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New visa regimes and changes to IRIS accounts for Bolivian and Venezuelan passport holders
11 May 2009
The UK Border Agency has announced new visa regimes and changes to the iris recognition immigration system (IRIS) enrolment criteria for Bolivian and Venezuelan passport holders.
From Sunday 17 May 2009, all existing IRIS accounts for nationals of Bolivia and Venezuela will be invalid.
If you are a Bolivian or Venezuelan passport holder and you want to continue using the IRIS facility, you will need to re-enrol at one of our designated IRIS enrolment rooms on or after 18 May 2009.
Please note that you cannot re-enrol before 18 May 2009.
If you decide to re-enrol, you will need to provide the following documentation to the IRIS enrolment room.
Bolivian passport holders
Before you re-enrol, you will need to hold a visa valid for travel to the United Kingdom.
When you re-enrol, you will need to provide:
- your valid passport or travel document;
- a valid United Kingdom visa which confirms your immigration status in the United Kingdom; and
- your boarding card.
For more information about the new visa regime for Bolivian passport holders, visit our visa services website.
Venezuelan holders of biometric chip passports (known as 'e-passports')
Valid biometric passports containing an electronic chip will be exempt from the new visa regime, but you will still need to re-enrol on or after 18 May 2009 if you want to continue using IRIS.
When you re-enrol, you will need to provide:
- your valid chip passport which confirms your immigration status in the United Kingdom; and
- your boarding card.
For more information about the new visa regime for Venezuelan passport holders, visit our visa services website.
Venezuelan holders of non-chipped passports (not e-passports)
Before you re-enrol, you will need to hold a visa valid for travel to the United Kingdom.
When you re-enrol, you will need to provide:
- your valid passport or travel document;
- a valid United Kingdom visa which confirms your immigration status in the United Kingdom; and
- your boarding card.
For more information about the new visa regime for Venezuelan passport holders, visit our visa services website.
The new visa regimes for Bolivia and Venezuela were announced last month, after both countries failed to pass the United Kingdom's strict new Visa Waiver Test.