What it is for
Entry rules are specific to two things at once: the passport you hold and the country you are entering. General advice cannot answer that, which is why so much of what you read online is either too vague to use or quietly wrong for your situation.
Border Checker is being built to answer the questions that decide whether a journey starts smoothly:
- Do you need a visa or a travel authorisation, and how far in advance
- Whether your passport meets that country's validity rules, which are stricter than most people expect
- What a border officer is entitled to ask you to produce, such as a return ticket, proof of funds or an address
- How long you are allowed to stay, and how that interacts with trips you have already taken
Hear when it launches
The app is built but not yet released. Leave your email and we will tell you the day it goes live. That is the only thing this list is used for.
One email, at launch. No newsletter, and we will not pass your address to anyone else.
In the meantime
Our guide to visa and entry mistakes covers the rules that catch UK travellers out most often, including the passport validity rule that turns people away at the gate and the difference between the two EU border systems.
For the country you are going to, the primary source is always FCDO travel advice, which carries the entry requirements the UK government understands to be current.