Due to the up coming Bank Holiday weekend, We will be closed on Monday 26th August. But not to worry… We will be open as normal from Tuesday 27th August at 9 am.
Our opening times are as follows:
| Friday 23 August | 09:00 – 17:30 |
| Saturday 24 August | CLOSED |
| Sunday 25 August | CLOSED |
| Monday 26 August | CLOSED |
| Tuesday 27 August | 09:00 – 17:30 |
| Wednesday 28 August | 09:00 – 17:30 |
| Thursday 29 August | 09:00 – 17:30 |
| Friday 30 August | 09:00 – 17:30 |
From 12th August, We’re implementing a ‘Lunch break‘ across the The Travel Visa Company. This is a 1 hour break, starting 12:30 pm and ending 1:30 pm, every day.
Do not worry though! We are still open Monday to Friday, 9:00 am until 5:30 pm outside of the lunch break.
Any Questions? Feel free to contact us at:
Enquiries@thetravelvisacompany.co.uk
01270250590
Office Address
The Travel Visa Company Ltd
The Quadrangle, Crewe Hall
Weston Road, Crewe
Cheshire, CW1 6UY
Our offices are located at Crewe Hall in Cheshire, 5 minutes away from Crewe train station and 10 minutes from J16 of the M6.
Our offices will be closed for May bank holiday. Normal opening hours resume from Tuesday 28th May.
Our opening times are as follows:
| Friday 24 May | 09:00 – 17:30 |
| Saturday 25 May | CLOSED |
| Sunday 26 May | CLOSED |
| Monday 27 May | CLOSED |
| Tuesday 28 May | 09:00 – 17:30 |
| Wednesday 29 May | 09:00 – 17:30 |
| Thursday 30 May | 09:00 – 17:30 |
| Friday 31 May | 09:00 – 17:30 |
The NZeTA is now available. Download an application pack
New Zealand have announced plans to introduce an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) for travellers wishing to enter the country.
“The Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) will improve the way travellers are assessed before they arrive in New Zealand. It will also help reduce the time needed for border clearance and strengthen border security.”
New Zealand Immigration
British Citizen passport holders, cruising or flying into New Zealand on or after the 1st October 2019, will need to obtain an NZeTA. This is an Electronic Travel Authority which will be valid for two years and allow multiple entries into New Zealand.
The NZeTA will bring a number of benefits to travellers, carriers and New Zealand’s borders, by ensuring faster and better facilitation for an increasing number of visitors. These benefits include:
Our offices will be closed for Good Friday and Easter Monday. Normal opening hours resume from Tuesday 23rd April.
Our opening times are as follows:
| Friday 19th April | CLOSED |
| Saturday 20th April | CLOSED |
| Sunday 21st April | CLOSED |
| Monday 22nd April | CLOSED |
| Tuesday 23rd April | 09:00 – 17:30 |
| Wednesday 24th April | 09:00 – 17:30 |
| Thursday 25th April | 09:00 – 17:30 |
| Friday 26th April | 09:00 – 17:30 |
Below is a list of UK-based embassies and their closing times.
| Afghanistan |
|---|
| 20th – 28th August |
| Algeria |
|---|
| Every Monday |
| Angola |
|---|
| Every Wednesday |
| Azerbaijan |
|---|
| Every Monday |
| Bangladesh |
|---|
| 21st – 22nd August |
| Belarus |
|---|
| Every Wednesday |
| Benin |
|---|
| Every Tuesday & Thursday |
| Burundi |
|---|
| Every Tuesday & Thursday |
| Cameroon |
|---|
| Every Friday |
| Croatia |
|---|
| Every Thursday |
| Cuba |
|---|
| Every Friday |
| Georgia |
|---|
| Every Wednesday |
| India |
|---|
| 15th, 22nd August & 3rd September |
| Kazakhstan |
|---|
| Every Wednesday |
| North Korea |
|---|
| Every Monday, Wednesday & Thursday |
| Liberia |
|---|
| Every Friday |
| Lithuania |
|---|
| Every Monday & Friday |
| Mauritania |
|---|
| Every Friday |
| Mongolia |
|---|
| Every Wednesday & Friday |
| Morocco |
|---|
| Every Friday |
| Namibia |
|---|
| Every Friday |
| Norway |
|---|
| Every Wednesday |
| Romania |
|---|
| Every Friday |
| Saudi Arabia |
|---|
| 17th – 27th August |
| Sierra Leone |
|---|
| Every Friday |
| South Sudan |
|---|
| Every Thursday & Friday |
| Sweden |
|---|
| Every Wednesday |
| Thailand |
|---|
| 13th & 27th August |
| Tunisia |
|---|
| Every Friday |
| Turkmenistan |
|---|
| Every Wednesday |
| Uzbekistan |
|---|
| Every Tuesday & Thursday |
For more consular closure updates, subscribe to our newsletter.
Metro
The underground (Metro) is available in six host cities of the championship: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, and Ekaterinburg. In Volgograd there’s the metrotram, a high-speed tram.
Busses
You can usually find the timetables and route listings for buses, trolleybuses and trams at the bus stop. The overground tram lines usually arrive and depart in intervals of 5 to 30 minutes. You may be able to find a Minibus from as early as 5-7 a.m. They continue services until about 8 p.m. and sometimes 1 a.m.
Trains
Trains cover the cities and local suburbs (around 100 to 150 km from the city centre). Similar to the UK, the ticket price depends on the distance of your journey. Tickets have to be bought beforehand from the ticket booth. One-way tickets have to be used the same day they are purchased and are only valid for that specific destination; round-trip tickets can be used within 24 hours of their purchase.
Taxi
All Russian World Cup host cities have legal taxi companies. They have their own fleets of cars which are regularly go through technical maintenance and are licensed to transport passengers and baggage. All licensed cabs have to have a yellow or orange lamp on the roof, as well as checkered body.
For more transport information, please visit http://bit.ly/2iE0L1C.
The Russian currency is the rouble. One Russian rouble roughly equals 0.013 British Pounds at the time of posting this blog. In Russia, currency can be exchanged in banks or specialised exchange points.
Credit card payments are widely available in Russia, especially in large cities. Any product can be purchased with a credit card. The bank will automatically convert the payment into roubles and deduct the sum from the card.
The Russian police has a right to stop pedestrians to check their documents, so carry your passport or its copy with a visa and registration stamp with you at all times.
The best way to get a taxi is to use an online service or a mobile app. There are almost no private cab drivers left in Russia.
There are pickpockets, especially in popular tourist spots. To avoid them, use the same rules as everywhere
You can find a list of countries whose citizens are able to travel to Russia visa-free here
British Citizen Passport Holders travelling to Russia can obtain a Russian Tourist Visa. The validity of this visa is specified by the entry and exit dates specified on the Russian Tourist Visa application. This visa allows for a single stay of up to 30 days in Russia.
To find out more about what is required to apply for a Russian Tourist Visa or to apply, please visit our website here.
All applicants who wish to apply for a Russian visa must do so in person at the Russian Visa Application Centres in London or Edinburgh. The Russian Embassy now requires fingerprint (bio metric) information from all travellers. In light of the new requirements, The Travel Visa Company Ltd are providing the following services:
To begin the application for a Russian Tourist Visa with us, simply visit our website and download an application pack.
Our processing time for a Russian tourist visa is 15 working days for processing (excluding postal days). When you are applying with us, you must apply for your visa no later than 15 working days before travel.
We recommend applying for your visa as soon as possible.
Tourist / Business / Work / Journalist / Study / Other
This visa allows you to visit China as a tourist. You can only apply for this visa prior to travel.
Required Travel Documents
Length of stay
Validity
Number of entries
This visa allows you to visit China for business purposes such as attending meetings or investigations.
Required Travel Documents
Length of stay
Validity
Number of entries
To work in China, you will need to apply for the Chinese work visa. When applying for this visa, you will also need to obtain a Chinese Employment Permit. Once the Z visa has been obtained, the holder should enter China within 90 days and register at local public security bureau within 30 days of arrival, where the China Residence Permit will be issued to replace Z visa.
Please note: this visa required the applicant to appear in person at the application centre to submit bio metric data (fingerprints).
Required Travel Documents
Length of stay
Validity
Number of entries
The Journalist J-2 visa is available for those travelling to China for short-term news coverage as a foreign reporter or related personnel.
Required Travel Documents
Length of stay
Validity
Number of entries
This visa allows you to visit China to study such as participating in university courses.
Required Travel Documents
Length of stay
Validity
Number of entries
Please note: this visa required the applicant to appear in person at the application centre to submit bio metric data (fingerprints).
| Purpose of Visit | Visa Category | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Tourism | L | Enquire now |
| Exchange,visits,study tours or other relevant activities | F | Enquire now |
| Commercial trade activities | M | Enquire now |
| Family member or relative of Chinese citizen(s) or foreigner(s) with permanent residence status in China | Q1 | Enquire now |
| Family member or relative of Chinese citizen(s) or foreigner(s) with permanent residence status in China | Q2 | Enquire now |
| Family member of foreigner(s) staying or residence in China or person who needs to come to China for personal matters | S1 | Enquire now |
| Family member of foreigner(s) staying or residence in China or person who needs to come to China for personal matters | S2 | Enquire now |
| Work | Z | Enquire now |
| Study | X1 | Enquire now |
| Study | X2 | Enquire now |
| Journalist | J1 | Enquire now |
| Journalist | J2 | Enquire now |
| Crew member | C | Enquire now |
| Transit | G | Enquire now |
| Permanent residence | D | Enquire now |
| Foreigner of high talent or specialist | R | Enquire now |
    |
Though many of us enjoy a break from our digital lives when holidaying or travelling, there are a whole host of apps that have been designed to enhance our experience – from the planning stages through to booking your flights, hotel and finding your way around. We have compiled a list of 8 of our favourites for any traveller:
Though this app started out as a way to find your way around London, it has since expanded to include information for over 37+ other cities across the globe. It is the ideal app for any city break with detailed maps and directions for all modes of transport (taxi/car, bus, tram, rail, cycling, walking, etc). Search for points of interest, get instant ETAs based on current traffic, see your friends arrive in real-time and save journeys for offline viewing. One of its newest features displays how many calories burned, trees saved and money saved by using public transport! For a list of cities or to vote for the next one to be added, visit https://citymapper.com/cities
> Available for iPhone and Android
Want to save on flight tickets? Skiplagged details the price history of specific routes to let you know the best times to book and find “hidden-city” one-way ticket deals where you can get cheaper flights by stopping over – a great excuse to explore another city. If you’ve never travelled like this before, you should read thier hidden-city FAQ at http://skiplagged.com/faq. The app also details hotel discounts with special in-app rates and lists a number of travel deals, allowing you to receive notifications when prices drop and save up to 80%!
> Available for iPhone and Android
This app is a super handy piece of kit that will auto scan your emails to compile all your travel plans into one place. Alternatively, you can manually send confirmation emails for it to instantly create an itinerary. It can sync with your calendar and send notifications to remind you about events plus you can easily share specific plans, or your entire itinerary, with anyone else. Subscribing to Tripit Pro (£38.99 annual membership) gives you all this power plus real-time flight alerts, seat tracking, alternative flight finder, fare refund notifications, point tracking and more…
> Available for iPhone and Android
GeoSure is an invaluable app for travellers with state-of-the-art statistical analysis of health and security concerns for destinations worldwide. As well as pulling data from hundreds of renowned and trusted sources and local authorities, it includes crowd-sourced information from the global community of users who share personal accounts from wherever they are. Areas are given a safety score reflecting health risks, environmental threats, political uprisings and details of any thefts and assaults that may have occurred in the area. Experience the joy of discovering new places while maximising your safety.
> Available for iPhone and Android
If you are looking for a map for your travels this app is the right choice. With over 40 million+ users and available for all popular devices, maps are well detailed and regularly updated. The best part? You don’t need to worry about internet connection or roaming charges as all maps are available offline – just make sure you search for the area you are visiting and download that area prior to travelling. With GPS navigation it provides driving, walking and cycle information for anywhere in the world, allowing you to bookmark all the places you are planning to visit for quick access and showing nearby points of interest, ATMs, public transport, attractions and restaurants.
> Available for iPhone and Android
This awesome app provides a new way of connecting with other travellers with similar interests. There is a noticeboard to search for upcoming plans, WiFi finder, chat facility for the new friends you add and ways to arrange meetups, find local deals and match travel plans. If you are thinking about getting recommendations or looking to meet like-minded people whilst travelling, Travello comes equipped with the tools to make it easy, fun and engaging. Their latest update adds video support so you can now share your experiences with people in over 180 countries!
> Available for iPhone and Android
Though most devices have a stock weather app, WeatherBug is a cross-platform app that is powered by the largest professional weather network in the world. With real-time forecasts (current, hourly and 10-day), lightning detector, weather alerts and 18 maps to visualise your weather, this app gives you much more detailed information. Our favourite feature is the lifestyle forecasts which let you know how weather will impact your allergies, sporting events, workouts and more – quickly access pollen count, wind speed/direction, pressure, humidity and stay informed of hurricane forecasts and changing conditions. For all things weather in over 2.6 million+ locations, this is our go-to app.
> Available for iPhone and Android
Virtual reality is increasingly becoming more popular and what better use than exploring the planet without having to set foot outside? Google Earth has come a long way since it was first launched in 2005 and maps Earth using satellite imagery, aerial photography and geographic information system to generate a 3D globe. Features now include “tour guides” with step-by-step interactive adventures for discover exciting new places and curated content from the likes of the BBC and National Geographic. Whether you want to uncover the awe-inspiring architecture of the Taj Mahal or plunge into the depths of the Grand Canyon’s geological layers, this app provides you with the world in the palm of your hands.
> Available for iPhone and Android
Are there any other apps you think should be added to this list? Let us know in the comments or via our social media channels:
The Travel Visa Company 