Colombia ’s president has hit back at the UK government saying his country will impose visa requirements on British citizens in response to the UK Government’s decision to impose visa rules on Colombian visitors. The number of Colombians claiming asylum in the UK has soared, prompting the Government to impose visa rules on visitors from the country. The changes, which came into force at 3pm on Tuesday, mean visitors from Colombia will now need a visa to travel to the UK.
Colombian nationals will also need a transit visa if they need to pass through the UK to travel on to another country. On Tuesday evening, Colombia’s leader Gustavo Petro said his country will adopt similar rules under “the principle of reciprocity”. He wrote in a post on X: “If the United Kingdom has reinstated the need for visas for the Colombian people, I have to say that by the principle of reciprocity, the Colombian government will ask for visas from British citizens who want to come to Colombia.
” The move means plans to allow Colombians to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) from Wednesday, for travel to the UK from January 8, will no longer be introduced. There will be a four-week, visa-free transition period for those who have already booked travel to the UK prior to 3pm on Tuesday, where visitors are due to arrive in the UK no later than 3pm on Christmas Eve. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the decision was made in the wake of a “significant and sustained” increase .