UK Announces 26 Countries Whose Citizens Are Allowed Faster Clearance at the Border
- The UK government has published eligibility criteria for its Registered Traveller scheme, which grants faster clearance at the British border
- Only citizens holding passports from a specific list of countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas qualify for the scheme
- Applicants must be 18 or older and must meet additional visit history or visa requirements before they can apply
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The United Kingdom government has released the list of countries whose citizens are eligible to apply for Registered Traveller membership, a scheme that allows faster clearance when entering the UK at the border.
The guidance, published on the UK government's official website, sets out the conditions applicants must meet. Beyond holding an eligible passport, every applicant must be at least 18 years old.
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They must also either hold a valid UK visa, if they require one to visit the country, or have entered the UK on at least four separate occasions within the past 24 months, if they are visa-exempt.
The government clarified that only direct entries into the UK count; passing through the country in transit does not qualify.
Countries eligible for UK Registered Traveller scheme
The full list of eligible passport-holding nations spans seven regions:
Africa:
1. Seychelles.
Asia:
2. Brunei.
3. Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region passports only).
4. Macao Special Administrative Region.
5. Malaysia.
6. Maldives.
7. Taiwan (only if the passport carries a personal ID number on the photo page).
Europe:
8. Andorra.
9. Monaco.
10. Vatican City State.
Middle East:
11. Israel (travel documents issued in lieu of a national passport, also called provisional passports, are not eligible).
North America:
12. Bahamas.
13. Mexico.
14. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Oceania:
15. Papua New Guinea.
16. Samoa.
17. Tonga.
South and Central America:
18. Argentina.
19. Belize.
20. Brazil.
21. Chile.
22. Costa Rica.
23. Guatemala.
24. Panama.
25. Paraguay.
26. Uruguay.
UK: What the scheme offers travellers
The Registered Traveller scheme is designed to speed up the entry process for frequent visitors from non-European countries who hold eligible passports.
Rather than queuing at standard border control, members gain access to faster lanes when arriving in the UK.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that the UK had announced the only African countries whose citizens are eligible for faster clearance at the border.
Countries eligible to enter UK with DVA
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the UK had listed countries eligible to enter Britain with a DVA.
According to the UK government, the Diplomatic Visa Arrangement (DVA) functions as a UK visitor visa specifically for individuals travelling on diplomatic passports.
The scheme is not open to all countries, and the government has published a definitive list of which nationalities are eligible.
Source: Legit.ng
