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🇬🇧 United Kingdom

United Kingdom is no. 6 in our list of the 50 most visited destinations, with 41.8 million international arrivals in 2024. Below: visa rules for every passport, cash limits at customs and the tourist traps official travel advice warns about.

Rank 6 of 50 by international arrivals (41.8 million, 2024) · Source: UN Tourism

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Visa rules for your passport ↓

Explore United Kingdom: things to do, shopping, food and getting around

London first. Every item links to the page it was taken from; official tourism-board, museum and transport pages first.

Things to do

Places to visit

Shopping

Cheap ways to get around

  • Bus 'Hopper': £1.75 for unlimited rides in an hour

    London

    Pay by contactless or Oyster and every bus or tram you board within an hour is covered. Bus-only travel is capped at £5.25 a day (rising to £1.85 a ride and a £5.55 cap from 1 November 2026).

    Source: Transport for London – Bus and tram fares

  • Tap the same card and let the cap work

    London

    Contactless and Oyster fares are capped daily and weekly (Zones 1–2: £8.90 a day). Use the same card or phone every time and touch out on the Tube, or the cap won't apply.

    Source: Transport for London – Fare capping

  • Use your overseas contactless card

    London

    Many cards issued outside the UK work for pay as you go (your bank may charge overseas fees); it's cheaper than paper tickets.

    Source: Transport for London – Pay as you go

Nightlife

Food

General tips

Summarised in our own words from the linked pages, official tourism boards and transport authorities first; items marked "Not official" come from other guides. Prices and opening times change, so check the source before you go. Last checked 23 Oct 2026.

Common tourist traps and how to avoid them

Scams and risky spots named in official travel advice for United Kingdom, plus a few reported in public visitor reviews (labelled), in our own words.

  1. Phone and bag snatching by bike or scooter

    How it works: Thieves on scooters or bicycles grab phones and bags, increasingly in central London.

    How to avoid it: Keep your phone away from the kerb and out of sight, and use bags that close.

  2. Pickpocketing at landmarks and on transport

    How it works: Pickpockets work crowds, public transport and landmarks, especially in summer.

    How to avoid it: Do not keep valuables in pockets or open shoulder bags.

  3. Card and PIN theft

    How it works: Thieves watch you enter your PIN at ATMs and card machines.

    How to avoid it: Keep the card in sight, cover your PIN and check your statements.

  4. Unlicensed taxis

    How it works: Assaults and robberies have been reported in unlicensed minicabs.

    How to avoid it: Only use marked, licensed taxis or pre-booked licensed minicabs.

  5. Fake visa/ETA websites

    How it works: Private websites and agents charge extra or scam people applying for UK visas and ETAs.

    How to avoid it: Apply only on gov.uk (or the official UK ETA app).

  6. Drink spiking

    How it works: Drinks can be spiked in bars and clubs.

    How to avoid it: Watch your drink being made and never leave it alone.

  7. Pedicab rides with a huge bill at the end

    How it works: In the West End, pedicab riders offer a short ride without a clear price, then demand hundreds of pounds at the end; visitors report bills of £450–£500 for short trips.

    How to avoid it: Agree the total price before you get in, or take a bus or black cab. TfL's 2026 pedicab rules cap fares at a £5 base fare plus £1 a minute (and up to £3 for each extra passenger).

    From visitor reviews, not official West End, London. Sources: reddit.com · reddit.com · reddit.com · content.tfl.gov.uk. Researched 23 Oct 2026; there is no official page to re-check, so this date is not updated automatically.

Areas flagged in official advice

  • Large protests or crowds (can turn violent)
  • Northern Ireland around the marching season (April–August, especially near 12 July)

Official advice: Smartraveller: exercise a high degree of caution (UK terrorism threat level "severe"). FCDO does not publish advice for the UK itself.

Emergency numbers in United Kingdom

Other traps paraphrased from official travel advice: Smartraveller (Australian Government) · Last checked 4 Oct 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Cash you can bring in and take out

Customs rules for banknotes and other cash when you enter or leave United Kingdom.

UK cash declaration (HMRC / Border Force)

Bringing cash in
Declare cash of £10,000 or more carried between Great Britain and any country outside the UK (including EU countries).
Taking cash out
Declare before you leave Great Britain with £10,000 or more.
Local currency (GBP) in
No limit (declaration only).
Local currency (GBP) out
No limit (declaration only).
Foreign currency
No limit (declaration only).
  • Families/groups carrying £10,000 or more in total must declare even if each person carries less.
  • Declare online or by phone up to 72 hours before travel; keep the reference number.
  • Northern Ireland follows the EU rule: declare €10,000 or more between NI and non-EU countries, and when arriving in NI from Great Britain.

Official source: gov.uk · Last checked 2 Nov 2026

United Kingdom visa rules by passport

The general rule for each passport, from official sources. Open a passport to see conditions and options that depend on where you live.

Visa-free84 passports
Embassy visa114 passports

Verified rules for United Kingdom: 198 of 198 passports; awaiting verification: 0; not yet covered: 0. A rule that is awaiting verification or not yet covered is not a negative visa decision: it only means we haven't confirmed it on an official source yet.

Nearby destinations

Official travel advice

Suggest something for our United Kingdom guide

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Optional travel offers

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Plan your trip to United Kingdom

Verify with the embassy before you book. Visa rules change without notice. We link every rule to its official source and last checked it on 2 Nov 2026, but the embassy, official e-visa portal and your airline have the final say. MyVisaPort is not a visa agent and is not affiliated with any government.