ExploCountry guide · Northern Europe
United Kingdom travel guide: visa, best time, weather and plugs
Entry rules for every passport, the best months to go, live weather, public holidays and the plug you need for the United Kingdom. Capital: London.
Do you need a visa for the United Kingdom?
It depends on your passport. Of the 198 other passports in our data, 35 passports can enter the United Kingdom without a visa and 54 more get a visa on arrival or an eTA.
All 198 passports for United Kingdom · Visa checker · Passport validity checker for United Kingdom
United Kingdom at a glance
- Capital
- London
- Region
- Northern Europe, Europe
- Currency
- British pound (£, GBP)
- Languages
- English
- Calling code
- +44
- Drives on the
- left
- Power
- Type G · 230 V · 50 Hz
Best time to visit United Kingdom
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
May–Sep. Longest, warmest days of the year.
General guidance on weather, crowds and wildlife, not a forecast. The chart below shows what the weather actually did last year.
Weather in London
Month by month last year
- Daily high and low (°C), monthly average
- Rain (mm in the month)
Next public holidays in United Kingdom
Nationwide holidays only, from Nager.Date. Check dates locally before you book: they can move.
Power plugs and voltage in United Kingdom
- Type Gthree flat pins in a triangle
Mains power is 230 V at 50 Hz. Phone and laptop chargers usually accept 100 to 240 V, so they only need the right plug. Hair dryers, kettles and other single-voltage appliances need a matching voltage or a converter.
Do I need an adapter for the United Kingdom?
Hand-curated, so a good first answer: confirm before you fly.
More before you go
- Passport validity. Many countries want 3 to 6 months of validity left. Check your dates for United Kingdom or read the six-month rule explained.
- Other places you can go. Where can I go? lists the places your passport reaches that are also in season, and the passport ranking shows how yours compares.
Nearby countries
Questions
Do I need a visa for the United Kingdom?
It depends on your passport. Of the 198 other passports in our data, 35 passports can enter the United Kingdom without a visa, 54 passports need an eTA and 109 passports need a visa in advance. Pick your passport on this page, or see the full list on the all-passports page for United Kingdom.
When is the best time to visit the United Kingdom?
May–Sep. Longest, warmest days of the year.
What plug type and voltage does the United Kingdom use?
United Kingdom uses plug type G at 230 V and 50 Hz. Check that your devices accept that voltage before you plug them in. Plug data is hand-curated, so confirm before you fly.
Which side of the road do they drive on in the United Kingdom?
Traffic keeps to the left in the United Kingdom.
What currency does the United Kingdom use?
British pound (£, GBP).
What is the calling code for the United Kingdom?
+44.
What is the capital of the United Kingdom?
London.
How up to date is this information?
Entry rules come from the open Passport Index dataset, last updated 18 February 2026. Governments change rules often, so check with the embassy or the official immigration site before you book. Weather and public holidays on this page are fetched live from Open-Meteo and Nager.Date.
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Get ExploEntry rules come from the open Passport Index dataset by Ilya Ilyankou (MIT), last updated 18 February 2026. Governments change rules often, so treat this as a guide and check with the embassy or the official immigration site before you book.