Before booking your trip to London - or to any other city in the UK, for that matter - you need to make sure that you have all the right documents for travelling, or at least have time to get them in order before your trip.

Since the UK ranks quite high in terms of mobility, many nationalities will not need a visa to enter the country. Nevertheless, here is the list of requirements, documents, and papers needed in various cases, especially since the country’s exit from the European Union.

Regardless of your passport’s power ranking, remember that the length of your stay is subject to limitations, usually around a few months, unless you work or study in the country.

After you figure out all of this and get your flight, Eurotunnel Shuttle booking, train or bus ticket, you can book your accommodation. We suggest you do that in a timely manner as to avoid any last-minute panic or difficulty in finding a place to stay in an area you like.

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EU/EEA/Swiss citizens

Nationals of these areas can travel to the UK without a visa. The only documentation needed is a valid passport, ID, or Irish passport card, depending on your country and status.

Before we go into detail about the length of your stay and your documents, here is a list of countries included in the EU/EEA definition.

EU member countries include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

EEA countries include all EU countries, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

While anyone can travel with a passport, you can only travel with a national identity card if you have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, family permit, Frontier Worker permit, or are registered as a S2 Healthcare Visitor. You can check [further details on the government’s website]( https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control/before-you-leave-for-the-uk#:~:text=You must have a valid,to come to the UK.).

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens can visit the UK without a visa for a stay up to 6 months, as long as your documents are valid for the entire duration of your stay.

Although it’s not likely, you might be asked to prove that you meet the Standard Visitor eligibility criteria . These include being able to prove that you will leave the country at the end of your visit and that you have sufficient funds to look after yourself during the trip and the return journey.

If you have been refused entry to the UK in the past or if you have a criminal record, you might want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa anyway.

And remember that if the intent of your trip is not tourism, you will most likely need to apply for a permit. You can check which kind of visa you need on the UK government’s website .

Other visa-free countries

Other countries outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland allow for citizens to travel visa-free to the UK. They are as follows.

Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Micronesia, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, 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, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United States of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City.

For citizens of any one of the aforementioned countries, travel to the UK is permitted without a visa, as long as you meet the following requirements:

• Your stay in the country is under 6 months.
• Your passport is valid for the entire duration of your stay.
• You meet the Standard Visitor eligibility criteria (which include being able to prove that you will leave the UK at the end of your visit and that you have sufficient funding for the trip, including the return journey).
• You intend to follow the permitted Standard Visitor activities (which do not include paid or unpaid work, claiming public funds, or marrying someone).

If you are from one of the previously stated countries and you have been refused entry to the UK in the past or if you have a criminal record, you might want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa .

If you still have doubts, the best way to check if you need a visa to come to the UK is to do so on the goverment’s website .

Countries requiring visa

Citizens of all other countries not previously mentioned will usually need a visa and/or additional documentation. These countries are included in the following list.

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia,Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, North Macedonia, Northern Cyprus, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine Territories, Philippines, Quatar, Russia, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tuniasia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Visitors that hold diplomatic passports and or electronic visa waiver documents might be exempt from needing a visa to enter the UK.

In any case, the easiest way to know what documentation you need is to fill the brief questionnaire on the UK government’s website . After answering a handful of questions, you’ll be told what kind of visa and/or additional documents are required.

Once you know what papers you need to travel, we suggest you book your journey and find and reserve your accommodation immediately.