Travelling with UK ILR: Europe and visa-free countries

Indefinite leave to remain (ILR), settled status and other UK permission let you live in the UK. They do not change your nationality, and for most countries it is your passport that decides whether you need a visa. A small number of countries do admit holders of UK residence permits without a visa or with a visa on arrival. This guide separates the two.

Europe: the Schengen area and Ireland

UK ILR does not give visa-free entry to the Schengen area. France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and the other Schengen countries decide on your passport. If your nationality needs a Schengen visa (India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ghana, the Philippines and most African and Asian countries), you need one however long you have lived in the UK. Apply at the consulate of the country you will spend most time in; UK residence helps the application because it shows you will return, but it does not replace the visa. Visa-exempt nationalities (for example Brazilian, Malaysian or Mexican passport holders) can stay 90 days in any 180 under the Schengen rules, and from 2026 need the ETIAS travel authorisation once it is switched on.

Ireland is not in Schengen and has its own rules. Settled status or ILR does not exempt you from an Irish visa if your nationality needs one. The British-Irish visa scheme and the short-stay visa waiver work from a UK *visit* visa, not from residence.

Countries that admit UK residents without a visa

These arrangements come from each country's own rules and are checked against government sources on the date at the foot of this page. Conditions change without notice, and the border officer decides, so confirm with the embassy before you book.

Country	What UK residents get	Conditions
Mexico	Visa-free, up to 180 days	Indefinite leave to remain or enter (not temporary permission). Carry a printed eVisa status page and a share code.
Albania	Visa-free	Valid UK residence permission that has been used to enter the UK; stay limited by the permission's validity, and in practice 90 days in 180.
Georgia	Visa-free, 90 days in 180	Valid UK permission on the day of entry.
Montenegro	Visa-free, up to 30 days	Valid UK permission; border staff have had difficulty verifying eVisas, so take printed proof.
Moldova	Visa-free	Valid UK residence permission or visa.
Panama	Visa-free, 30 days, extendable	UK permission with at least a year left, used at least once to enter the UK; proof of funds and a return ticket.
Costa Rica	No consular visa	UK residence with at least 90 days left on arrival; refugee and humanitarian status excluded.
Dominican Republic	No visa, tourist card on arrival	Permanent UK residence or a multiple-entry UK visa.
Antigua and Barbuda	Visa on arrival	Valid UK visa or ILR, proof of return travel.
United Arab Emirates	Visa on arrival, 14 days (extendable) or 60 days	Only for Indian, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, Filipino, Kenyan and South African passports; passport and UK permission valid for six months.
Qatar	Electronic travel authorisation, then visa on arrival, 30 days	Valid UK permission, hotel booking, return ticket, passport valid six months.
Saudi Arabia	Visa on arrival or online	Permanent UK residence or a UK visit visa, used at least once to enter the UK.
Taiwan	Free online travel authorisation, 30 days	Valid UK residence, limited to certain nationalities (including Indian); print the authorisation.
Philippines	Visa-free, 30 days	Indian passport holders with valid UK permission; tourism only.
Türkiye	e-Visa, 30 days	Nationality-dependent (includes Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Filipino passports); Türkiye's own guidance refers to sticker visas, so check that a residence permission is accepted before paying. Use only the official gov.tr site.

Check first: Serbia and North Macedonia are reported by some sources to admit UK residence permit holders (North Macedonia's arrangement is said to run only to 31 December 2026), and by others to accept only UK or Schengen *visas*. Confirm with the embassy.

Not covered by UK residence: the USA (ESTA or a visa by nationality), Canada (eTA or visa by nationality), Australia, Japan, Singapore, Jamaica, Grenada and Oman.

Proving your status abroad

Biometric residence permits expired on 31 December 2024 and can no longer be used for travel. Before you go:

link your current passport in your UKVI account so airlines and the UK border can see your status;
generate a share code for "something else" and print your eVisa status page; several of the countries above still expect to see a document;
carry your passport, which must usually be valid for six months beyond your trip.

Coming back to the UK

ILR lapses if you are outside the UK for more than two years in a row (five years for EU settled status, four for Swiss nationals); after that you would need a returning resident visa, which is not automatic. Shorter trips do not affect ILR, but if you plan to apply for British citizenship, absences count towards the limits for the residence requirement, so keep a record of your travel dates. See British citizenship.