North American visas

Do I need a visa to go to North America?

Each of the countries in North America have different rules for entry. For UK citizens, some North American countries and territories require you to get a visa, and some don’t. Some North American visas are difficult to obtain, and some countries may even refuse you entry.

The table below shows whether North American visas are required for short term visits, for all of the countries and territories in North America.

How do I obtain a North American visa?

Some countries and territories in North America will issue you a visa when you arrive at the border, whereas others require you to obtain a visa in advance.

When overlanding through North America, you should plan in advance where you will need a visa for, and where you can obtain one from. You may not be able to obtain a visa for your country of interest in every country that you’re travelling through.  The table below provides an indication of where you can obtain one from.

Can I get an North American visa online?

You can obtain visas for some North American countries online, whereas for other countries you may have obtain the visa in person. 

The method for obtaining the visa, the cost and the time to get one are shown in the table below. The information in the table below is relevant for UK citizens. 

You may also find it useful to refer to our other information on driving abroad.

Visa requirements, methods of obtaining the visa, cost and time to obtain the visa by North American territory

Country	Visa Required	Cost	Time to obtain visa
Anguilla	No visa required for stay of up to 90 days. Pay departure tax at Clayton J Lloyd International Airport and Blowing Point ferry terminal.
Antigua and Barbuda	Yes, on arrival. One month granted which can be extended one month at a time. Most airlines include departure tax in their flight costs.
Aruba	No visa required for stay of up to 3 months. Complete online entry form.
Bahamas	Yes, on arrival. One month granted which can be extended up to 8 months. Time spent in Bahamas when in possession of a USA ESTA counts towards the 90 days.
Barbados	Yes, on arrival. One month granted which can be extended one month at a time.
Belize	Yes, on arrival. 30 days granted which can be extended 30 days at a time at a cost of BZD$200 per month.
Bermuda	Yes, on arrival. 180 days granted which can be extended. Visitors must complete a Bermuda arrival card.
Bonaire	No visa required for stay of up to 3 months.
British Virgin Islands	No visa required for stay off up to one month, which can be extended. Complete an online embarkation card. There is an arrival tax of US$10. there is a departure tax of US$50 by air or US$20 by ferry.
Canada	No, obtain an eTA for your visit if arriving by air. 6 months granted.	CAD7 for eTa	1-3 days
Cayman Islands	No visa required for stay of up to six months. You can enter the Cayman Islands for up to 30 days without a UK passport if you have photo identification and a certified copy of a UK birth certificate, or a naturalisation certificate.
Costa Rica	Yes, on arrival. 180 days granted which can be extended.
Cuba	No, for up to 90 days. Tourist card required. You must complete an online arrival form on the D’Viajeros traveller information portal within 72 hours before entering the country.	£27	3 days
Curaçao	No visa required for stay of up to 90 days, which can be extended. You must complete a digital immigration card.
Dominica	Yes, on arrival. One month granted which can be extended one month at a time. There is a departure tax of 86 East Caribbean dollars or US$33 – it is usually included in the cost of your plane ticket. You also need to pay departure tax if travelling by ferry.
Dominican Republic	Yes, on arrival. One month granted which can be extended one month at a time. You must fill in an entry and exit form before arriving in and leaving the Dominican Republic You may be refused entry if you do not have proof of onward or return travel when you arrive in the country.
El Salvador	Yes, on arrival – up to 180 days granted. British tourists can travel within any of the CA-4 countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua) for a period of up to 90 days which starts at the first point of entry of any of the CA-4 countries.
Grenada	Yes, on arrival. One month granted which can be extended one month at a time.
Guadeloupe	No visa required for stay of up to 90 days.
Guatemala	Yes, on arrival. 90 days granted which can be extended. Ensure that your passport is stamped on arrival, as if you do not, you will get a fine and be delayed on your departure. Before you enter or exit Guatemala, you must complete the online immigration declaration form. Guatemalan customs or immigration officials sometimes ask travellers crossing land borders to pay an ‘entry fee’, which is illegal. If you are asked to pay a fee, ask for an official receipt, and you may find the officials drop the request. British tourists can travel within any of the CA-4 countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua) for a period of up to 90 days which starts at the first point of entry of any of the CA-4 countries.	£50	30 days
Haiti	Yes, on arrival. 90 days granted which can be extended. Tourists must pay an entry fee of US$10 in cash on arrival. Tourists must pay a departure tax of US$55.	$10
Honduras	Yes, you must have a visa to visit Honduras, contact the nearest Honduras Embassy. 90 days granted which can be extended. Immigration pre-arrival form required. Ensure that your passport is stamped on arrival, as if you do not, you will get a fine and be delayed on your departure. If you arrive at or depart from a land border, the immigration authorities will charge you a fee of US$3. Keep the receipt until you leave Honduras and make sure you get a stamp in your passport. British tourists can travel within any of the CA-4 countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua) for a period of up to 90 days which starts at the first point of entry of any of the CA-4 countries.
Jamaica	Yes, on arrival. 90 days granted which can be extended. Arrival and departure taxes are usually included in the cost of your ticket
Martinique	No visa required for stay of up to 90 days.
Mexico	Yes, on arrival. One month granted which can be extended. When entering Mexico by land fill out an immigration form online. You must pay an entry tax to visit the state of Quintana Roo – you can pay the entry tax online before or during your stay.
Montserrat	No visa required for stay of up to 180 days. There is a departure tax of of 45 East Caribbean dollars.
Nicaragua	Yes, on arrival. 90 days granted which can be extended. British tourists can travel within any of the CA-4 countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua) for a period of up to 90 days which starts at the first point of entry of any of the CA-4 countries.
Panama	Yes, on arrival. 3 months granted which cannot be extended.
Puerto Rico	Yes, apply for ESTA or Visa. 90 days granted with ESTA, which cannot be extended. 180 days granted with B2 visa, which can be extended. Note that with ESTA, the ‘rule of thumb’ is that you leave the USA for 91 days before returning. In general, short trips spent in neighbouring countries, such as Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean, will count towards the 90 days grated with ESTA.	ESTA: $21 Visa: $185	ESTA: 3 days Visa: 3 weeks
Saba	No visa required for stay of up to 3 months.
Saint Barthélemy	No visa required for stay of up to 90 days.
Sint Eustatius	No visa required for stay of up to 3 months.
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Yes, on arrival. Six months granted which can be extended one month at a time. Before you travel, complete the immigration form online.
Saint Martin / Saint-Martin / Sint Maarten	No visa required for stay of up to 90 days.
Saint Lucia	Yes, on arrival. Six weeks granted which can be extended one month at a time. Ensure that your passport is stamped on arrival, as if you do not, you will get a fine and be delayed on your departure. Fill in an online immigration form.
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	No visa required for stay of up to 90 days.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Yes, on arrival. Six months granted which can be extended one month at a time.
Trinidad and Tobago	Yes, on arrival. 90 days granted which can be extended. Ensure that your passport is stamped on arrival, as if you do not, you will get a fine and be delayed on your departure.
Turks and Caicos Islands	No visa required for stay of up to 90 days.
United States of America	Yes, apply for ESTA or Visa. 90 days granted with ESTA, which cannot be extended. 180 days granted with B2 visa, which can be extended. Note that with ESTA, the ‘rule of thumb’ is that you leave the USA for 91 days before returning. In general, short trips spent in neighbouring countries, such as Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean, will count towards the 90 days grated with ESTA.	ESTA: $21 Visa: $185	ESTA: 3 days Visa: 3 weeks
United States Virgin Islands	No visa is required to enter the US Virgin Islands with a UK passport (Nov, 2024). However you must apply for ESTA, which has restrictions on eligibility dependent on which countries you may have travelled to.