Guidance

List of International organisations whose employees qualify for exempt entry clearances (accessible version)

Updated 12 February 2024

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/exempt-exm/list-of-international-organisations-whose-employees-qualify-for-exempt-entry-clearances-accessible-version

As of 8 February 2024

International Organisations with offices/headquarters in the UK whose employees qualify for exemption from immigration control

  • African Development Bank
  • Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
  • Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux International (CABI)
  • Commonwealth Foundation
  • Commonwealth Secretariat
  • Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO)
  • Delegation of the European Union to the United Kingdom
  • European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
  • European Bioinformatics Institute (also known as European Molecular Biology Laboratory) (EMBL-EBI)
  • European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF)
  • European Space Agency (ESA)
  • European Southern Observatory
  • European Union Officials (working under the Windsor Agreement)
  • Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO)
  • Independent International Commission on Decommissioning
  • International Bank for Reconstruction and Development  (World Bank)
  • International Coffee Organisation (ICO)
  • International Development Association
  • International Finance Corporation (IFC)
  • International Grains Organisation
  • International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
  • International Mobile Satellite Organisation (IMSO)
  • International Monetary Fund (IMF)
  • International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF)
  • International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund 1992
  • International Organisation for Migration (IOM)
  • International Sugar Organisation (ISO)
  • International Whaling Commission (IWC)
  • North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC)
  • North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO)
  • North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Naval Communications Agency
  • North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (NATO DIANA)
  • Oslo and Paris Commissions (OSPAR)
  • Square Kilometre Array Organisation (SKAO)
  • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
  • United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP)
  • United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

International Organisations without offices/headquarters in the UK, but where some staff may be exempt from immigration control when coming to the UK

  • African Development Fund
  • Asian Development Bank
  • Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
  • Caribbean Development Bank
  • Common Fund for Commodities
  • Council of Europe
  • Customs Cooperation Council
  • European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM)
  • European Committee for Prevention of Torture
  • European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT)
  • European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol)
  • European Patent Organisation
  • European Telecommunications Satellite Organisation
  • Food and Agricultural Organisation (of the UN) (FAO)*
  • Inter-American Development Bank
  • Inter-American Investment Corporation
  • International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
  • International Civil Aviation Organisation  (ICAO)*
  • International Cocoa Organisation
  • International Court of Justice (UN)
  • International Criminal Court
  • International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
  • International Education Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)*
  • International Fund for Agricultural Development
  • International Labour Organisation (ILO)*
  • International Lead and Zinc Study Group
  • International Rubber Study Group
  • International Seabed Authority
  • International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation (ITSO)
  • International Telecommunications Union (ITU)*
  • International Tribunal Law of the Sea
  • North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
  • Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
  • Organisation Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR)
  • Organisation Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
  • Preparatory Commission for Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation
  • Unified Patents Court
  • United Nations
  • United Nations Environment Programme
  • United Nations Information Centre
  • Universal Postal Union (UPU)*
  • World Health Organisation (WHO)*
  • World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)*
  • World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)*
  • World Trade Organisation (WTO)*

*UN Specialised agencies – certain senior officials only are exempt.

For further guidance or queries about this list please consult International Organisations Team, DMIOU, Protocol Directorate, FCDO.

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