Those who hold British passports are not required to apply for visas to visit Antigua and Barbuda and on entry you are granted a stay of one month. Those who wish to stay longer are required to apply and pay for an extension of stay. They can do so by applying to the Antigua and Barbuda Immigration Department. It is an offence to over stay the entry period without permission and to work without a work permit. Your passport should be valid for at least another six months from the date you arrive in the country.

Be sure to have a copy of the photo page of your passport with you, along with copies of any other relevant entry stamp in the event of your documentation being stolen. The British High Commission in Bridgetown will still continue to issue Emergency Passports for nationals who have misplaced their passports and who have an urgent need to travel.

Among those who do not need visas are nationals of Britain, Australia, Canada, United States of America, other EU countries and Japan. Those who do not need visas also include citizens of Commonwealth countries, except nationals of Bangladesh, Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, India, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone and Sri Lanka, who do require visas.

Travellers who are continuing their journey within 24 hours by the same or a connecting plane, holding valid onward and return documentation and who are not leaving the airport are not required to apply for a visa.

Single entry visas will cost £24 and are valid for 3 months from the date of issue, while the multiple-entry visa costing £28 and is valid for 6 months from date of issue. Those who are travelling for business purposes do not require visas, as long as the duration of their business stay does not exceed 6 months.

Application requirements include: a completed application form, one passport-sized photo, a valid passport, the fee(payable by postal order), with an additional £4 for postal applications, a letter from a travel agent confirming that accommodation has been booked on the islands and for business visits, proof of sufficient funds, confirmation of accommodation and onward/return ticket. Applications usually require 3 to 5 working days.

The requirements for visa applications can vary depending upon your country of origin, so it is wise to check with the Immigration department in Antigua to ensure that your documentation is valid and to establish if you need to provide anything else.