UK Releases Official List of 52 African Countries Requiring Visas for Visits under 6 Months
- The UK Home Office has updated its Appendix Visitor visa national list on July 1, 2026, naming countries whose citizens must obtain a visa before travelling to the UK
- 52 African countries appear on the list, meaning nationals from those nations cannot visit the UK for any purpose without securing entry clearance in advance
- Many West African nations are among the African countries on the updated UK visa national list, and Legit.ng has explained what this visa requirement means
The United Kingdom's Home Office has published an updated visa national list requiring citizens of 44 African countries to obtain entry clearance before travelling to the UK for visits or any other purpose lasting less than six months.
The list, formally titled the Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Visa National List, was updated on 1 July 2026.
Source: Getty Images
Under rule VN 1.1, nationals of the listed countries must secure a visa in advance of travel unless they qualify under specific exceptions outlined in the same appendix.
UK visa: List of 52 African countries
The following African countries appear on the UK's updated visa national list:
1. Algeria.
2. Angola.
3. Benin.
4. Botswana.
5. Burkina Faso.
6. Burundi.
7. Cameroon.
8. Cape Verde.
9. Central African Republic.
10. Chad.
11. Comoros.
12. Congo.
13. Côte d'Ivoire (formerly Ivory Coast).
14. Democratic Republic of the Congo.
15. Djibouti.
16. Egypt.
17. Equatorial Guinea.
18. Eritrea.
19. Eswatini (formerly Swaziland).
20. Ethiopia.
21. Gabon.
22. Gambia.
23. Ghana.
24. Guinea.
25. Guinea-Bissau.
26. Kenya.
27. Lesotho.
28. Liberia.
29. Libya.
30. Madagascar.
31. Malawi.
32. Mali.
33. Mauritania.
34. Morocco.
35. Mozambique.
36. Namibia.
37. Niger.
38. Nigeria.
39. Rwanda.
40. São Tomé and Príncipe.
41. Senegal.
42. Sierra Leone.
43. Somalia.
44. South Africa.
45. South Sudan.
46. Sudan.
47. Tanzania.
48. Togo.
49. Tunisia.
50. Uganda.
51. Zambia.
52. Zimbabwe.
UK visa: What the requirement means
Citizens travelling on documents other than a national passport are also captured by the rule, regardless of whether the issuing country appears on the list. Stateless individuals are similarly required to obtain entry clearance before arriving in the UK.
The requirement applies to all purposes of travel lasting under six months, including tourism, business visits, and family visits, meaning affected nationals cannot rely on visa-on-arrival arrangements or any form of entry without prior clearance from UK authorities.
The full updated visa national list is available on the UK government's official website.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that the UK had released a guide to apply for a visitor's visa without needing an agent.
New UK immigration rules for 2026
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the UK government had unveiled extensive immigration reforms.
The changes, contained in Statement of Changes HC 259, were laid before Parliament on July 9, 2026.
They amended 42 sections of the Immigration Rules and introduced stricter requirements for visa applicants, employers, universities and sponsors, while expanding the government's powers to deport foreign offenders.
Source: Legit.ng
