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United Kingdom

Usually admitted, but questioning or secondary inspection is common.

Based on 30 reports. Score 0.58 on a scale from −1 (always refused) to +1 (always admitted), with recent reports counting most. How scoring works

What to expect

Every report since 2025 describes admission, mostly travelers who obtained a UK ETA after disclosing an old conviction and then entered by Eurostar from Paris or Brussels, cleared in minutes.346–812 Two travelers flying into London in September 2026, each holding an ETA and a full eVisa and having given 21-day notice, were asked about the eVisa, briefly checked, and admitted.12 The four refusals on file are older, from 2013 and 2023, all involving arrivals rather than transit; one traveler was held at Heathrow about 24 hours and escorted onto a return flight.528–3034

Written by an AI model from the reports below on September 28, 2026. The numbers link to the reports each sentence is based on. Read those before you decide.

Law restricts entry for people with criminal records

An ETA must be refused if you ever received a custodial or suspended sentence of 12 months or more, or were convicted of any offence in the last 12 months. Visit visa applicants with a sentence of 12 months or more must be refused; shorter sentences and non-custodial sentences may lead to refusal.

Immigration Rules, Appendix Electronic Travel Authorisation, paras ETA 2.2 and ETA 2.3; Immigration Rules, Part Suitability, paras SUI 5.1 (mandatory) and SUI 5.3 (discretionary) · mandatory

Common questions

Can registered sex offenders enter United Kingdom?

It's rated Caution: Usually admitted, but questioning or secondary inspection is common. Of 5 trips reported in the last two years by people on a US registry, 4 ended in entry and 1 in refusal. An ETA must be refused if you ever received a custodial or suspended sentence of 12 months or more, or were convicted of any offence in the last 12 months. Visit visa applicants with a sentence of 12 months or more must be refused; shorter sentences and non-custodial sentences may lead to refusal.

Do United Kingdom's border officers know about US registrants in advance?

None of the reports on file describe officers appearing to know in advance.

How do travelers usually arrive in United Kingdom?

Reports on file describe 9 by air, 2 by land, 1 by sea or cruise. Outcomes can differ by how travelers arrive; each report below says which.

Reports

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  1. 1Sep 2026

    Admitted, no issues · By air, London (connecting to Edinburgh)

    A lifetime registrant applied for and received both an ETA and a full UK e-visa before travel, gave the required advance notice, and flew into London. At passport control the officer asked about the e-visa, reviewed the documents, conferred with a second officer for about two minutes, then admitted the traveler politely. The onward flight to Edinburgh was domestic, so no further checks occurred.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  2. 2Sep 2026

    Admitted after questioning · By air, London (arrival for connecting flight to Edinburgh)

    The traveler applied for and received both an ETA and a full UK eVisa (including biometrics in the US) before departing, and gave the required 21-day advance notice to their state registry. At London passport control the officer checked the passport and computer, asked to see the eVisa, briefly conferred with a second officer for about two minutes, then returned the documents and welcomed them. The onward flight to Edinburgh was domestic, so there was no further immigration check; they stayed 10 days.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  3. 3Aug 2026 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues · Over land, entered via train from Paris

    A former registrant, no longer required to register, entered the United Kingdom with no issue using an ETA. To avoid a possible advance-notification problem on a direct flight, they flew into Paris and took the train to London.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand · Former registrant

  4. 4May 2026

    Admitted, no issues · Over land, Eurostar terminal in Paris (UK juxtaposed controls)

    The traveler took the Eurostar train from Paris to London and cleared UK immigration at the station in France. With an electronic travel authorization linked to the passport, clearance took under a minute, and the traveler toured the UK for over two weeks.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  5. 5Feb 2026 (reported)

    Refused entry

    The traveler mentioned having been turned away from the UK a few years earlier while holding a marked passport.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  6. 6May 2025

    Admitted, no issues · Over land, Brussels Eurostar terminal / London

    With no registration obligation and an unmarked passport, the traveler applied for a UK ETA answering all questions truthfully and was approved within ten minutes, then took the Eurostar from Brussels to London, clearing the juxtaposed border check without any problems.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand · Former registrant

  7. 7May 2025

    Admitted, no issues · Over land, Eurostar UK border control at Brussels

    The traveler applied for a UK ETA through the official app, disclosing the conviction truthfully, and was approved within 15 minutes. They then entered the UK via Eurostar from Brussels with just a passport scan and a welcome from the border officer.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand · Former registrant

  8. 8Apr 2025

    Admitted, no issues · Over land, London (Channel train from Brussels)

    A former registrant, more than two years after being removed from the registry, obtained an approved UK ETA and entered London by Channel train from Brussels with no hassle on entry or exit.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · Forum post · Firsthand · Former registrant

  9. 9Feb 2025

    Admitted, no issues · Changing planes, London Heathrow

    The traveler had an eight-hour layover; passports were scanned and nothing was said about the new electronic travel authorization, and the onward flight was made without issue.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand · Former registrant

  10. 10Jan 2025 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues · Changing planes, London Heathrow

    The traveler transited Heathrow three times without issue, once before holding a marked passport and twice with one; on one occasion they were bussed between terminals but never passed through UK immigration and their passport was not scanned.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  11. 11Jan 2025

    Admitted, no issues · Changing planes, Heathrow

    After truthfully disclosing an old conviction on the UK ETA application and being approved, the traveler flew into Heathrow but transited onward without clearing customs; the connection was made without issue.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand · Former registrant

  12. 122025

    Admitted, no issues · Over land, Eurostar/Channel Tunnel train border control at the station

    The traveler applied for the UK ETA through the app while in Belgium, disclosed a decades-old felony conviction, and was approved within an hour. They then took the Channel Tunnel train to London, clearing border control at the station, with no problems entering or leaving.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand · Former registrant

  13. 13Dec 2024 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues · Changing planes, London Heathrow

    The traveler transited Heathrow three times while on the registry and made the connections without issue.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  14. 14Nov 2024 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues · By sea or cruise

    The traveler's cruise included stops in Scotland, England, Wales and the Isle of Man with no reported problems going ashore.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  15. 15Oct 2024 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues · Changing planes, London Heathrow

    The traveler changed planes at Heathrow without passing through immigration and made the connection without being stopped.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  16. 16Jul 2024

    Admitted, no issues · By sea or cruise, Scottish and English cruise ports

    A former registrant made several cruise port calls in this country during a multi-week itinerary without reporting problems. They later obtained an electronic travel authorization by answering the criminal-history questions honestly, with a decades-old conviction and a short sentence.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · Forum post · Firsthand · Former registrant

  17. 17Jun 2024

    Admitted, no issues · By sea or cruise, Cruise ports in Scotland, England and Wales (Kirkwall, Inverness, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Liverpool, Holyhead)

    The traveler arrived in UK waters by cruise ship; a Scottish immigration officer boarded and simply compared faces to passport photos with no scanning or database lookup, and the ship held passports for the rest of the voyage. At each UK port passengers walked off with no immigration or customs checks. No 21-day notice was filed and the traveler was no longer required to register.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand · Former registrant

  18. 18May 2024 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues · Changing planes, London Heathrow

    The traveler made three separate layovers at the airport while holding a passport with the endorsement, staying in the secure transit area and never passing through immigration, and made all connections without issues or any apparent advance notification.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · Forum post · Firsthand

  19. 19Mar 2024 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues

    A poster relayed an online account from someone who entered the United Kingdom after coming off the registry a couple of years earlier, with a conviction roughly two decades old, and had no entry problems.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Secondhand · Former registrant

  20. 20Mar 2024 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues · By air

    The same traveler reported entering the UK six times over the past decade without any problems.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  21. 21Mar 2024 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues · Changing planes, London Heathrow

    The traveler passed through a London airport three times while holding a passport with the registrant identifier, without issue.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  22. 22Feb 2024 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues · Over land, Paris (Eurostar) juxtaposed control to London

    A dual US/EU citizen traveled by train from Paris to London, clearing UK controls in Paris using the non-US passport; the e-gates opened with no questions and there were no checks on arrival in London.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  23. 23Jan 2024 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues · Changing planes, Heathrow

    The traveler transited Heathrow three times on US-bound flights, once changing terminals, remaining in the secure zone and never passing through UK immigration.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  24. 24Jan 2024 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues

    A former registrant reported entering the United Kingdom six times without problems.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand · Former registrant

  25. 252024

    Admitted, no issues · By sea or cruise, cruise ship port calls

    The traveler made several UK stops (England, Scotland, Isle of Man) while on a cruise ship without any issues going ashore.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand · Former registrant

  26. 26Aug 2023 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues · By air

    The traveler, whose record had been expunged, entered the UK using the automated passport kiosks with no issues and had no trouble returning to the US.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · Forum post · Firsthand

  27. 27Jul 2023 (reported)

    Admitted, no issues · Changing planes, London Heathrow

    The traveler transited London Heathrow three times over four years, following signs for connecting flights, including changing terminals by shuttle once, with no passport or customs checks and no impediment to making connections.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  28. 28Jun 2023 (reported)

    Refused entry · By air, London Heathrow

    On arrival for a work trip the traveler was placed in a holding room, had phone, laptop and belongings taken, and was allowed only a couple of phone calls. After roughly 24 hours waiting for the next flight, officers booked the return flight, escorted the traveler to the plane, and the passport was held by cabin crew until landing back in the US. Staff were described as kind and food was provided.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  29. 29May 2023

    Refused entry

    A registrant traveled to the UK and was refused entry.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · Forum post · Firsthand

  30. 30May 2023

    Refused entry · By air

    The traveler was refused entry to the United Kingdom after the automated passport machine beeped and displayed 'See attendant.' The traveler asked to speak with a passport control supervisor, who eventually came during the night and suggested applying for a business visa for any future visit.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  31. 31Jan 2023

    Admitted, no issues · By air

    The traveler entered the UK with no issues, no secondary screening and no extra questions on arrival, and also faced no secondary screening on return to the US.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand · Former registrant

  32. 322022

    Admitted, no issues · By air

    The traveler entered England by air a second time, after being removed from the registry, and was admitted without problems.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand · Former registrant

  33. 332017

    Admitted, no issues · By air

    The traveler entered England by air while on the registry and was admitted without problems.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  34. 342013

    Refused entry · By air

    The traveler and spouse attempted to enter the UK roughly a decade earlier and were refused entry and placed on a return flight to the US. They were told any future visit would require a tourist visa, which they were advised would be denied.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  35. 352012

    Admitted, no issues · By air

    The traveler flew into the UK while still on a US registry and entered without questions or problems. They reported significant questioning by US officials on return each time.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · Forum post · Firsthand

  36. 362012

    Admitted, no issues

    The traveler reported entering the United Kingdom without problems on several occasions before the International Megan's Law era, including while still under supervision with permission from a supervising officer, with the last visit occurring in 2012.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · Forum post · Firsthand

  37. 372008

    Admitted, no issues

    The traveler visited the UK while still on probation and on the registry, with a travel permit from their supervising officer, and had no problems entering at that time.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · Forum post · Firsthand

  38. 382008

    Admitted, no issues

    The traveler entered the UK as a US registrant without any issue; officers only asked about a return ticket and sufficient funds, and appeared unaware of the registry status. On returning to the US, CBP sent the traveler to secondary inspection.

    ACSOL (Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws) · archived copy · Forum post · Firsthand

  39. 39By 2022

    Refused entry

    Row from the RTAG Travel Matrix, an undated summary last maintained around 2021.

    Registrants turned away
    Yes
    Law bars sex offenders
    Yes
    Law bars people with felonies
    Yes
    Has its own offender registry
    Yes

    Registrant Travel Action Group (RTAG) · Legacy matrix · Summary