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Travel and transport
Country travel advice
If you are planning to travel abroad there is a variety of information and advice available. This section includes advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Identity and Passport Service about travel around the world.
Notice of potential threats
Travel advice
Check the swine flu travel advice page for the latest information
You can check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) website for its travel notices. These help you avoid trouble by providing information on potential threats to your personal safety from political unrest, terrorist activities, lawlessness, violence, natural disasters, and epidemics, as well as giving information on local laws and entry requirements.
The information is reviewed every month and at the time of any significant incident. When an area has a developing crisis, the advice is updated more often, sometimes several times a day.
Cultural awareness
Appreciating cultural and legal differences can help you avoid potentially embarrassing or difficult situations.
Here are a few tips:
- get a good guidebook and find out about local laws, customs and culture
- take a phrase book
- respect local customs and dress codes, think about what you wear and how you fit in
- be discreet about your views on cultural differences and behave and dress appropriately, particularly when visiting religious sites, markets and rural communities
- you should take particular care not to offend Islamic codes of dress and behaviour with regards to sexual relations, alcohol and drugs - in some countries, for example, it is illegal to drink, and importing alcohol into the country can lead to severe penalties
- always ask an individual's permission before you take a photograph and respect their wishes - in some cultures, taking a woman's photograph can cause great offence
- don't haggle too aggressively, in most countries where haggling is the norm, it is done with humour and not for too long - it is important to remember that the discount you are haggling over could be a few pence for you, but a significant means of income for a seller
- it is best to be cautious - behaviour that would be regarded as harmless elsewhere can lead to serious trouble
Travelling in Europe: take your passport
Although the UK is part of the European Union (EU), you still need to carry a full British passport every time you travel to Europe. This includes day trips and travel by Eurostar. For adults this means carrying a ten-year adult passport; for children a five-year child passport unless they are included on a parent's passport.
Many countries no longer check passports at their land borders, but they still expect visitors to carry a valid form of ID. For UK travellers this is a British passport.
And remember, you will need to show your passport at immigration control when you return to the UK.
Travelling to the US: do you need a visa?
Travel advice
Most British citizens visiting the US for less than 90 days do not need a visa. This is becase of the US Visa Waiver Programme (US VWP). The US VWP allows nationals of certain countries, including the UK, to travel to the US without a visa for tourism or business for visits of less than 90 days.
If you think you are covered by the US VWP and are travelling on or after 12 January 2009, you have to apply for authorisation before you travel. You can do this through the US Department for Homeland Security website using their Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
Not every traveller from the UK is covered by the US VWP so it is always best to check well before you book any travel.
You can find further information on the US Department for Homeland Security website, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website or the US Embassy website.
Travelling to Libya on a British passport
If you plan to travel to Libya on a British passport you will need to get an Arabic transcript of your passport's detail page printed in your passport. (This is a requirement that the Libyan authorities re-imposed in November 2007.)
The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) can add a stamp that provides blank fields in Arabic. You will then need to contact the Libyan Embassy to find an acceptable translator to fill in these fields with your details in Arabic.
To find out how to get this stamp added to your passport, please call the IPS Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000. You can contact the Libyan Embassy in London on 020 7201 8280.
Foreign nationals or Commonwealth citizens travelling to British overseas territories
If you are a foreign national or Commonwealth citizen you will need a visa to visit British overseas territories (like Bermuda or Gibraltar). If you are already in the UK, the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) can supply you with a visa for these territories.
For more information on this service please call the IPS Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000.
Getting more advice
You can get travel advice by phone by calling the FCO's travel advice call centre on 0845 850 2829. You can also use the FCO website for a range of detailed travel advice.
For advice on travelling to EU countries you can use the Your Europe website.
Additional links
New rules for travelling to the US
You may not need a visa but you will need to register online with the US government before you travel
Do it online
Useful contacts
Time to renew your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)?
EHICs issued in 2005 and early 2006 will soon need to be renewed. Don't risk travelling in Europe without a valid card.
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