United Kingdom: visa and entry rules
What you need to get in, how long you may stay, and what an overstay costs
The United Kingdom's borders: every crossing point
Other 6
Airports 10
The country has a single land border - between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
There are no border controls on it. The Common Travel Area is in force and there is no physical border. But that does not mean entry is unrestricted: a British visa is needed separately from an Irish one, and checks do happen away from the border.
With France - under the Channel. The Eurotunnel carries cars and Eurostar trains, and ferries run Calais - Dover and Dunkirk - Dover.
By sea there are ferries to the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Ireland.
The main flow is by air, through Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester.
Driving to the United Kingdom
The only ways in are by ferry or through the Eurotunnel - the sole land border is with Ireland.
Traffic drives on the left, and that is the main practical point for anyone arriving with their own car from the continent.
The Green Card does not cover trips to Britain - separate insurance is needed.
Ask customs directly about the temporary import period for the United Kingdom. General figures go out of date faster than the guidebooks update them.
London has the ULEZ and the Congestion Charge - paid entry, collected by camera, with the fine arriving automatically.
Travelling to the United Kingdom with a pet
The rules are strict and differ from the common European ones.
An ISO-standard microchip is compulsory, implanted before the rabies vaccination.
The rabies vaccination must be valid, and 21 days must pass after it before entry.
Dogs must be treated against echinococcus - a vet does it 24-120 hours before entry, and without the record the animal will not be let in.
Animals may only be brought in on approved routes and with approved carriers - doing it on your own by ferry or in a private vehicle will not work.
A rabies antibody titre test is required only for pets from a country not on the UK's approved list. The US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are on the list, so this does not apply to pets travelling from those countries; Russia is one of the countries it does apply to.
Overstaying your visa in the United Kingdom
The consequences are harsh: an entry ban of between one and ten years depending on the circumstances.
Leaving voluntarily at your own expense means a shorter ban than being deported.
The size of the fine is determined as you leave the country. You cannot find it out in advance in the United Kingdom, so bring cash.
A record of the violation affects other countries too - a British refusal is visible when applying for visas to the USA, Canada and Australia.
What else to check before you go
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Entry rules change faster than anything else on this site, and they change without notice. We cross-check every page against several sources and state the date it was verified, but that does not replace the main step: before you travel, check an official source — the country’s consulate, its immigration service or its e-visa portal. Especially if more than a couple of months have passed since our check.