Customs & Immigration

                                                                                                                  FALKLAND ISLANDS GOVERNMENT

                                                                                                                  PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   28 September 2023

Temporary suspension to permanent residence permit applications

The Customs & Immigration Service would like to inform the public that, due to large numbers of applications for permanent residence permits this month, acceptance of further applications will temporarily be suspended until Tuesday 2 January 2024. This is in order to follow the provisions of the PRP Regulations 2021 in regard to the monthly quota allowed.

Applications will be accepted as normal from Tuesday 2 January 2024, all applications already submitted will be processed.

All application forms and guidance are available on the Customs & Immigration website - www.falklands.gov.fk/customs/

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   21 April 2023
Falkland Islands status application form and guidance notes available soon…

The Customs & Immigration Service would like to inform those eligible and interested in applying for Falkland Islands status that the new rules will come into force on May 1st 2023, the new application form and guidance notes will be available from May 1st 2023 on the Customs & Immigration website.

Closing date for applications to be received for this current consideration quarter is 20th May 2023.

Please consult the guidance notes for eligibility criteria and application requirements.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      21 April 2023
New versions of immigration medical forms


The Customs & Immigration Service would like to inform permit applicants and employers looking to employ permit applicants that new versions of the immigration medical forms are now available on the Customs & Immigration website (under the ‘Immigration Forms’ tab).

Please use these forms in applications going forwards and submit to the King Edward Memorial Hospital in the usual manner.

The Customs & Immigration website should be consulted for latest versions of all immigration forms.

                                                                                                                 FALKLAND ISLANDS GOVERNMENT

                                                                                                                 PRESS STATEMENT

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      18 January 2023

Change to fee - British passport

The Customs and Immigration Service would like to inform the public that, His Majesty’s Passport Office, have made a fee increase to passports. This increase will be implemented from Thursday 2 February 2023.

Currently adult passports cost £110.50 and child passports cost £80.50. The increase will now see adult passports costing £119.50 and child passports costing £86.50. The department can also take passport photographs for a fee of £7.50 for a set of four.


The Customs and Immigration Service would like to take this opportunity to remind the public that, to apply for a new passport please visit the Customs and Immigration office located at 3 H Jones Road, Stanley where you can collect the application forms and receive advice on how to fill in your information and which documents need to be included with your application.

In the case of passport renewals you will need to bring your current passport but this will be returned to you until your new one is issued.


Do not apply for a new British passport online as you will be asked to send your current passport and your new one will only be sent to a UK address.

Emergency passports can be issued in genuine emergencies such as for medical treatment or travel for compassionate reasons – not for holidays – and they are for single trips only. Emergency passports cost £75 plus the cost of photographs and on arriving at your destination you will need to obtain a full passport at extra cost, to return to the Falklands (or if in a country other than the UK another emergency passport).  

                                                                                                                            FALKLAND ISLANDS GOVERNMENT

                                                                                                                            PRESS STATEMENT

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       10 November 2022

Falkland Islands Status Amendments 2022

In September 2022 the Legislative Assembly approved amendments to the Falkland Islands Status Ordinance 1998. The amendments are made as part of an ongoing review of Falkland Islands status eligibility requirements, and ways to make the status application process more robust.

The amended Ordinance narrows the definition of a “qualified person” (which at the moment includes persons who are Commonwealth citizens), limiting the definition to include only persons who are British citizens, British Overseas Territory citizens or British Overseas citizens. In addition, qualified persons have to hold a permanent residence permit (unless certain limited criteria apply – those who held status under the former Constitution). 

The requirement for a qualified person to have been ordinarily resident in the Falkland Islands for the seven years immediately prior to their application remains, but there are amendments to the allowed absences in that period, which allow someone to be automatically regarded as having been ordinarily resident. The new allowed absences will be no more than 630 days aggregate in the seven-year period, no more than 90 days aggregate in any one of those 7 years, and the applicant must have been physically present in the Falkland Islands for the whole of the first 180 days of the first of the seven years. 

The amendments included in Falkland Islands Status (Amendment) Bill 2022 will come into force in May 2023 in order to allow those who have reached the 7-year residency point, but have not yet applied for Falkland Islands status, time to apply before the amendments come in to force. Those who qualify under the current Ordinance (Commonwealth citizen/do not hold PRP) and wish to apply for Falkland Islands status are encouraged to apply before the amendments come into force next year.

An online public consultation will be launched later this month seeking the views of the community on other proposed changes to status eligibility requirements.  Detailed information will be provided in a separate notice in due course.

                                                       Joint Statement from the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) and British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                          8 June 2022

Passport validity requirements for travel on the South Atlantic Airbridge

The Defence Passenger Reservation Centre notifies all passengers wishing to travel on the South Atlantic Airbridge that they require at least 6 months validity remaining on their passport, from the date of return to RAF Brize Norton or Mount Pleasant Complex, this applies equally to service and civilian passengers.

This is in order to meet the entry requirements of Cape Verde through which the Airbridge transits on the journey between the UK and the Falkland Islands. Failure to meet this requirement  will result in you not being able to travel.

The Falkland Islands Government recommends that all those who need to travel, or may need to travel, renew their passports in good time. The Customs & Immigration Service are able to facilitate British passport applications, the timescales for these applications previously required at least 3 months notice in order to receive the travel document back from the UK. However, currently the UK Passport Office is experiencing significant delays in processing applications and it is recommended that in order to receive new passports from the UK at least 5 months notice is required.

To apply for a new passport contact the Customs and Immigration office located at 3 H Jones Road, Stanley, call 27340 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Officers will be able to provide you with application forms, provide advice on how to fill in your information and which documents need to be included with your application.

You will need to bring your current passport but this will be returned to you until your new one is issued. Adult passports cost £110.50 and child passports cost £80.50. The department can also take passport photographs for a fee of £7.50 for a set of four.

Do not apply for a new British passport online as you will be asked to send your current passport and your new one will only be sent to a UK address.

Emergency passports for British citizens can be issued in genuine emergencies such as for medical treatment or travel for compassionate reasons – not for holidays – and they are for single trips only. Emergency passports cost £75 plus the cost of photographs and on arriving at your destination you will need to obtain either another temporary document or a full passport at extra cost, to return to the Falklands.  

For more information on travelling from RAF Brize Norton visit: https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/stations/raf-brize-norton/passenger-information/

For information on travelling from the Falkland Islands, please contact your booking agent.

                                                                                                                       FALKLAND ISLANDS GOVERNMENT

                                                                                                                       PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       7 April 2022

Falkland Islands Government seeks to resume airlinks with Chile from July

Following the announcement last month, concerning the relaxation of COVID-19 measures in the Falkland Islands, the government is now seeking to resume the airlink with Chile from 2 July 2022, provided that all necessary permissions are granted and mainland airports are open.

As has been communicated previously, decisions around the resumption of these flights have involved the consideration of a number of topics, including COVID-19 related border policies and quarantine. From 4 May 2022, there will no longer be a requirement to quarantine in the Islands and the essential visitor policy will end, which means that the barriers to resuming these flights have now considerably reduced.

The Falkland Islands Government is now involved in discussions to reestablish the Chile flight first, in July, and then the Sao Paulo route later on this year, most likely towards the beginning of the summer season in November 2022.

MLA Mark Pollard, Portfolio Lead for Commercial Services, said: “We know the distress and disruption that the suspension of these flights has caused and I don’t think anyone could have envisaged the full extent of the impact that the pandemic has had on the Falkland Islands, let alone the world. However, it has always been our aim to restore these airlinks as soon as it was safe and viable to do so and, as we move towards the careful reopening of our country, we look forward to seeing these routes reopened.”

                                                                                                                       FALKLAND ISLANDS GOVERNMENT

                                                                                                                       PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       1 September 2021 

Launch of the new Falkland Islands immigration system

From today, 1 September 2021, changes to the Immigration Ordinance 1999, and the introduction of the Immigration (General) Regulations 2021 come into effect. Also coming into force today is the Immigration (PRP) (Amendment) Regulations 2021.

Information, the new permit application forms and attending guidance can be found on the Customs & Immigration website; please visit www.fig.gov.fk/customs

The changes will ensure that the Falkland Islands has an immigration system that is efficient and effective, able to meet the current and future needs of the Islands, while safeguarding employment opportunities for the permanent population.

                                                                                                                       FALKLAND ISLANDS GOVERNMENT

                                                                                                                       PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        1 September 2021

Review of Customs & Immigration policy on advertising of employment vacancies

The Immigration (General) Regulations 2021 which come into force today, 1 September 2021, strengthen the requirements for vacancies to be advertised and the resident labour market to be protected. All jobs must continue to be advertised to ensure full access for those with Permanent Residence Permits or Falkland Islands status and to protect opportunities for permanent residents.

However, there is one change that will affect migrant workers who have been employed in the same role for less than four years. In these cases, a work permit issued for less than four years can be extended up to four years. This enables the extension of that migrant worker’s contract of employment, without the need for the role to be advertised. This small change will give employers and employees a greater degree of stability. Any substantial change to the permit holder’s duties, including a promotion, would require a new work permit and the role would need to be advertised.

The current Customs and Immigration advertising policy approved by Executive Council has been in place since 2000; it sets out the advertising requirements for employers, which are needed to meet the requirements of the Ordinance.  

Following consultation with Islands employers, and timed to coincide with the implementation of the Immigration Amendments 2021, the advertising policy has been reviewed and Executive Council approved a set of recommendations on 25 August 2021.

The new advertising policy states: ‘All vacancies must be advertised at least once in a national newspaper and allow a minimum of 7 calendar days from the date of publication to receive applications. Employers are also required to advertise locally through at least one other platform/medium.

This is the minimum requirement and, beyond this, employers are free to advertise using any medium, frequency or timescales they wish. The changes not only provide clarity around the process, but now reflect the contemporary realities of communications, advertising and recruitment in 2021. Find out more by visiting the government’s website: www.fig.gov.fk/customs

                                                                        IMMIGRATION AMENDMENTS 2021 – PUBLIC BRIEFINGS - FAQs                           28 June 2021

Between July and September 2021, the Falkland Islands Government will be introducing a new and improved immigration regime for the whole of the nation. These changes will ensure that we have a more efficient and effective system to protect local employment opportunities and respond to the development ambitions of the Islands.

Ahead of these changes, the government held a series of public information sessions in May and June in Stanley and Camp, in order to explain how these changes will work in practice as well as to offer people the opportunity to ask questions.

The sessions were well attended and, as a result, a new set of frequently asked questions has been compiled which respond to the queries that were raised at each event.

 

CHANGES TO THE PERMIT SYSTEM

  • What permits will a person need in order to work in the Falkland Islands?

There will be three types of permit: Work Permit, Accompanying Dependent Permit (ADP) and Dependent Permit (DP). People will only be able to hold one of these permits at a time.

ADP is a new permit type and is for the dependents of Work Permit holders. DP is also a new permit type which is for dependents of people with ‘right of abode’ in the Falklands – either Permanent Resident Permit (PRP) or Falkland Islands Status.

  • So, every permit holder will only have to hold one permit, even if they have multiple jobs?

Yes, it will be one permit for one person and they can undertake multiple jobs with that permit. This system will be managed through close collaboration between local employers and the Customs & Immigration team, and will be supported by the creation of a Registered Employer Scheme.

  • How long does a permit last for?

Work Permits, ADPs and DPs can all be issued for up to 4 years.

  • What will happen to those currently holding Residence Permits when the new permit system comes into force?

People will move across to whichever new permit is most appropriate for their situation. Current residence permits will not be cancelled and can run the length of their duration if required.

  • Are the prices for permits changing?

No, the price will be £23 for adults and £13 for those under 16. Accompanying dependents of work permit holders will now need their own permits, however on the other hand multiple work permits for those holding multiple jobs will no longer be needed.

  • When do things change?

The Immigration Amendments 2021 come into force on 1 September 2021; ahead of this, parts of the new regulations relating to employers will come into effect on 1 July 2021 to allow them to register on the Registered Employer Scheme.

  • Is the government aware of the possible disruption that the new system may introduce?

Yes, but although change can be disruptive, the new system is designed to make the permit system simpler. We have already begun a series of widescale communications and engagement activities to publicise the changes and this will continue up to 1 September. Information will also be available on the Customs & Immigration website: www.fig.gov.fk/customs

 

WORK PERMITS AND SPONSORSHIP

  • If there is only one permit, which employer signs the undertaking for that permit?

The primary employer or sponsoring employer must sign the undertaking.

  • What if you’re already in the Islands and are not sponsored?

All permits that allow work require a sponsor and will not be issued without one and sponsorship is required in order to remain in the Falklands.

  • Where do you stand as the primary sponsor when your employee goes off and also works for multiple other people?

This is a contractual matter between the employer and employee.

  • Are the 9-month work permits changing?

No, work permits will still be available for up to 9 months. The individual will be able to complete a medical self-declaration and must hold medical insurance for the duration of their stay. No accompanying dependents are allowed.

  • Do jobs need to be advertised if you wish to employ someone with a Dependent Permit?

Yes, all jobs must be advertised before any temporary permit holder is taken on and Dependent Permits are only valid up to 4 years. The prospective employer must keep details of the advertising and be ready to demonstrate this to Customs & Immigration.

 

PERMANENT RESIDENCE PERMIT (PRP)

  • If I have PRP, what does my partner need in order to work?

A Dependent Permit (DP) would be appropriate for the partner of someone with PRP. However, they would also be able to apply for a Work Permit should they wish.

  • What are the benefits to the individual in having PRP?

The main benefit would be knowledge that their employment is not dependent on having a temporary permit, this gives a level of job security. There are also other benefits such as the ability to purchase property or land without the need to hold a separate license, and access to free further education after a qualifying period.  

  • How will this change things for those living in Camp?

The intention of these PRP changes is to protect and encourage the growth of the Camp population. Points are now available if an applicant’s primary employment is in Camp, also now that the Workforce Shortage List is being used in the process, PRP points are available for farm workers as well as shearers.

  • PRP points are awarded to those with the South Atlantic Medal, could points also be given to former members of the UK armed forces who have served here since 1982?

This is something which will be given future consideration as recognising the service of former members of UK armed forces in the Falklands is an important element of the PRP points system as it stands.

  • Why will PRP applications now be assessed monthly?

Rather than waiting for 3 months before assessing applications, the changes will allow them to be assessed each month, delivering a more efficient process and a quicker turnaround time for decisions.

  • When will the new PRP forms be available?

The new PRP forms will be available when the PRP Regulations 2021 take effect, which is on 1 September 2021.