Do I Need a UK Visa if I’m a Green Card Holder?

The UK government assesses visa requirements based on your citizenship, not your U.S. permanent residency. If citizens of your passport nationality typically require a visa to visit the UK, then holding a U.S. Green Card does not exempt you from needing a UK visa. If citizens of your passport nationality are on the UK’s list of “visa-exempt nationals”, then you need an ETA for short trips to the UK, even as a Green Card holder.

UK Visa National List

If your citizenship is from a country in the UK National List below, you will likely need to apply for a UK visa even though you have US green card:

1. Afghanistan
2. Albania
3. Algeria
4. Angola
5. Armenia
6. Azerbaijan
7. Bangladesh
8. Belarus
9. Benin
10. Bhutan
11. Bolivia
12. Bosnia Herzegovina
13. Burkina Faso
14. Burundi
15. Cambodia
16. Cameroon
17. Cape Verde
18. Central African Republic
19. Chad
20. People’s Republic of China*
21. Colombia
22. Comoros
23. Congo
24. Côte d’Ivoire (formerly Ivory Coast)
25. Cuba
26. Democratic Republic of the Congo
27. Djibouti
28. Dominica
29. Dominican Republic
30. Ecuador
31. Egypt
32. El Salvador
33. Equatorial Guinea
34. Eritrea
35. Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)
36. Ethiopia
37. Fiji
38. Gabon
39. Gambia
40. Georgia
41. Ghana
42. Guinea
43. Guinea Bissau
44. Haiti
45. Honduras
46. India
47. Indonesia
48. Iran
49. Iraq
50. Jamaica
51. Jordan
52. Kazakhstan
53. Kenya
54. Korea (North)
55. Kosovo
56. Kyrgyzstan
57. Laos
58. Lebanon
59. Lesotho
60. Liberia
61. Libya
62. Madagascar
63. Malawi
64. Mali
65. Mauritania
66. Moldova
67. Mongolia
68. Montenegro
69. Morocco
70. Mozambique
71. Myanmar (formerly Burma)
72. Namibia
73. Nepal
74. Niger
75. Nigeria
76. North Macedonia (formerly Macedonia)
77. Pakistan
78. Philippines
79. Russia
80. Rwanda
81. São Tomé and Principe
82. Senegal
83. Serbia
84. Sierra Leone
85. Somalia
86. South Africa
87. South Sudan
88. Sri Lanka
89. Sudan
90. Suriname
91. Syria
92. Taiwan*
93. Tajikistan
94. Tanzania
95. Thailand
96. Timor-Leste
97. Togo
98. Tunisia
99. Turkey
100. Turkmenistan
101. Uganda
102. Ukraine
103. Uzbekistan
104. Vanuatu
105. Venezuela
106. Vietnam
107. Yemen
108. Zambia
109. Zimbabwe

Read More: Costs of Study in the UK

UK Visa-Exempt Nationals

The following list of Nationalities will not need a visa to travel to the UK. However, they will need to apply for UK ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) from April 2025 onward:

• Andorra
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Australia
• Austria
• Bahamas, The
• Bahrain
• Barbados
• Belgium
• Belize
• Botswana
• Brazil
• Brunei
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• Chile
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czechia
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Guyana
• Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including British national overseas)
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Israel
• Italy
• Japan
• Kiribati
• Kuwait
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Macao Special Administrative Region
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Malta
• Marshall Islands
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Micronesia, Federated States of
• Monaco
• Nauru
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• Norway
• Oman
• Palau
• Panama
• Papua New Guinea
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Poland
• Portugal
• Qatar
• Romania
• Samoa
• San Marino
• Saudi Arabia
• Seychelles
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Solomon Islands
• South Korea
• Spain
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tuvalu
• United Arab Emirates
• United States
• Uruguay
• Vatican City

What is UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)

Important Update Effective January 8, 2025

The UK has introduced a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) requirement. This impacts even visa-exempt nationals, including U.S. citizens.

ETA Requirement for US Citizens (and others)

Starting January 8, 2025, U.S. citizens, Canadians, and nationals of many other countries who previously enjoyed visa-free short visits to the UK now require an ETA.

ETA for Green Card Holders Who Are US Citizens

This ETA requirement applies to U.S. Green Card holders who are also U.S. citizens. If you are a U.S. citizen and a Green Card holder, you will need to obtain a UK ETA for short visits (tourism, business, short study of 6 months or less). For longer visits, like studying in the UK for more than 9 months, you will need a UK student visa.

ETA vs. Visa

An ETA is not a visa. It is an electronic authorization linked to your passport, simpler and faster to obtain than a full visa. However, it is a mandatory new entry requirement for those who need it.

How to Apply for UK ETA?

You can apply for a UK ETA online. The ETA is typically valid for multiple entries over a two-year period (or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner).

Therefore, if you are a Green Card holder and a U.S. citizen, you will need to apply for a UK ETA for short visits to the UK from January 8, 2025, onwards.