Some Practical Information | Visas
The following visa information is for British Citizens only. All consular fees are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change. Relevant visa guidelines will be sent with your Confirmation/Invoice.
NOTE: Some Travellers including those with certain serious communicable illnesses, criminal records, previous deportations, overstays on the visa waiver programme (US) and other problems may not be eligible by law to enter certain countries. Such travellers must check with the embassy or consulate of the country to be visited in order to ascertain if they are eligible to apply for a special restricted visa. In the case of the USA, they will be refused entry if they attempt to use the Visa Waiver plan.
All non-UK Passport Holders should check with the Embassy of the country to which they are travelling.
Australia - The Australian Government has simplified the procedure for obtaining a visa by developing the Electronic Travel Authority System (ETAS). There is no physical evidence of an ETA. It is the passport number that will be used to confirm a passenger's authority to travel at departure and arrival. We currently provide this service at a charge of £20 for our customers.
Bhutan - A visa is required for Bhutan, which will be arranged via our local agent prior to departure. An information pack explaining the procedure will be included with your confirmation invoice.
Canada - British Citizens are not required to have a visa to enter Canada. However British subjects or overseas subjects who are subject to British Immigration control do require visas to visit Canada.
Cambodia - Visitors to Cambodia require a tourist visa, which currently costs US$20 and can be obtained locally on arrival at the airport. Please note two passport photos will be required.
China - British Citizens require a visa to enter China. A single entry tourist visa costs £30. A visa can be obtained by applying in person at the Embassy of China in London, or the Consulate-General's offices in Manchester or Edinburgh, or by using the services of a visa agency. Postal applications are not accepted. Visa application forms and details of a recommended visa agency will be sent to you with your Confirmation & Account. If using the visa agency, a single entry visa will cost £58.50, double entry £73.50.
Egypt - Single entry tourist visas costing £15 are required. Visas may be applied for via the Egyptian Consulate or obtained on arrival at the airport.
India - All visitors require a visa for entry to India. Tourist visas cost £30 and are valid from the date of issue. Visa applications can be made via the Indian Embassy.
Kenya - British Citizens are now required to have a visa for each entry into Kenya, regardless of the length of stay. Tourist visas cost £30 and can be applied for via the Kenya High Commission.
Russia -We recommend that visas should be obtained through ASLA Ltd and further details on how to obtain the visas will be sent to you with your Confirmation & Account. The visa cost is currently £50 per person for Russia and the visa service charge is £25.30 per person (including VAT, plus postage). Visa applications can be made directly with the Russian Embassy, but need to be accompanied by a Visa Support document which can be obtained from ASLA Ltd for a small fee. British passport holders visiting any of the ports of call on the Baltic Capitals cruise are not required to obtain visas in advance, if joining an optional shore excursion operated by the cruise company.
Sri Lanka - British Citizens and most other nationalities will be issued a tourist visa free of charge on arrival at Colombo airport.
The Maldives - British Citizens and most other nationalities will be issued a 30 day visitors visa free of charge on arrival.
Turkey - British Citizens require a tourist visa, which can be obtained on arrival at the airport at a cost of £10, payable in Sterling.
USA - Most visitors to the US are required to have a US visa in their passport. However, since the introduction of the Visa Waiver scheme, full British Citizen passport holders with the right of abode in the UK will be able to travel on this scheme. The Visa Waiver scheme applies for full British Citizens provided they fulfil specific requirements, which include (but are not limited to) holding a full United Kingdom Passport, travelling on holiday or business for a period no longer than 90 days and holding a return air ticket with a "participating" airline (which includes all those airlines we feature.) This does not include Irish Citizens who carry a British subject passport. Note that even those qualifying as above will require a Visa if they have ever been arrested (even if not convicted), or if suffering from a serious communicable disease. It is the responsibility of each passenger to ensure they are able to comply with all US government requirements contained in the visa waiver form. If in any doubt, or if holding a British Subject/Citizen/Commonwealth Passport or with Right to Remain etc, you must check with the US Embassy Visa Section. Also see their Website: www.usembassy.org.uk or call the Visa information line on 09068 200 290 (calls charged at 60p/minute).
Visa waiver forms should be completed as follows - A Visa Waiver Form must be completed online using the new Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA). This is only accessible via the internet and must be completed at any time before travel, but we recommend no later than 72 hours prior to departure. You will need to have the address of the first hotel/accommodation that you will be staying at in the US, as well as your passport number and other basic biographical information (date of birth etc). An application form can be found by going to: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov. From 8 September 2010 there is a charge of $14, which has to be paid as part of the online process. The website will only accept Mastercard, Visa, Amex & Discover. In most cases you will receive an automated response within a few seconds of completing the application, generally stating that travel has been approved. If for any reason a visa is not authorised (for example you are not a British Citizen), then you will receive a response stating this. A visa approved via ESTA is valid for up to 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. If you plan future trips, or your destination/itinerary changes after your visa has been approved, you can easily update the information by re-visiting the ESTA website. If you do not have the internet at home, we recommend asking friends or family, or visiting your local library, where you can normally find computers available for public internet access. If you are still unable to get onto the internet to complete the form, then you should inform us at your earliest convenience by calling one of our advisors. If you do not apply for and receive travel authorisation via the ESTA system prior to travel, you may be denied boarding or admission into the USA. Additional information regarding the visa waiver programme and ESTA is available at www.cbp.gov/esta.
Vietnam - Currently the cost of the visa for Vietnam is £38 per person and can be obtained from the Embassy of Vietnam.
Multiple Entry Visas
A multiple entry Visa may be required if joining a tour that starts in Canada and enters the USA during the tour. A full British Passport holder does not require a visa for Canada, but non-British Passport holders should check visa requirements with the Canadian Embassy.
For non-UK passport holders, and where visas are required on European tours, it is important that you request a multiple entry visa, particularly in the case of France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Holland and Switzerland as your itinerary may involve entering the country more than once.
Long delays in obtaining Visas often occur, therefore it is advisable to apply well in advance of the anticipated departure date.
As travel regulations are constantly changing, we as a tour operator are unable to guarantee that the information we provide concerning such requirements is up to date / always accurate. Unless otherwise stated, the information we provide on passport and visa requirements only relates to British citizens holding a full British / UK passport. It is therefore, our customers' own responsibility to ensure that they check the up to date position well in advance of departure and comply with all necessary Visa, Passport or other travel regulations. We must emphasise that neither ourselves nor the carrying airline can accept any liability should your passport and/or visa requirements not be in order, and we would advise you to check with the relevant embassy. Please also see clause 16 of our Booking Conditions.
NO HIDDEN EXTRAS: All prices shown include ALL compulsory charges (Fuel Supplement, Air Passenger Duty & Flight Supplement where applicable). Book with confidence: We are members of ABTA and all our air-inclusive holidays are financially protected by the Civil Aviation Authority under the ATOL scheme
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