New UK Visa Requirements for Dominica and Vanuatu

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The UK Government will now require a travel visa from citizens of the Commonwealth of Dominica and Vanuatu. On July 19, the House of Commons published a Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules. From this date, citizens of five countries, including Dominica nationals and Vanuatu citizens, will need to apply for a visa to travel to the UK. 

There is a transition period for Dominican passport holders and Vanuatu passport holders. If you booked and paid for a journey to the UK before 3 PM (UK Time) on 19 July 2023 and you’re arriving in the UK before 3 PM (UK Time) on 16 August 2023, you can still travel to the UK without a visa.  

Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit reacted to the news breaking with a statement: “The decision of the United Kingdom to suspend visa-free access to the UK for holders of passports from a number of countries, including Dominica, must be understood in that general context.”

“The British government has made it clear that this decision to suspend visa-free access does not represent a deterioration of relations between our two nations. Nor is it indicative of any diplomatic or other fault.”

“They have cited concerns with our CBI program, and I wish to assure the Dominican people that several changes have already been made to the structure and management of our program. And in the weeks and months ahead, we’ll continue to implement additional measures to strengthen the program. We take this matter very seriously and will increase our efforts in showcasing our robust due diligence and risk mitigation efforts on all fronts.”

Paving the Way to ETA?

The United Kingdom is transitioning towards Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). We predict Dominica and Vanuatu will be included in the ETA in the future. ETA facilitates people travelling to the UK. You can enter and stay with an electronic document. It is quick and easy to fill in your name, passport details, and purpose of travel on an online form.

All 79 countries that previously had visa-free access to the UK will be transitioned into an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) starting from November 2023. It is expected that by the end of 2024, all previous visa-free countries will be part of the ETA. This country list also includes the US, Canada, and Schengen Area members.

The UK is following the investment migration path taken by other countries like Canada. Canada suspended visa-free travel for Antigua and Barbuda in June 2017 and then revoked this for other Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) members. Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia citizens lost their privileges.

In June 2023, Canada extended visa-free travel to Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia with a valid visa to Canada within the last 10 years. Later in the month, they guaranteed expedited visa processing to Dominica and Grenada through the Can+ Visa Programme. 

Dominica Visa-Free Countries and Vanuatu Visa-Free Countries

This is a developing story about Dominica visa-free countries and Vanuatu passport visa-free countries. We will keep you up to date with their lists of visa-free countries. Rest assured that Dominica passport holders can enter the likes of Hong Kong without a visa still. But other Asian destinations such as Sri Linka require ETA.

Dominica passport visa-free countries include Vanuatu. You do not require a tourist visa to stay in Vanuatu for up to 90 days.

Do you want to know more about the Dominica passport? Visa-free countries? How about the Vanuatu passport? Which countries are a visa-on-arrival country? Don’t delay and contact us today!