Q – We booked a fully guided tour out of London and ending in Edinburgh. We booked it ourself and we have not received any information about the new Visa Program I have heard about. It is a 12-Day tour operated by a British company so, as Americans, I wonder what I need to do. Thanks in advance for any help you might provide.
A – If you are connecting flights at Heathrow etc. you would not need the new ETA Visa.
As you will be traveling to other countries, you will need an ETA Visa to travel through the United Kingdom. This is easy to obtain online. The Visa is currently 10 British Pounds (about $12.00 P.P.)
The most simple way to get the Visa is to download the UK ETA App on your phone using either the Apple App Store or Google Play.
On Apple, the App is located under “Utilities.” There is no charge for the App.
The process is quite simple – this is what you will need:
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- Keep Passport handy
- Have Credit Card handy
- You will need to take a photo of your passport photo page as well as a self-photo from the neck up.
- There is a simple online form to fill out
It has been averaging 3-4 business days for the completed Visa to be returned to you.
Your note was a tad disturbing. Why have you not been in touch with the tour operator you booked? Why are they not advising you on the Visa issue? Who is taking responsibility for the planning of your journey at the other end? Who is your travel advocate?
