The announcement was made this morning by the British ambassador to Peru, Gavin Cook, who specified that the elimination of the short-stay visa will apply for purposes of tourism, business, international events, short-term studies and medical treatment. The visa requirement for work, long-term studies, long stays or permanent establishment in the country will be maintained. United Kingdom.
“In almost 200 years, the United Kingdom has been together with Peru, promoting development and more opportunities for joint collaboration. Today we are the main foreign investor in the country”, he said at a press conference.
With the elimination of the visa for the four countries of the United Kingdom, there are a total of 96 countries that do not require this document from Peruvian citizens.. The most recent change seeks to increase the flow, today uneven, of travelers: while only 4,000 Peruvians accessed short-stay visas in the last year, 50,000 British tourists arrived in the country.
It will also open the opportunity to increase the number of academic exchanges, joint research, as well as the participation of Peruvian entrepreneurs in international corporate events and fairs. “We began to write a new chapter in bilateral relations Peru- United Kingdom. This represents more opportunities to continue forging an ever wider and closer relationship”, Cook emphasized.
According to the diplomat, the elimination of the requirement is a technical decision that was possible after close coordination with the Peruvian Foreign Ministry. “Decisions about changes are made in a holistic way considering a series of factors and even the prosperity of our nations”, he added.
For the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru, César Landa, for his part, this evidences “The excellent level reached in the relationship between our countries as strategic, preferential and reliable partners.”
Those who have started the process for a short-stay visa, but have not yet submitted their biometrics to the VFS offices, can withdraw their application and receive a £100 refund. Those who have already submitted the biometric information at the Visa Application Center (VAC), will not be able to request that amount.