Visas/Passports
The following information is for British Citizens only. If you do not hold a British passport (or have a British passport issued overseas) or EU passport, then you must check with the appropriate embassy to see if you require a visa.
You will require a valid, full ten year passport for your holiday. Please check with www.fco.gov.uk for any validity requirements beyond the return date of your holiday. Please keep your passport in your hand luggage and not in your suitcase.
British citizens whose dates of birth fall on or before 2 September 1929 are eligible for free ten-year passports. This concession has been made to recognise the sacrifices made by World War II veterans and civilians.
It is advisable to take a photocopy of your passport with you on holiday but do not keep it with your passport.
Please check before you travel
- You have a valid 10-year passport which is essential when you are travelling abroad.
- Please ensure your passport is valid for at least six months after your scheduled return to the UK. If it is not, you need to contact your nearest passport office immediately in order to obtain an extension or new passport.
- Please ensure the name on your travel documents and tickets exactly matches your name on your passport. If it does not, please call us straight away as airlines will refuse boarding if the two documents do not match.
- Please ensure you have completed the ‘next of kin’ section in your passport.
- Always keep a separate note of your passport number, place and date of issue, or preferably a photocopy of the back pages, packed separately from your passport. It is also recommended that you leave a copy with a friend in the UK and carry with you another form of identification (such as a driving licence). All this will be useful if your passport is lost or stolen.
- When travelling, always keep your passport in a zipped pocket in your hand luggage.
- Visas: countries such as Vietnam, Zambia, Turkey, Cambodia and India require visas for UK passport holders. Please see the relevant country’s embassy website for details. You will need to have an empty page in your passport for each visa. Visa costs are not generally included in our prices and may change without notice. Obtaining a visa is your responsibility, please do not leave your application until the last minute.
UK passport enquiries
For further details regarding passports and the requirements for travelling abroad please call 08705 210 410 or visit http://www.passport.gov.uk
Botswana entry requirements
British passport holders do not currently require a visa to enter Botswana but must have at least three empty pages in their passport and at least a six-month validity from date of travel.
Cambodia entry requirements
Please ensure you have at least two empty pages in your passport and that it is valid for at least six months after your return date. Available on arrival in Phnom Penh upon completion of a simple application form and payment of $20 per person. You will also need two passport-sized photos and if you arrive without photos, there is an extra charge of around $2 per person. Visas may also be arranged and paid for online prior to departure: please see http://evisa.mfaic.gov.kh for details. Please note all visa costs are non-refundable and subject to change without notice. Local departure taxes: currently $25 per person for Cambodia, payable locally.
Canada entry requirements
Canada - UK & Irish nationals do not require a visa. However, please ensure that your passport is valid for at least six months after the intended return date.
India entry requirements
All holders of British Passports will require a visa to travel to India. A Single entry tourist visa costs £30 per person, plus a £9.24 service charge and can be applied for in person or by post. The duration of the visa issued is generally three months and the visa is valid from the date of issue. We therefore recommend applying for the visa approximately two months before departure, to ensure it covers the full duration of your stay in India.
Personal applications: to apply for an Indian visa please visit http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk where you can apply, pay online and schedule an appointment to submit your application in person at your nearest centre, dependant on your home address.
Postal applications: you must either apply and pay online, print off the completed application form, payment confirmation and submit by post; or alternatively, you may apply online, print off the completed application and submit along with payment by postal order. Personal cheques are NOT accepted. In both cases you must submit your passport along with a self addressed stamped envelope and 2 2"x2" photos to the address below. Handwritten applications are no longer accepted.
Indian Visa Application Centre
1-3 Canalside
Uxbridge Road
Hayes, Middlesex
UB4 0JN
Please note passports are required to be valid for a minimum of 190 days at the time of application for the visa and not at the time of travel/return from India. You can travel as long as both the passport and the visa are valid.
The majority of the questions will be personal to you; however, we have listed below some frequently asked questions concerning the completing of the application form. Everything on the form marked with a red asterix is a mandatory field.
UK Referee
1 UK referee is required. Friends and family are acceptable, but can not be at the same address as the applicant.
Indian Referees
1 Indian referee is required; this address will be sent with your travel information or my be found on our website, in the price includes section of your relevant tour.
Processing Times
Processing times vary from application to application at the sole discretion of the High Commission of India and its Consulates in the UK, and some applications may take longer than others to get processed. Here are some estimates of processing times under normal circumstances:
Applications submitted in London, Birmingham and Edinburgh will take minimum 2 to 3 working days to be processed. Applications submitted in Manchester, Cardiff and Glasgow will take a minimum of 5 to 7 working days. (The same are for UK nationals only, though would vary from case to case)
Applications in the following cases may take longer (minimum 7-8 weeks or more) to be processed:
- Non-UK passport holders residing in the UK for less than two years (minimum 15 working days)
- Nationals or origin of Pakistan (Minimum 7-8 weeks)
- Nationals of Sri Lanka, China, Bangladesh, Afghanistan (Minimum 15 working days)
- Where clearance from India is mandatory
In addition, if the High Commission or the Consulate General requires an applicant to attend an interview, the India Visa Application Centre will contact the applicant and inform the date and time of the interview accordingly.
Please note VFS is not involved in the process of assessment of visa applications, or their grant or refusal. The assessment of visa applications is carried out by the High Commission of India or its Consulates, and the grant or refusal of India visas is at their sole discretion. The processing of your application is subject to the procedures and timescales of the Indian High Commission and Consulates, over which we have no control.
Postal applications need a minimum of 10 -15 working days to be processed. This does not include the period they are in transit to and from the High Commission or the Consulate General. Application once sent in post can not be withdrawn unless there is an emergency for which documentary evidence shall be required. VF Services UK Ltd, shall not bear responsibility for any delays in postal transit or loss in transit owing to third party involved. We hope this information will be of use to you and assure you of our best attention at all times.
Jordan entry requirements
All UK passport holders travelling together as a group to Jordan require a visa which is provided free of charge on arrival.
Morocco entry requirements
UK passport holders do not require a visa, but other passport holders should check with the relevant embassy
Russia entry requirements
All Russia Visa Application forms must be completed electronically and be signed by the applicants. The granting of a visa is at the discretion of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in London and its Consultes. All payments made towards visa fees and service charges are non-refundable and do not guarrantee the issuance of a visa should your applicated be declined. Please ensure you have at least two empty pages in your passport, and that it is valid for a minimum of six months after the visa's expiration. You will also need one recent passport photo, a 'Tourism Voucher' which can be obtained from the hotel via us - no charge applies for this however a fee of approximately £40 is charged by the hotel should the reservation be cancelled. Applications can be made by post or in person at the embassy however the initial application must always be completed online at http://ru.vfsglobal.co.uk. Alternatively should you require additional help please contact us for a recommendation of agencies who can help with your application. Please apply for your tourist voucher and visa no more than six weeks prior to travel.
South Africa entry requirements
British passport holders do not currently require a visa. However, please ensure that your passport is valid for at least thirty days after the intended return date and there are at least two empty pages.
Sri Lanka entry requirements
British and Irish passport holders do not currently need a visa to enter Sri Lanka. However, please ensure that your passport is valid for at least six months after the intended return date and there are at least two completely empty pages.
Syria entry requirements
All UK passport holders travelling together as a group to Syria require a visa which is provided free of charge on arrival. Any passengers with Israeli stamps in their passports will be refused entry into Syria.
Turkey entry requirements
There is a £10 per person Turkish visa fee for all UK passport holders, available on arrival at Istanbul airport, payable in cash sterling. Please also ensure that your passport is valid for at least six months on entry into Turkey and you have at least three months validity from the date you are exiting Turkey.
USA entry requirements
British passport holders do not require a visa under the USA Visa Waiver Programme. Please ensure your passport is machine-readable (i.e. a red passport with two lines of letters, numbers and ‘>>>>’ at the foot of your personal details page) and is valid for at least six months after your departure date from the US.
Please note British passport holders qualifying for the Visa Waiver programme must now apply online for authorisation to enter the USA, for which there is now an administration fee of $14 per person. This may only be submitted online by logging on to: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov and registering at least 72 hours prior to travel. It is now a requirement that all passengers apply in this way. Without authorisation prior to travel, admission may be denied at a US port of entry. For the latest information, please visit the ESTA website, as detailed.
If you are not a British national or have a British subject passport issued overseas: please call the US Embassy visa information line on 09042 450100 or visit http://www.usembassy.org.uk.
Vietnam entry requirements
All British passport holders require visas for Vietnam. Single-entry tourist visas can be applied for by post or in person up to six months before travel from the Embassy of Vietnam, 12 Victoria Road, London W8 5RD, tel. 0207 9371912 (visa section 9.30am-12.30pm Mon-Fri). For postal applications, please send your passport, a passport-sized photo, a completed visa form, a self-addressed envelope, and a postal order payable to the ‘Embassy of Vietnam’. Charges for a standard up to 30-day tourist visa are £44 per visa, plus an additional charge, for returning your passport by Royal Mail Special Delivery, of £8 if submitting one passport, £6 per passport for two or three passports, £5 per passport for four to seven passports, or £8 per passport for eight applications. Please allow 5 working days for processing. For full details and a downloadable visa form, please see www.vietnamembassy.org.uk/consular.html.
Zambia entry requirements
Multiple-entry visas to Zambia are required for all British passport holders and cost £60 per person from the Zambia High Commission at Zambia House, 2 Palace Gate, London W8 5NG, tel: 0207 5896655. Visa forms may be downloaded from www.zambiahc.org.uk and you will need to enclose a completed form, your passport, 2 passport photos and a photocopy of your Riviera confirmation invoice - no other documents are necessary for normal tourist visas. Postal applications normally take 5 working days to process. Other passport holders should check with the relevant embassies well before departure. Visa fees can change without notice and once issued, any costs are non-refundable.
