The British Government has moved to impose visa restrictions for Trinidad and Tobago citizens and scrapped freedom of movement to the UK from the twin-island republic effective Wednesday (March 12).

In an advisory issued on the gov.uk portal, Trinbagonian nationals must apply for a tourist visa as the previous electronic travel authorisation (ETA) has been discontinued with immediate effect.  The restriction applies to Trinidad and Tobago citizens travelling to and transiting through the UK.

Before, Trinidadians only required an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to travel to the United Kingdom for short stays under six months.

For current ETA holders from Trinidad and Tobago with a validity date up to April 23, the UK Government advised that citizens will still be permitted to land under specific conditions.

In the first instance, Trinibagonians will get the travel green light if flights were either booked before 3:00 pm (UK time) on March 12 or if the booking was for a trip arriving in the UK before April 23.

“You will need to prove your booking when you travel and when you arrive. You cannot amend a booking to meet these conditions. You will need to apply for a visa instead,” the portal disclosed.

Travelling to the UK after April 23 will require the provision of a visa, as the government-issued ETA will be cancelled without refunds.

British media report that the visa imposition is consequent to an ‘immigration loophole’ exploited by ‘hundreds’ of citizens from the twin-island country who abused an asylum application system.

“[Asylum] claims from [Trinbagonians] have risen from an average of 49 a year between 2015 and 2019 to 439 last year. The numbers have been rising steadily over the past few years, with 173 in 2022 and 348 in 2023. The Home Office has found that many visitors from the country were overstaying the six-month period allowed for tourists and claiming asylum, saying it was unsafe to return to the Caribbean country,” wrote The Times.

NB: A previous version of this article erroneously stated Tuesday (March 11) as the start date for the UK visa restrictions.