What do US citizens need to travel to the UK?

Entry, Exit and Visa Requirements
  • To enter the United Kingdom, your passport must be valid for the entire duration of your planned stay.
  • Starting June 2019, U.S. passport holders will be able to use the ePassport Gates upon arrival in the United Kingdom.




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You'll need to show your identity document, such as your passport or national identity card. You must: have your identity document ready - remove it from a holder or wallet if you use one. remove your face covering or sunglasses, if you're wearing them.

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Get a UK Visa and Residence Permit Contrary to popular belief, you need a visa to move to the UK if you are an American citizen. The only exception to this is that if you are visiting with no long-term plans, you can stay in the UK without a visa for six months – but you cannot work during your visa-free stay.

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Identification
  • Driver's licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent) ...
  • U.S. passport.
  • U.S. passport card.
  • DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
  • U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents.
  • Permanent resident card.


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There is no set amount of monetary funds required for a UK Visit Visa as it depends on invidual's circumstances and the purpose of their visit to the UK.

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Use the eGates for quicker entry a national of an EU country, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA.

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The fastest way to pass immigration quickly is to use the electronic gates wherever possible. I recently passed through Terminal 5 in less than two minutes this way. U.S. passport holders have been able to use U.K. ePassport gates at major U.K. airports including all London Heathrow terminals since 2019.

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After Customs you'll walk through a World Duty Free shop and then find yourself in the arrivals hall. The arrivals hall can be very crowded with lots of people waiting to greet arriving passengers. If you have flown in from another UK airport you will not need to go through Passport Control.

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You can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for tourism, business, study (courses up to 6 months) and other permitted activities. You can usually stay in the UK for up to 6 months. You might be able to apply to stay for longer in certain circumstances, for example to get medical treatment.

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