The United Kingdom introduces a visa requirement for Saint Lucian nationals

On 5 March 2026 the Home Office laid before Parliament a statement of changes to the Immigration Rules that places Saint Lucia and Nicaragua on the list of visa nationals and removes them from the countries eligible for an ETA. According to the explanatory memorandum, visitors can thus be assessed before they travel. The changes came into effect at 15:00 GMT on 5 March 2026; the six-week transition period ended at 15:00 BST on 16 April 2026.

The reasoning gives two arguments. First, between January 2022 and December 2025, 360 Saint Lucian nationals claimed asylum in the UK, 128 (36%) of them at port; at the end of December 2025, 222 Saint Lucian nationals were receiving asylum support. Second, Saint Lucia grants citizenship by investment, which the memorandum calls an "inherently high-risk" practice; the risk is driven largely by the historic sale of high volumes of citizenships and associated passports. In 2023–24 the programme received around 5,642 applications, a 423% annual increase, and the number of people arriving on Saint Lucian passports to claim asylum or work illegally rose. The Home Office keeps the visa requirement under review.

In its statement of 5 March 2026 the government of Saint Lucia acknowledged that the decision affects many citizens who travel for family visits, business, education or tourism, and said that "active diplomatic engagement with the United Kingdom is ongoing". According to the Ministry of Education, Ireland also requires a visa from Saint Lucian nationals from 15 June 2026.