Passports and visa documentation

Before travelling anywhere, it is important to check that your passport is still in date. Most of us wouldn’t have made any use of our passports in almost two years, but Gov.uk recommends you have a minimum of six months on your passport before travelling.

You can use the Government’s passport checker as a guide to see if you need to renew. The passport office is currently advising that it may take up to 10 weeks for applications to be processed, so make sure you apply early before travelling.

If travelling on a UK passport, UK citizens can visit most EU countries, plus the four European Free Trade Association states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland), for a combined total of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This will be tracked through passport stamping on entry to, and exit from, all countries. EU passport holders can visit the UK for up to six months at a time.

Border control & travelling between the UK and EU

The way you interact with border control has changed. You must now travel with a return/onward ticket, have enough funds for the duration of your stay, and any UK citizens travelling into the EU will need to use the non-EU/EEA/Swiss Citizens lanes on arrival.

Please be aware that there may be significant delays at border control due to global travel restrictions. Plan your journey accordingly.

There will be no changes to airport security screening because of Brexit. Any passengers flying from the UK will continue to transfer to onward flights at EU airports without extra security screening. This will also be the case at airports in Switzerland, Norway and Iceland. There will also be no impact on direct flights to non-EU countries.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can continue using automatic eGates at dedicated airports so long as a biometric symbol is on the cover of their passport and aged 12 or over. Please be aware, that UK nationals can no longer use eGates.

If your flight departs from UK, existing air passenger rights remain. For EU registered airlines, EU law will continue to apply for flights to and from the EU.

As some travellers choose a more sustainable way to journey across Europe, such as rail, passengers crossing the border will be protected by UK law. Read more here.

Don’t forget – if you carry more than GBP 10,000 in cash with you, this will need to be declared.

Travel to the US

Please do not use any other website to apply for your ESTA than the official website. You will just be charged more than what you need to pay. Fee for application should only be $14.00 USD.

Visitors to New York City from outside the United States need a visa to enter the country. The UK and other countries are part of a Visa Waiver programme called the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Before you travel to the US, you must have a Visa or an ESTA, otherwise you will not be able to travel. More information can be found here

Insurance

Destination Sport Experiences strongly recommends travellers to take out comprehensive travel insurance with sufficient healthcare cover, including cover for existing medical conditions and any activities you plan to do.

If you have a European Health Insurance Card it will be valid up to its expiry date. This will be replaced with a new UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). You can find further details here

Driving licences

It’s worth checking you have all the documents you need to drive in Europe, including the use of an international driving permit (IDP) to drive in some countries. If you're taking your own vehicle, you may also need a 'green card' or valid proof of insurance and a GB sticker.

Everything you need to know can be found via this link

Mobile data roaming

Please check your mobile phone company’s policy on data roaming. You should check with your phone operator for clarity on their roaming charges as rules have recently changed.

Other tips

·         You may not be able to use the EU or EEA lanes when going through passport control

·         You may need to show a return ticket and that you have enough funds for the duration of your stay at border control

·         If you’re travelling for leisure purposes, you won’t need a visa for short trips to Europe

·         If you’re considering carrying meat or milk items, there may be restrictions around transporting products containing these items into the EU. There are exceptions for powdered baby milk, baby food, or pet food required for medical reasons

Covid

While it’s great to be able to travel again, there are some extra considerations you need to make, before you book. To help you with these, we’ve pulled together a list of useful information and resources below. 

Please Note: Destination Sport Experiences has collated the information on this page as an information resource only. Where links or embedded content are provided, they are links and embedded content linked to third party websites over which DSE has no editorial or other control of any nature. DSE does not own any information displayed on any such website nor have any ability or responsibility to maintain the same. DSE makes no representation, warranty or assurance against risk with respect to the contents or use of the above suggested resources, and specifically disclaims any express or implied warranties or usefulness for any purpose. Where any of the above resources provide or make any judgments as to travel, DSE does not provide any express or implied warranty in respect of the same or in respect of any unforeseen escalation of any factors affecting any such judgment.

Covid-19 Travel Restrictions: Travelling from and back to the UK

Vaccinated and Non-Vaccinated Travellers

Restrictions now apply differently for Vaccinated and Non-Vaccinated Travellers. For more information on how a Vaccinated Traveller is defined, and the different rules, please see here.

Covid-19 Travel & Visa Restrictions: Information and Resources

Be aware of any quarantine for when you return to the UK!

Non-Vaccinated Travellers returning to the UK from all international destinations will be required to quarantine for up to 10 days.

Red countries still require 10 days quarantine in a government accredited quarantine hotel for both Vaccinated and Non-Vaccinated Travellers. If you are travelling to a Red country, you must pre-book your quarantine hotel and testing. More information including access to the UK government quarantine hotel & test booking portal is available here.

Travelling abroad from the UK

It is your responsibility to check and comply with any testing, vaccination or quarantine restrictions for your destination. You should check latest government information for your destination. Guidance is provided via https://www.gov.uk/travel-abroad and the Covid-19 Travel & Visa Restrictions: Information and Resources sections below offers extra help.

Returning to the UK

From Monday 4 October 2021, the rules for international travel to England will change from the red, amber, green traffic light system to a single red list of countries and simplified travel measures for arrivals from the rest of the world. The rules for travel from countries and territories not on the red list will depend on your vaccination status.

Check what you need to do before you return to England during COVID-19

There are different COVID-19 rules if you're:

· entering Scotland

· entering Wales

· entering Northern Ireland

Covid-19 Tests

Undertaking Covid-19 tests at certain points in time before, during and after your trip is necessary for any international travel. You need to plan how and when you will take and process your test in order to meet travel requirements and not disrupt your trip.

In many cases, you will need to take a PCR type test to confirm a negative result within 72 hours of departure. Please check the requirements of your trip as these can change.

The Covid-19 negative result status can be produced in different ways. Generally, this is either delivered as a pdf certificate attached to an email or as an update within the test provider app.

Test Providers in the UK

You will need to conduct tests in the UK (or your other resident country) before you depart and upon your return. Details of these tests can be seen in the travel requirements resources above.

Be aware: When deciding on a test for travel, it’s important to check the FCDO advice “Entry requirements” and destination government advice detail. If it stipulates a certain kind of PCR test, (for example, nasal swab,) ensure you are choosing the correct test type.

As an example, saliva type PCR tests have previously been advised as not acceptable (with nasal swab type required), for entry to Greece, Italy, United Arab Emirates and (if not a by administered by a medical professional,) Australia. It is your responsibility to verify latest test requirements.

Also check detail on how test results should be produced. Often results need to be produced in English, Spanish or French.

All UK based private Covid-19 testing services have to by law apply for UKAS accreditation, and feature on the list here.

Test Providers in International Destinations.

You will need to conduct tests during your trip, and in time before your return to the UK or your home country. Details of these test can be seen in the travel requirements resources above.

The best place to find local destination test providers is through the Covid-19 advice pages on the website of the airline you are travelling with. Also useful is to check FCDO advice regarding Covid-19 for your destination, who link to destination government advice and resources.