Visas and what you need to know

Greetings cruisers

I hope you are all well and coping with the dropping temperatures, we are certainly moving into winter !!!

With the dropping temperatures many of us are planning a cruise to more sunnier exotic climates, which is fantastic, however there is one area of your holiday that you must check before anything else, please please check if you do need a visa, there have been some major changes to certain countries that have only happened recently, so even if you have travelled to these places before, please double check if there have been any new updates.

With this in mind I have added a list of the most popular countries and the updated visa requirements. Also something to remember before deciding where to cruise is the actual cost of a visa, some of these can actually be quite pricey, so dont get a nasty surprise later down the line.

USA

If you are travelling to the USA, the days of filling out a green I-94 piece of paper (commonly known as the Visa Waiver form) on a plane for entry into the US have ended. You now need to fill in an online request to enter the States, at least three days before travelling (although you’ll usually get a decision in minutes, it can take up to three days), otherwise you will be turned away at US immigration. The form is called the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation form or ESTA for short. It costs $14 (about £10 depending on the exchange rate at the time) plus the ESTA lasts two years (or until your passport expires). You can obtain one from https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta. Once the ESTA is out of date you need to reapply. The only method for this new procedure is online, so if you do not have internet access, you may need to get help from a friend, family member or colleague who can register online on your behalf.

CHINA

All passengers visiting China on a cruise require a visa, even if you do not intend to leave the ship at the port. Depending how many times your cruise visits China will depend on whether you need a single entry visa (just one port) or a double entry visa (more than 1 port of call). The visa can be obtained as close as 3 working days before departure. Visas cost from around £115pp.

INDIA

An Indian visa will be required for any cruises that visit India. Under new legislation, Britons planning to visit India must provide a fingerprint as part of the visa application process. As of March 14th 2015, Brits wishing to travel to India must first visit one of the fourteen new visa application centres around the UK where they will be fingerprinted in order to receive their visa. The cost of a visa to India comes in at just under £100 per person.

RUSSIA

Visas are needed for entry into Russia, the most common way of obtaining a Russian visa is through the cruise line, as long as you take the excursion in Russia with the cruise line they will include your visa arrangements. Please check at the time of booking. You can obtain your own visa for Russia if you wish to disembark, you must have a Russian Invitation or tourist voucher approved by the ministry of foreign affairs. These can be obtained through CIBT, and they can be ordered as late as 2 working days before departure and cost from £172pp. Applicants who are self-employed or un-employed must provide bank statements for 3 months prior to show they have £100credit available for every day they wish to stay in Russia.

VIETNAM

A visa is required for Vietnam; they offer a single entry visa or a multiple entry visa if you are visiting more than 1 port of call in Vietnam. Visas cost from around £99pp and can be obtained up until around 3 working days before departure though CIBT.

AUSTRALIA

An electronic visa called an ETA is required for entry into Australia, these can be obtained for a cost of around £20pp for a tourist ETA which is valid for 1 year and can be obtained online.

CANADA

Starting March 2016, British citizens are required to complete an online application form before entering Canada. The application process is named ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) which is required for visa-exempt visitors to produce before they fly. The documents are not required until 15th March 2016, which was stated by the Canadian government in 2015

UAE

A visa is obtained on arrival free of charge and is valid for 30 days. (This is out of date now and a visa does need to be applied for before travel, please check embassy for most up to date requirements.