How to travel to the USA and UK without a visa: Which countries have visa-free access

Visa-free entry to the USA is available to 41 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program.

Entry to the United States for citizens of the European Union is also available in a visa-free regime. Exceptions are citizens of Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus.

The purpose of travel to the USA under the program must be in accordance with the B‑1/B‑2 visa: tourism, business meetings or treatment at local medical facilities. You can travel around the country, visit friends or relatives, and attend training and conferences.

Entry into the country under the program is prohibited for study or work in the United States.

Before traveling to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program, you must obtain permission to enter the country through the Electronic System of Authorization (ESTA). To obtain a permit, you need to go to the platform, fill out a form and pay a fee of $14.

Requirements for a citizen of a participating country:

1. No criminal record.

2. No previous refusals to enter the United States.

3. A holder of arnpassport with an electronic chip.

4. No trips to Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen since March 1st, 2011.

5. The purpose of travel to the USA is tourism, business meetings or transit.

6. Obtained electronic authorisation to enter the USA in the ESTA system.

7. A return ticket or other evidence of leaving the USA on time.

Citizens of 83 countries can stay in the UK for up to six months without a visa.

Citizens of countries that are not members of the European Union can arrive in the UK without a visa only in transit and on condition that they follow to Australia, Canada, America or New Zealand with a visa from one of these countries.

If a passenger arrives in the UK on a cruise ship, they can stay in the country without a visa for 24 hours.

To visit the US and UK without a visa, you can get a second citizenship in one of the countries with visa-free agreements.

The fastest way to get a second citizenship is through special state programs for investors.

Countries to obtain second citizenship by investment

Maltese citizens visit the UK visa-free and stay up to 180 days. They can stay in the US without a visa with a Maltese passport until the US Electronic Travel Authorization (ESTA) expires. It is usually valid for two years.

Citizens of Caribbean countries can stay in the UK without a visa for up to 180 days. In the United States, they get long-term visas under a simplified procedure.

Caribbean citizenship is obtained within 6 to 8 months for a non-refundable contribution to the economy or the real estate purchase. These are the main options for Caribbean citizenship programs.

Saint Lucia offers additional options: investment in local businesses and purchasing government bonds. Additional options are provided by Antigua and Barbuda, e.g. a contribution to the university fund or investment in a local business.

The minimum investment amounts for the programs of the Caribbean countries:

• $200,000+ as a contribution to a state fund;

• $200,000+ as a purchase of real estate.

Under the option of a non-refundable contribution to the fund, the investment amount will increase if the investor includes a family in the application. Under the option of buying real estate, the investor pays a special state fee depending on the program and family composition.

Individual cost calculation for Caribbean citizenship

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Malta citizenship is obtained for exceptional services by direct investment. This is citizenship by naturalisation, meaning that the investor needs to obtain a residence permit, maintain the status for one or three years, and then apply for citizenship.

Investors fulfil several investment conditions:

1. €600,000+ as a contribution to the National Development Fund.

2. €16,000+ per year for renting a property or €700,000+ for buying a property in Malta.

3. €10,000+ as a charitable contribution to a non-governmental organization.

The minimum investment amount is €690,000. Depending on the family’s composition, it will increase: an additional €50,000 must be paid for each relative.

Malta and the Caribbean allow investors to return their investments in real estate. 5 years after the purchase, investors can sell the object and return the money.

Individual cost calculation for Maltese citizenship

Get the cost calculation

1. Travelling without visas. In addition to the US and UK, a Maltese passport allows you to travel without visas to other 169 countries.

For citizens of the Caribbean countries, more than 140 countries are open in a visa-free regime. China is visa-free for citizens of Dominica and Grenada.

2. Possibility to obtain a visa to the USA. Citizens of the Caribbean can stay in the US for up to 180 days per year on a B‑1/B‑2 visa. The visa is issued for 10 years in two weeks.

With a Grenada passport, you can get a visa to the US E‑2. With such a visa, you can live and do business in the United States. Family members — spouses and children — can live, study and work in the United States. There are no restrictions on entry into and exit out of the country.

3. Relocating to Europe. Malta is an island European state, and its new citizens enjoy equal rights and freedoms with local residents. For example, they save on treatment in clinics, open accounts in international banks and develop international business.

4. Education on preferential terms. With a Maltese passport, studying at European universities is cheaper than with a passport from a non-EU country.

Citizens of the Caribbean countries can get scholarships to study at universities in the UK because the Caribbean countries are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. Commonwealth Scholarship Programs cover the majority of tuition fees, allowing you to save on tuition.

5. Benefits for tax residents. In Malta, tax residents do not pay property, wealth, inheritance or gift taxes. Maltese companies do not pay taxes on royalties, interest, and dividends.

Tax residents of the Caribbean do not pay taxes on income, capital gains, wealth and inheritance.