Travel to UK from US with Criminal Record
 

I have an old friend who lives in the UK and would love to visit them for 2 weeks to 30 days. However, I have a criminal record. I have a felony conviction of controlled substance and a felony conviction of forgery. Both received a one-year jail sentence and the last conviction was in 2009. I am currently 64 (not that it matters) and live a clean and sober life. I have had no issues since 2009. Will I be denied entry?

Any advice or tips are welcome.

Thank you.

As a US citizen you do not need a visa and I very much doubt you would be denied entry. Unless you have been flagged by Interpol or one of the security agencies there is no way the immigration authorities would know about your criminal record.

If you are concerned , or are in any doubt, then the advice on the UK Government site is to apply for a Visa . The link to the appropriate page https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

Of course if it were UK to USA it has been known to be very difficult. I'd still drop your local consulate a line. If it goes wrong the flight back can be very expensive. I know as I had to bail out an employee out of this situation as he, a Brit, had a British parking ticket which is treated as a minor issue in the UK but crosses some boundary in US law.

In the U.S., if you don't pay your parking fines, they eventually become something more than a "minor issue." But I suspect your employee had another blot on his record that was not revealed to you.

hey, you may be right, but that was not what the US border documents said.

Traveling UK > US is an entirely different issue than US > UK. Not commenting on the 'rightness' or 'wrongness' or morality of this but that's the situation.

Contacting a consulate or other State Dept. entity/TSA/etc is a horrible idea if you want to travel. Since your conviction was 15 years ago and you say you've had no adverse contact with law enforcement since . . . AND assuming you are not on probation, and also assuming you have a passport - just travel. The odds of being asked anything is remote. IF you are asked anything definitely answer honestly -- lying will have serious consequences. If by some small chance you are denied entry at LHR, the airline is on the hook for flying you home. The airline might go after you for the cost to repatriate you later but on the day you would not have to pay to fly home.

https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immi...ving-in-the-uk

https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor?...4-d17cbba11bef

That second link suggests you should apply for a visa even though you don't need one.

I'm not sure a Border Force Official would ask about your record tbh, just the reason for your visit.

https://travel.stackexchange.com/que...avel-to-the-uk

Seems to say you are fine as it is such a long time ago.

I hope you get to see your friend!

Actually the 2nd link says one 'may' want to apply for a visa, not that one 'should' apply -- big difference.

True enough janis, and the third one says he is fine as his convictions are spent and old.