TL;DR: Under HC 1691, nationals of Nicaragua and St Lucia become visa nationals for visits to the UK. The explanatory memorandum states that both countries are removed from Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) eligibility. New ETA applications for those nationalities are described as closing at 15:00 GMT on 5 March 2026, with the visit visa requirement expressed as commencing at 15:00 GMT on 5 March 2026. A six-week transition is described for some travellers with confirmed bookings and an ETA, expressed as ending at 15:00 BST on 16 April 2026. Direct airside transit visa changes are described as accompanying the policy to reduce circumvention.
The memorandum sets out operational and asylum-system rationales, including statistics on port asylum claims and, for St Lucia, commentary on Citizenship by Investment risk factors as published in the official text.
What changes for visitors
After the visit visa requirement takes effect, nationals of Nicaragua and St Lucia who need to visit the UK for tourism or other visitor purposes are expected to obtain entry clearance as a visitor in advance, unless a specific exemption applies under the Immigration Rules.
The memorandum explains that removing ETA eligibility is linked to ensuring travellers are assessed against Immigration Rules requirements before arrival.
Transition window: who may travel without a visit visa for a limited period
The memorandum describes a transition for people who already hold confirmed travel bookings made before the introduction of the visa requirement and who hold an ETA. During the transition, those travellers may enter without obtaining a visit visa first if travel falls within the stated window.
The memorandum warns that changing a booking date to fall inside the transition period does not remove the need for a visa where a visa is otherwise required under the described rules.
Linked transit visa changes
The memorandum states that amendments to the Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) Order 2014 are intended so that nationals of Nicaragua and St Lucia require a direct airside transit visa for airside transit in defined circumstances, with exceptions referenced as set out in Article 4 of that Order.
Official source
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-changes-to-the-immigration-rules-hc-1619-5-march-2026