• ECB16.1 Police registration
• ECB16.2 Exemptions from police registration

See other guidance information ECB01 - Immigration legislation and powers ECB02 - Human rights and Race Discrimination considerations ECB03 - What is entry clearance? ECB04 - Who needs an entry clearance? ECB05 - Where to apply - the policy ECB06 - Entry clearance fees ECB07 - Returnability ECB08 - What are acceptable travel documents for entry clearance? ECB09 - Types and validity of entry clearance ECB10 - Making a decision on an application ECB11 - Significance of information from a sponsor ECB12 - Undertakings ECB13 - Visa endorsements and conditions ECB14 - ID cards and leave to remain ECB15 - Arriving in/Departing from the UK ECB17 - Transferring or replacing visas in new passports and unused visas ECB18 ECO revocation of an entry clearance ECB19 - Correcting an incorrect endorsement ECB20 - Unresolved applications ECB21 Risk and Liaison Overseas Network  

ECB16.1 Police registration

Nationals of countries listed below granted leave in accordance with Paragraphs 325 and 326 of the Immigration Rules, are required to register with the police where they are given leave to enter for more than 6 months. The entry clearance vignette must state if registration is necessary.

Afghanistan Algeria Argentina Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Belarus Bolivia Brazil China Colombia Cuba Egypt Georgia Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Kuwait

Lebanon Libya Moldova Morocco North Korea Oman Palestine Peru Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Sudan Syria Tajikistan Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan UAE Ukraine Uzbekistan Yemen Holders of Stateless Documents

Dual nationals should not be required to register unless both the nationalities held are listed above. Dependants aged 16 or over of nationals required to register with the police are only required to register if they are also nationals or citizens of one of the countries where registration is required.

In London, police registration is made at the:

Overseas Visitors Registration Office (OVRO),
Brandon House,
180 Borough High Street,
London SE1 1LH.
Tel. 020 7230 1208.

Elsewhere the person will register at the nearest police station specified as a registration office.

A fee is charged for the initial registration certificate which will show the conditions on which a person has been given leave to enter or leave to remain.

Further information on how a person can register with the Police is published on the UK Border Agency website.

Back to top

ECB16.2 Exemptions from police registration

Those given leave to enter (including their dependants nb. except dependants of off-shore workers) in the categories below are not normally required to register with the Police:

a. Tier 5 Temporary Workers sponsored as private servants in diplomatic households and overseas government employees
b. Tier 2 (Minister of Religion) Migrants
c. on the basis of marriage to or civil partnership with a person settled in the UK or as the unmarried or same-sex partner of a person settled in the UK
d. those exercising access rights to a child resident in the UK
e. parents of a child at school
f. following the grant of asylum.

The following are also exempt from the requirement to register:

g. members of non-NATO forces admitted for courses at British military establishments or with private companies (Course F)
h. Community Service Volunteers
i. civilian components of NATO forces
j. non-visa national employees of contractors to US Armed Forces in the UK
k. non-visa nationals employees of the American Battle Monuments Commission.

Back to top