May 26th, 2008
Passports and Visas
Passports and Visas
Posted by Viola Woolcott
This information only applies to British Citizen’s who are holding a UK Passport which has been issued in the UK. For clarification Non-British Citizen passport holders or British Citizen who are holding a UK Passport which has been issued abroad are kindly asked to contact the appropriate consulate or embassy.
As regulations can change, you should always (well in advance) check with your travel agent or maybe the relevant embassy that the passport and visa regulations have not been changed. Give yourself plenty of time to do so, as it sometimes takes some time to obtain a visa.
It is YOUR responsibility to make sure that your passport is valid and acceptable, and it is also YOUR responsibility to make sure that you have the documentation and maybe visa for your travel. If you haven’t got the right and correct documentation, you may be refused travel and entry into another country. When you are refused entry into another country, it may mean that you have to be responsible for any occurring costs such as:
= fines
= financial penalties
= surcharges
= other costs (even your immediate return ticket)
= sums of any description
These would have to be paid and settled immediately. No compensation, refund or other sum will be paid.
It is essential for your passport to be valid in order to travel abroad. Even though your passport has been issued for 10 years (it is 5 years for children), be aware that some countries overseas have immigration requirements. For example:
= validity for a minimum period after the date of entry into another country, which is usually 6 months.
= before travelling I would advice you to check if your passport is in its final year of validity and before you make your final travel plans, check the requirements and ‘rules’ of your final destination.
Make sure you apply for your passport early if you haven’t got one, or if it is about to expire. If you are 16 years of age and you never had your own passport, you need to apply for one even earlier. Before using your passport, your identity has to be confirmed and approved by the UK passport service. To protect your identity you may have to attend an interview. For more information visit: www.ips.gov.uk
It will make things easier if you, at the time of booking make sure that you give your first name and surname as stated on your passport. It will reduce confusion as the details will show on your tickets and have to match. If the details are different from that on your passport, it will cause problems not only with checking in, also with insurance details and you may not be able to travel.
