Nicaraguan and St Lucian nationals need a visa to enter or transit the UK, according to Home Office guidance for carriers, and the requirement is already in force.
Key facts
- Who: Nicaraguan and St Lucian nationals travelling to or through the UK, and the carriers that check their travel documents
- From: Already in force
- Source: UK visa requirements: list for carriers
The Home Office guidance for international carriers lists the countries and territories whose citizens need a visa to enter or transit the UK. Nicaragua and St Lucia both appear in the main list of nationals who need a visa to enter or transit the UK. The guidance is intended to help carriers check passengers' travel documents.
The guidance sets out how the visa requirement applies to transit. Nationals on the main list need a visa to transit "airside" or "landside" unless they hold one of the documents the guidance lists. These include a valid visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, and certain residence permits and visas issued by EEA states or Switzerland. The airside and landside conditions differ, and the guidance sets out each in full.
The guidance also says UK visas may now be in physical form or a digital eVisa. For a passenger with an eVisa, a "0A – Valid Permission to Travel Found" response message is satisfactory evidence of permission to travel to the UK.
Some visa nationals do not need a visa. These include people permanently resident in the UK who return within 2 years of their last departure, holders of a "certificate of entitlement to the right of abode" label in a valid passport, and holders of a refugee travel document issued by the UK. Seafarers travelling on duty may also be exempt if they hold a qualifying seafarer's book. St Lucia is among the countries listed for that seafarer exemption.
What this means for applicants
Nicaraguan and St Lucian nationals who want to visit or pass through the UK need a visa, unless an exemption in the guidance applies. Carriers use this list to check passengers' travel documents. The decision to allow transit without a visa is made by an immigration officer at the UK border. The guidance points to the "check if you need a UK visa" service, which can be used to determine whether a passenger requires a visa.
Related guide
Sources
- UK visa requirements: list for carriers, UK Visas and Immigration, GOV.UK