subject: Foreign Office Travel Advice - Do You Need Visa And Passports? [print this page] Foreign Office Travel Advice - Do You Need Visa And Passports?
Are you going abroad? You should check the visa and passports requirements with your foreign office travel advice website well in advance as they can vary greatly depending on your nationality and final destination.
Various problems can arise if you do not have the correct and required travel documents with you. So as part of successful trip planning you must always make sure that:
Your passport is valid
You have all the necessary travel visas for entering your country of destination
You have all the vaccination required and the travel documents to proof it
You can find lot of travel tips and visa information on the internet but you have to be sure that your on-line information is up-to-date.
International travel requirements changes frequently so it is challenging to keep up with the latest changes. You should therefore always double check important travel information like this with your own foreign office travel advice bureau.
Do You Need Visa?
The IATA Travel Centre* offers user friendly, reliable and up-to-date passport, visa and health requirement information at a glance.
The information is based on IATA's Timatic database, which is used by almost every airline in the world for determining passenger travel documents requirements. The airlines insist on up-to-date information, as they are responsible for passengers that do not fulfill visa entry requirements.
It is quick and easy to use and a great way to get an overview of all travel documents you need. You should still double check these information's with your foreign office travel advice bureau.
If you do need visa then check if you can apply for electronic visa on-line. It is by far the most convenient way to get your visa.
* IATA stands for International Air Transport Association
Do You Always Need Passports?
Valid passports are required for travel to most countries. Please do not leave it to the last minute to check when your passport expires. Many countries require passports to be valid for at least six months beyond the date of entry to the country.
So if you are planning to travel and your passport is due to expire in less than a year, you may want to renew your passport. You should also make sure you have at least one clear visa page in your passport for immigration stamps.
There are though few important exceptions, the holders of the following documents do not always have to show their passport when travelling.
US Passport Card
European Citizens Travelling Within the European Union
Passports are still the most reliable identification document and they are universally accepted. We therefore strongly recommend bringing valid passport on all international travel... even if only just in case.
Always check beforehand with your foreign office travel advice bureau if you are planning any travel without a valid passport.
