Visa information
What type of Australian visa are you looking for?
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We all know that, when travelling, different countries have different visa requirements. For example, travel to Turkey may require you to obtain an e-visa whereas travel to America could see you needing an ESTA and some countries only needing a visa on arrival or not needing a visa at all… but what is the difference? and what types of visa are out there?
Alongside the standard full visas for tourist and business purposes, here are some of the other common types of visa that travellers may need:
An ESTA is an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation. This is required for travel in to the USA if you are a citizen of a country that is a part of The Visa Waiver Program.
Applying for an ESTA only determines your eligibility for entry into America.
The US use the ESTA in place of a visa (for citizens of certain countries) and is electronically applied to your e-passport.
*Please note: There are many different types of visa that can be applied for when travelling to America, from an A visa all the way to a WT visa, depending on your purpose of travel and eligibility.
An e-Visa grants authorisation to enter the particular country you have applied for. It has the same effect as a normal visa but is applied electronically. This kind of visa is applied and paid for online. e-Visas are available for varied validities dependant on the issuing country (from 30 to 90 days). If you do not qualify for an e-Visa you will need to apply for a full visa.
Countries that use the e-visa scheme are as listed below:
An eTA is an “Electronic Tourist Authorisation” which, as you guessed, authorises tourists to enter certain countries when travelling. The can also be referred to as an “Electronic Tourist Authority”. They are applied to your passport electronically and so leaves out the need for any physical documentation to be submitted for the application.
In some instances you may need to obtain an eTA even if you are transiting through that specific country. Also, the duration of the eTA can vary – for example, a Canadian eTA can last for 5 years.
Countries that use the eTA scheme are as listed below:
This type of visa is valid for travellers who do not wish to stay in the country, but only to pass through it. The visa is temporary and only valid for a short period of time. Some countries require that you have a stop over of 24 hours minimum to grant you a transit visa. But, others provide a transit visa for a stop over as small as 4 hours.
If you have any questions or queries about your visa, or you want to apply for one, please call our award winning team on 01270 250 590 or visit our website: thetravelvisacompany.co.uk
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It has recently come into the news that UK residents are being rejected entry into the USA if they do not have an e-Passport. This is true. It was introduced last month by the American government but most are still unaware.
The reason this has blown up so much, and gained so much traction, is because of one English traveller who shared their unfortunate story on Facebook. As we all know, social media is a huge platform for sharing content, and so it is no surprise that a story like this has caught so much attention and been picked up by the mainstream media.
The traveller in question was due to travel to Florida from their closest UK based airport but got turned away at the check-in desk as they did NOT have an electronic passport.
If you have had your British Citizen Passport issued before 2006 it is likely that you will NOT have an electronic passport. Passports issued after 2006 will be e-Passports but it is always worth checking. A simple way to check if you have an e-Passport is to simply look at the front cover of it:
You should see a small camera symbol at the bottom, in the centre (as pictured above). This indicates that your passport has an electronic chip that can store electronic visas.
You can apply for a new British Citizen Passport on the official government website here: www.gov.uk/apply-renew-passport. This costs £72.50, with an extra £9.75 fee for the Post Office’s Passport Check and Send service.
If you need any assistance with your passport renewal, you can download our passport renewal pack (includes an additional service fee).
Download Passport Renewal Application Pack
If you are one of the unfortunate few who have already applied for, and been granted, a valid ESTA and have recently found out that you don’t have an electronic passport then you will have to apply again. Luckily for you, we can help!
The Travel Visa Company can assist with your new American ESTA application for business or tourist purposes. We take the stress away from your visa application by quality checking the application, completing the online forms on your behalf, emailing you the confirmation of approval and providing support and updates throughout the application process.
Apply now for just £27.50 per person: thetravelvisacompany.co.uk/america/ or call: 01270 250 590
The Canadian Tourism Commission have announced final regulations for Canada’s new ETA program, requiring all British citizens to obtain an authorisation before flying to Canada.
From March 15th 2016 all British Citizens will be able to apply for an ETA when travelling to Canada.
British Citizen Passport Holders who fly to or transit through Canada can now apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). Once approved, your eTA is valid for five years or until your passport expires.
In addition to this, the Canadian authorities have stated that until the 29th September 2016, travellers who do not have an eTA can still board their flight, as long as they have appropriate travel documents (eg a valid passport) and obtain their visa on arrival.
This means that from the 30th of September 2016 onward, Those flying into Canada (or transiting through) will not be able to board their flight without an eTA.
ETA stands for ‘Electronic Travel Authorisation‘. This is an online method of obtaining your travel visa. The visa is applied electronically to the chip that is located in your passport. This then removes the need for stamps or labels being printed in your passport as well as completely getting removing the paper needed for the application.
The Travel Visa Company will be able to assist with all applications for this new Canadian ETA which will be valid for a period of 5 years from the date of issue. For further information, or to apply, please visit our website: thetravelvisacompany.co.uk/canada/ or call our award winning team on 01270 250 590.
Canada has been named as one of the top 20 most beautiful countries in the world by RoughGuides. It is home to the CN Tower, Chateau Frontenac and most notably the Niagra Falls.
Canada is filled with things to do and places to go. There really is something there for everyone! Canada is brilliant for national parks; with 40% of the land being covered by forests and has over 40 recognised national parks.
It has bustling cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal that are teeming with restaurants, cocktail bars, clubs, entertainment venues, arenas, lounges, theatres and much more!
With a flight from London typically taking approximately 8 hours, what is stopping you? Apply for your eTA now!