02. Do I need permission to come to the UK?

Only people who have the 'right of abode' in the UK can come here without any immigration controls. This includes all British citizens, and a small number of Commonwealth and other British nationals (see 'Who has a right to British nationality?' ).

This right does not cover members of their families who are not British citizens. They must meet certain conditions to enter the country (see 'Categories of entry' ). There are some controls for Irish and many other European citizens (see 'What if I am a citizen of a European country?', below). All other people are checked, even if they live permanently in the UK (see 'What if I want to settle in the UK?' ).

What if I am a citizen of a European country?
If you are a citizen of a country within the European Economic Area (EEA), you are generally free to enter the UK, to work here and to stay here. However, you can be deported (made to leave) if you commit a serious crime.

The EEA is made up of:

• the 14 other European Union countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, the Irish Republic, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden);  
• Iceland;  
• Norway; and  
• Liechtenstein.  
• Citizens of Switzerland have the same rights here as EEA citizens.

Ten other European countries will become members of the EEA in May 2004, and their citizens will then have the same rights of free movement as those from any other EEA country.

The special rights of EEA citizens also cover their families (even if members of the family have other nationalities) as long as the EEA citizen is in the UK. If other those family members travel to the UK on passports of a country outside the EEA, they will need to have entry clearance (see 'What sort of permission do I need to come to the UK?'). However, they will not have to pay a fee for it.