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Botswana visitor-visa requirement and closure of new ETA applications

Validated finding · five-country-2010-20260922-v118-evidence-presentation-fix

CountryUnited Kingdom
Operative dateOctober 14, 2025
CategoryBorder control / entry requirements
Policy toolVisa requirement / eta eligibility
Affected groupVisitors / transit passengers

Policy effect

At 15:00 BST on 14 October 2025, HC 1333 added Botswana to VN 1.1(a), the nationality list requiring entry clearance in advance, and removed Botswana from the ETA National List. This correction covers the visitor-visa change and linked closure of new ETA applications, not the separate direct-airside-transit change of 15 October 2025. An ETA is not a continuing alternative for Botswana nationals who fall under the new visit-visa requirement. A time-limited exception was inserted at VN 2.2(r): Botswana nationals or citizens with a confirmed UK booking made before 15:00 BST on 14 October 2025 can arrive no later than 15:00 GMT on 25 November 2025 without obtaining a visit visa under this nationality change. The official explanatory memorandum describes this transition for travellers already holding an ETA and explains that new ETA applications close at the introduction time. The exception does not cover visits longer than six months or visits to marry, form a civil partnership or give notice, except the statutory 'relevant national' qualification in VN 2.3(a). Ordinary visitor eligibility and permission-to-enter requirements still apply; this is not an unconditional right of admission. The accompanying official historical Rules preserve the distinction between an ETA and entry permission: an ETA holder still needs permission to enter on arrival, while a person already holding valid entry clearance or permission to enter or stay does not need an ETA. The transition's later arrival deadline is expressly GMT, while the introduction and booking cutoff are BST. This record does not newly count the accepted separate Botswana direct-airside-transit measure or assert that all existing visas or UK permissions were cancelled.

Conditions and exceptions

Validated condition or limit: An ETA is not a continuing alternative for Botswana nationals who fall under the new visit-visa requirement.; A time-limited exception was inserted at VN 2.2(r): Botswana nationals or citizens with a confirmed UK booking made before 15:00 BST on 14 October 2025 can arrive no later than 15:00 GMT on 25 November 2025 without obtaining a visit visa under this nationality change.; The official explanatory memorandum describes this transition for travellers already holding an ETA and explains that new ETA applications close at the introduction time.; The exception does not cover visits longer than six months or visits to marry, form a civil partnership or give notice, except the statutory 'relevant national' qualification in VN 2.3(a).; Ordinary visitor eligibility and permission-to-enter requirements still apply; The transition's later arrival deadline is expressly GMT, while the…

Official source excerpt

Quoted verbatim from the official source below. Ellipses indicate omitted text.

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN IMMIGRATION RULES Presented to Parliament pursuant to section 3(2) of the Immigration Act 1971 Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 14 October 2025 (This document is accompanied by an Explanatory Memorandum) HC 1333 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN IMMIGRATION RULES Presented to Parliament pursuant to section 3(2) of the Immigration Act 1971 Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 14 October 2025 (This document is accompanied by an Explanatory Memorandum) HC 1333 © Crown copyright 2025 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. Queries should be directed to the Home Office as per the ‘Contact UKVI’ section on the visas and immigration pages of the GOV.UK website at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration. Specific written queries relating to this Statement of Changes should be directed to StateofChanges@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please note that this mailbox is only for Parliamentary use and specific technical queries regarding the drafting of this Statement of Changes. It is not a contact point for general enquiries. Queries to this e-mail address from outside Parliament about other immigration issues, including how these changes affect applications, will not receive a response. A copy of this Statement of Changes can be found at www.gov.uk/official-documents and also on the visas and immigration pages of the GOV.UK website at www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-rules-statement-of-changes ISBN 978-1-5286-6024-2 E03453738 10/25 Printed on paper containing 40% recycled fibre content minimum Printed in the UK by HH Associates Ltd. on behalf of the Controller of His Majesty’s Stationery Office STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN IMMIGRATION RULES1 The Home Secretary has made the changes hereinafter stated in the rules laid down by them as to the practice to be followed in the administration of the Immigration Acts for regulating entry into and the stay of persons in the United Kingdom and contained in the statement laid before Parliament on 23 May 1994 (HC 395) as amended. The amending statements were laid before, or presented to, Parliament on 20 September 1994 (Cm 2663), 26 October 1995 (HC 797), 4 January 1996 (Cm 3073), 7 March 1996 (HC 274), 2 April 1996 (HC 329), 29 August 1996 (Cm 3365), 31 October 1996 (HC 31), 27 February 1997 (HC 338), 29 May 1997 (Cm 3669), 5 June 1997 (HC 26), 30 July 1997 (HC 161), 11 May 1998 (Cm 3953), 7 October 1998 (Cm 4065), 18 November 1999 (HC 22), 28 July 2000 (HC 704), 20 September 2000 (Cm 4851), 28 August 2001 (Cm 5253), 16 April 2002 (HC 735), 27 August 2002 (Cm 5597), 7 November 2002 (HC 1301), 26 November 2002 (HC 104), 8 January 2003 (HC 180), 10 February 2003 (HC … 31 March 2003 (HC 538), 30 May 2003 (Cm 5829), 24 August 2003 (Cm 5949), 12 November 2003 (HC 1224), 17 December 2003 (HC 95), 12 January 2004 (HC 176), 26 February 2004 (HC 370), 31 March 2004 (HC 464), 29 April 2004 (HC 523), 3 August 2004 (Cm 6297), 24 September 2004 (Cm 6339), 18 October 2004 (HC 1112), 20 December 2004 (HC 164), 11 January 2005 (HC 194), 7 February 2005 (HC 302), 22 February 2005 (HC 346), 24 March 2005 (HC 486), 15 June 2005 (HC 104), 12 July 2005 (HC 299), 24 October 2005 (HC 582), 9 November 2005 (HC 645), 21 November 2005 (HC 697), 19 December 2005 (HC 769), 23 January 2006 (HC 819), 1 March 2006 (HC 949), 30 March 2006 (HC 1016), 20 April 2006 (HC 1053), 19 July 2006 (HC 1337), 18 September 2006 (Cm 6918), 7 November 2006 (HC 1702), 11 December 2006 (HC 130), 19 March 2007 (HC 398), 3 April 2007 (Cm 7074), 4 April 2007 (Cm 7075), 7 November 2007 (HC 28), 13 November 2007 (HC 40), 19 November 2007 (HC 82), 6 February 2008 (HC 321), 17 March 2008 (HC 420), 9 June 2008 (HC 607), 10 July 2008 (HC 951), 15 July 2008 (HC 971), 4 November 2008 (HC 1113), 9 February 2009 (HC 227), 9 March 2009 (HC 314), 24 April 2009 (HC 413), 9 September 2009 (Cm 7701), 23 September 2009 (Cm 7711), 10 December 2009 (HC 120), 10 February 2010 (HC 367), 18 March 2010 (HC 439), 28 June 2010 (HC 59), 15 July 2010 (HC 96), 22 July 2010 (HC 382), 19 August 2010 (Cm 7929), 1 October 2010 (Cm 7944), 21 December 2010 (HC 698), 16 March 2011 (HC 863), 31 March 2011 (HC 908), 13 June 2011 (HC 1148), 19 July 2011 (HC 1436), 10 October 2011 (HC 1511), 7 November 2011 (HC 1622), 8 December 2011 (HC 1693), 20 December 2011 (HC 1719), 19 January 2012 (HC 1733), 15 March 2012 (HC 1888), 4 April 2012 (Cm 8337), 13 June 2012 (HC 194), 9 July 2012 (HC 514), 19 July 2012 (Cm 8423), 5 September 2012 (HC 565), 22 November 2012 (HC 760), 12 December 2012 (HC 820), 20 December 2012 (HC 847), 30 January 2013 (HC 943), 7 February 2013 (HC 967), 11 March 2013 (HC 1038), 14 March 2013 (HC 1039), 9 April 2013 (Cm 8599), 10 June 2013 (HC 244), 31 July 2013 (Cm 8690), 6 September 2013 (HC 1 This Statement of Changes can be viewed at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-rules-statement-of-changes 1 628), 9 October 2013 (HC 686), 8 November 2013 (HC 803), 9 December 2013 (HC 887), 10 December 2013 (HC 901), 18 December 2013 (HC 938), 10 March 2014 (HC 1130), 13 March 2014 (HC 1138), 1 April 2014 (HC 1201), 10 June 2014 (HC 198), 10 July 2014 (HC 532), 16 October 2014 (HC 693), 26 February 2015 (HC 1025), 16 March 2015 (HC1116), 13 July 2015 (HC 297), 17 September 2015 (HC 437), 29 October 2015 (HC535), 11 March 2016 (HC 877), 3 November 2016 (HC 667), 16 March 2017 (HC 1078), 20 July 2017 (HC 290), 7 December 2017 (HC 309), 15 March 2018 (HC 895), 15 June 2018 (HC 1154), 20 July 2018 (Cm 9675), 11 October 2018 (HC 1534), 11 December 2018 (HC 1779), 20 December 2018 (HC 1849), 7 March 2019 (HC 1919), 1 April 2019 (HC 2099), 9 September 2019 (HC 2631), 24 Oc …
Home Office: complete original Statements of Changes and official historical RulesHome Office, Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 1333, 14 October 2025.Open official source
Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68ee3f1582670806f9d5e043/E03453738_-_HC_1333_-_Immigration_Rules_Changes__Web_Accessible_.pdf

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