 – Different rules apply to different parts of the territory.
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
 – The Commissioner of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, based in Stanley, regulates all access to the territory. Visas are not required, but all visitors irrespective of their nationality or mode of transport must apply to the Commissioner for permission to land in advance. The visit permit is issued to a 'permit holder', normally a cruise vessel expedition leader or a yacht master. Visitors travelling to South Georgia as paying passengers on cruise ships and yachts do not need to submit a visit application.
Turks and Caicos Islands.
 – A maximum visa-free stay of 90 days is granted to holders of British passports, all European Union citizens, and nationals of Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Macau, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Panama, Qatar, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States, Vatican City and Venezuela.
Permanent residents or holders of valid visas of the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom do not require a visa for a maximum stay of 90 days.