State and Guest of Government visits: November 2022 to July 2023
Costs relating to State and Guest of Government visits to the UK between November 2022 and July 2023.
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This data is for senior foreign dignitaries (or ‘principals’) who were invited to the UK:
- on a State visit by His Majesty The King, or
- as Guests of Government by the Prime Minister or the Foreign Secretary
For these visits, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) pays the cost of accommodation, transport, food and incidentals (to a set limit) in the UK for the visiting delegation (principal plus up to 10 ministers or senior officials) during the official programme only. The relevant foreign government pays for any international airfares for the visiting delegation.
The FCDO also pays the accommodation costs for one FCDO visit officer. The UK Ambassador or High Commissioner (and sometimes UK Mission staff) will often travel back to the UK for the State or Guest of Government visit. The ‘staff costs’ column includes cost of UK government staff official travel and accommodation and incidental expenditure, but does not include salary costs.
Costs for State and Guest of Government visits vary depending on the particular principal concerned, the length of their visit, their programme requirements, and how many people are in their delegation. The Royal Family and UK ministers receive similar treatment on some visits overseas when the host country covers the costs.
State and Guest of Government visits help to showcase the best of the UK and enhance our bilateral relationships. They have become more complex sometimes, for example when using non-government venues. The ‘venue/production’ costs column refers to the costs associated with this.
Extra columns in the spreadsheet provide a further breakdown of what the cost of each visit includes.