Travel Advice

Passports and Visas

You are responsible for ensuring that your passport and other documents are as required by the country you are visiting. You must ensure that you are in possession of a full 10-year passport valid for the duration of your holiday. If you do not have a British passport please check with your own consulate or embassy regarding entry requirements for the country you are travelling to. Please note:  Family passports have been abolished. Any child not already on a passport must now have their own. Children included on a passport before 5.10.98 may continue until:

   1. The child reaches 16 or
   2. The passport on which the child is included expires or
   3. The passport on which the child is included is amended or a new one issued.

At the time of going to print, British citizens do not generally need a visa for Canada or the USA provided that they are travelling on a full, valid, machine-readable passport for a stay of up to 90 days if entering the country on an airline that is a participant in the visa waiver programme (at the time of going to print all our carriers are participants). Passports issued between October 2005 and October 2006 must also have a digital photograph. The visitor needs to be in possession of a valid onward or return ticket to a destination outside the USA and must complete a Visa Waiver form which they are provided with on all our scheduled flight services. British subjects (as opposed to British citizens), those without machine-readable passports and most other travellers require a visa. Visitors should make their own enquiries as individual cases differ. You will have your photograph and finger prints taken on arrival in the USA. . For the most up to date information please call the US Embassy in London on 020 7499 7010 or 020 7499 3443 or the Canadian Embassy in Northampton on 09068 715 000.

Please note that from August 2008 all entrants to the US and Canada must fill out an online aplication 2-4 working days before travel. This aplication Must be filled in before travel or passangers can be denied from travel at departure airports.

FCO Press Statement

The US has announced new measures that require all those travelling under the Visa Waiver Programme to provide details online 72 hours prior to travel this is known as an Electronic Travel System or ESTA.  Although these will be on a voluntary basis as of August 2008, it is expected they will become compulsory for all travellers from 12 January 2009. For more information, and to apply online please visit the following website at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov.  Electronic travel authorities once obtained will be valid for a period of two years, or the validity of the travellers passport (whichever is shorter). At present, US authorities do not propose to levy a charge for this service, although they have reserved the right to consider doing so in the future.  If you do not have Internet access a third party, such as a relative or travel agent, may apply for the ESTA for you.  However, you will still be responsible under the law for the questions answered on your behalf.

follow this link - http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new/visa/niv/esta.html

If you need to apply for a passport or renew one, please do so well in advance. If you need to contact the passport agency: 0870 521 0410 (calls charged at national rate), or www.passport.gov.uk, faxback information line: 0901 4700 130.

Know Before You Go

We are working with the foreign and Commonwealth Office to do all that we can to help British travellers stay safe overseas. Before you travel, check the FCO website: www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo.