Nairalanders,

How possible is it with a UK visa to visit other EU countries? As we all know with a Schengen Visa, the holder is entitled to visit any other Schengen countries.

Is UK visa also the same thing as EU visa? Or UK visa is only country specific?

Please I need your views.

Thank you.

This is a straight question that deserves straight answer, and the Answer is NO, the UK visa is only valid for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

so i can go to ireland with my visa

manoy:

so i can go to ireland with my visa

What visa do you have?
If you mean the UK visa, then, you can travel to northern Ireland (which is a part of the UK), yet it's possible and easy (but not legal) for you to come to the [b]R[/b]epublic [b]O[/b]f [b]I[/b]reland as there is seldom border control between the UK and the ROI

You'll need a UK Visa to travel through UK to Rep.of Ireland as the UK Immigration do the immigration clearance on their behalf as its part of the Common Travel Area agreement between the 2 countries

LondonCool:

You'll need a UK Visa to travel through UK to Rep.of Ireland as the UK Immigration do the immigration clearance on their behalf as its part of the Common Travel Area agreement between the 2 countries

I believe there are some exceptions to this general rule.
If you are a resident of another EU country and hold a category
D EU visa then you will not necessarily require a UK visa to transit
the UK to Ireland.

LondonCool:

You'll need a UK Visa to travel through UK to Rep.of Ireland as the UK Immigration do the immigration clearance on their behalf as its part of the Common Travel Area agreement between the 2 countries

Man, this is incorrect, the Republic Of Ireland doesn't accept the UK entry clearance, a UK residence permit bearer needs visa to enter Ireland even though the borders are seldom controlled; same condition applies to Ireland residence card bearer

Vicjustice:

Man, this is incorrect, the Republic Of Ireland doesn't accept the UK entry clearance, a UK residence permit bearer needs visa to enter Ireland even though the borders are seldom controlled; same condition applies to Ireland residence card bearer

You are just recycing what I said, I said that anyone(non-visa national) transiting through UK to Ireland will need a UK visa (for the purposes of passing through UK), they will still need to satisfy Irish immigration requirements on arrival.

VOR:

I believe there are some exceptions to this general rule.
If you are a resident of another EU country and hold a category
D EU visa then you will not necessarily require a UK visa to transit
the UK to Ireland.

@ VOR,
The issue is not whether one is D category European Resident but if the person transiting though UK to Ireland is a non-visa national or not. If the person is a visa-national (i.e controlled by immigration), then surely they would need a UK visa. The category D EU residency stuff is applicable on arrival in Ireland and not in UK. The UK Immigration may "TWOV "a visa-national to Ireland (but its discretionary and rarely given to Nigerian travellers).


Transit by sea and land to the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

If you are a visa or DATV national passing through the UK by sea and land on your way to the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, you will need a visit visa for the UK.
from the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
If you are a visa or DATV national passing through the UK by sea and land on your way from the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man to another country outside the UK, you will need a visitor in transit or visit visa for the UK.

Transit by air to and from the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man

If you are a visa national or an exempt DATV national passing through the UK by air on your way to or from the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, you may qualify for transit without visa.
If you are a DATV national passing through the UK by air on your way to Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, you will need a visit visa for the UK.

If you are a DATV national passing through the UK by air on your way from Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man to another country outside the UK, you will need a visitor in transit or visit visa for the UK.


Source:
http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Front? pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&=1125559336313

it was a simple understanding error, i thought you said one needs just a UK visa to travel the ROI and that the ROI borders are controlled by the UK immigrations.
  But this was the comment in question:

manoy:

so i can go to ireland with my visa

I don't think Manoy was talking about a transit, it seems to me that He was talking about entering the ROI with his UK visa. Anyway, all is well said.

London Cool

Yes a TWOV is concessionary, but in practice regardless of your nationality
it will be granted provided provided you do not have an unhealthy immigration
status and you have a category D Irish/EU visa or you are an Irish resident.

On a related note I have a cousin who has transited the UK with his Nigerian passport
without a UK visa on several occasions on his way to the USA, he holds a valid US
student visa and has never had a problem with UK immigration.

Thank you guys for your insights. The reason I asked such a question is that someone in one of the Schengen countries invited me to come over to where s/he is since I have UK (EU) visa I can equally go to any Schengen (Of course EU) countries without any other visa for a short period of stay. Say one or two weeks.

I wonder how come Ireland is what cause much discussion!!!

Bedos:

Thank you guys for your insights. The reason I asked such a question is that someone in one of the Schengen countries invited me to come over to where s/he is since I have UK (EU) visa I can equally go to any Schengen (Of course EU) countries without any other visa for a short period of stay. Say one or two weeks.

I wonder how come Ireland is what cause much discussion!!!

I thought you've been told that you cannot enter the EU with your UK visa? The UK visa is not an EU (Schengen) visa and so you are not permitted into the EU countries. The only place you can visit in Europe without a visa (if you live in the UK and have multiple UK Entry Clearance valid for at least 6 months) is Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

As the last poster said, no you can't.

A UK visa is nothing to do with the Schengen zone.

My Nigerian boyfriend with ILR for UK still has to get a visa to visit Europe.