The UK Home Office has released its latest statistics on entry clearance visas and passenger arrivals for the year ending (YE) December 2025. These figures provide insights into the number of people entering the UK, whether for work, study, family reasons, or other categories, highlighting ongoing trends and fluctuations in immigration patterns.
Entry Clearance Visas: A Year of Change
In YE December 2025, a total of 809,407 non-visitor or transit visas were granted. This represents a 15% decrease compared with the previous year but is still 10% higher than the pre-pandemic total recorded in YE December 2019. The breakdown of these visas is as follows: study visas accounted for 429,254 grants, work visas 261,112, family visas 66,610, and other visas—including Ukraine Scheme, British National (Overseas), dependants joining family members, and EEA/EU Settlement Scheme permits—totaled 52,431.
The decline in non-visitor visas during this period was predominantly driven by a reduction in work visa grants. Despite this decrease, the overall number of grants continues to be above pre-pandemic levels, indicating sustained demand for study and work opportunities in the UK.
EU+ Countries and Other Grants
The term ‘EU+’ refers to European Union member states (excluding Ireland), as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Citizens of these countries, along with other nationalities, may require entry clearance visas depending on their intended purpose of stay. The Home Office also tracks other visa routes, including humanitarian pathways and family reunification schemes, providing a broader picture of legal routes into the UK.
Understanding Passenger Arrivals
While visa statistics reflect grants of permission to enter the UK, they do not capture all arrivals. Many nationalities do not require a visa to visit the UK and are instead counted in passenger arrivals data. These statistics cover individuals entering through air, sea, and rail routes, although certain gaps exist—for instance, arrivals via the Common Travel Area (CTA) with Ireland are not included, as passports are not required.
Passenger arrival data has been refined in recent years, offering more accurate estimates of cross-border movements. Nationality is determined by the passport used to enter the UK, regardless of dual citizenship. These figures may not be directly comparable with entry clearance statistics but remain broadly indicative of migration trends.
Entry Clearance Visa Methodology
Entry clearance visa data includes all permits granted within the period, including multiple grants for a single individual. Different categories such as work, study, family, and humanitarian visas are all tracked, and year-on-year fluctuations are influenced by policy changes, pilot schemes, and broader international circumstances. For example, the launch of the 2-year Chinese visa pilot in 2016 affected subsequent visa applications and reapplications for Chinese nationals.
Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs)
The statistics also cover Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs), which track applications that are granted, refused, or rejected. Rejections occur when applications fail to meet validity requirements, while refusals arise from specific grounds outlined in immigration rules. Each grant is counted individually, even if an applicant enters the UK multiple times during the validity period. ETA data collection is still being refined to improve reporting accuracy.
Access to Detailed Data
For those seeking deeper insights, the Home Office provides comprehensive data tables covering entry clearance visas, passenger arrivals, illegal entry routes, and ETAs. These datasets allow analysis by category, nationality, and route of entry, supporting research, policy assessment, and public understanding of migration trends.