Visa free travel for citizens of Guyana to the UK

Citizens of Guyana will no longer require visas to travel to the United Kingdom as of November 9. 

The decision comes as Guyana's global importance rise given its growing oil and gas export capacity.

United Kingdom High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller, made the announcement at a news conference on Tuesday morning. 

She said Guyanese would no longer need visas for up to six months. However, those who would like to stay much longer, work or study would need a visa.

Miller said that the abolition of the visa requirement is a “real sign” of the growing UK- Guyana relationship

President Irfaan Ali, who was at the press briefing, told reporters that while London has indicated that there would be no special security screening for Guyanese, he is urging nationals not to abuse the process, noting that a lot of hard work had gone into the United Kingdom agreeing to the decision.

The World Bank has projected Guyana's gross domestic product will increase by nearly 50 per cent this year and foreign investment has skyrocketed since American supermajor ExxonMobil and an international consortium found commercial oil and gas deposits off of Guyana 2015.

Jamaica is now one of a few CARICOM countries whose citizens require a visa to visit the UK. 

Guyana is a republic. 

- The Associated Press and the CMC contributed to this report. 

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