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Passports and Visas - what's needed where

If you’re going to be leaving the UK, you’re going to need a valid passport and you may need a visa – and some countries require your passport to be valid for a certain length of time. What you’ll need will depend on the country you’re going to and whether you’re a UK citizen.

See Frank and Honest’s ‘Applying for a Passport’ page for info if you don’t already have a passport.

If you don’t know whether you need a visa, check and double check. Some countries will grant visas when you arrive in that country whilst others require visas to be applied for and approved before you travel. How you apply and the length of time it’ll take for your visa to come through will depend on the country you are visiting.

If you need a visa, your travel agent should be able to give you the visa requirement information you need. If you have any doubts, you can contact the consulate or embassy of the country you plan to visit. You’ll also find useful information on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website – details below.

Visas are usually stamped into the pages of your passport. If you’ve done a fair amount of travelling in countries that require visas, make sure you have enough fresh pages for your trip! Some visa offices are fussy about needing a fresh page for each vias stamp. In some countries, rather than a stamp in your pasport, you’ll be given a formal written visa.

Links & Contact Details

Name: Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Web: www.fco.gov.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info: The FCO UK Government department. Loads of info on travelling around the world.

Name: gogapyear.com
Web: www.gogapyear.com
Email:
Tel:
Info: Essential advice for gap year travvelers. Set up by the UK government with partners.

Name: Know Before You Go
Web:www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/about-kbyg-campaign/
Email:
Tel:
Info: Set up by the UK Government with partner organisations.

Name: Travel Advice by Country – Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Web:www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/
Email:
Tel:
Info: The FCO’s travel advice for every country.

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