Travelling to the UK

Whether a visa is required to enter Britain or not, depends on where a visitor is from and the purpose of his/her visit.

American travellers to the UK only need a valid passport; a visa is not required. Citizens of the European Union countries can enter the UK with a simple identity card valid for going abroad.

Other nationals should contact their nearest British Consulate, local British Tourist Authority Office or travel agent.

Broadly speaking, visitors coming from all countries in the world require a visa, with the exception of the American continent, Australasia, a few South African countries and Western Europe. There are exceptions to this rule (for instance, Ecuador and some other Latin American countries require a Visa), but this is a valid general guideline.

For further information, contact: HM Customs and Excise, New Kings Beam House, 22 Upper Ground, London SE1 9JP. Tel. ++44 - 20 -7620 1313.

Pets

As for pets, fortunately the terrible quarantine laws seem to be a thing of the past, at least as far as animals from and to Western European countries are concerned.

The Pet Travel Scheme, launched a few years ago, only applies to Western European countries. It's better to be careful, because pets taken illegally from and to other countries can be killed if discovered. It lets animals into the UK if accompanied by a kind of passport as proof of vaccinations against rabies. It applies to only some ports of entry, among which Folkestone, Dover and Portsmouth. If you travel by air, Heathrow Airport in theory is OK but airlines like British Midland are still waiting for permission to fly pets under the scheme.

Another limitation is that six months must have passed since inoculation of your pet before he or she will be allowed into the UK.

For further information contact: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Government Buildings (Toby Jug Site), Hook Rise South, Tolworth, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 7NF, England. Tel. ++44 - 20 - 8330 4411. Or your nearest British Consulate or British Tourist Authority office.