Comments | brits_americans: Tourism visa & short trip from the UK

trindajae in brits_americans

Tourism visa & short trip from the UK

Aug 25, 2009 04:21

I was told that there are recent changes to the visas for tourists to the UK, but I'm having a very hard time finding clear guidelines on the border agency website. My mother and I will be traveling to London from the US for tourism for 16 days, but part of those days we were going to spend on a 3-day trip to Belgium. Is there a visa that we ( Read more... )

visas, tourism

Comments 8

tisiphone August 25 2009, 11:41:09 UTC

You'll enter under the Visa Waiver Program, unless there's something unusual about you (like not being US citizens or something*), so you don't need a visa at all for either the UK or Belgium. You don't need to do anything special to go to Belgium and come back, just go through the immigration on either side.

* Not that not being US citizens is unusual - considered on a worldwide basis it's the norm rather than the exception. But it could affect your VWP eligibility.

trindajae August 25 2009, 12:09:43 UTC

* Not that not being US citizens is unusual - considered on a worldwide basis it's the norm rather than the exception. But it could affect your VWP eligibility.

What? There are people in the world who aren't American? Since when? *snort*

Thanks hugely for the answer. :)

dreamkate1 August 25 2009, 13:14:09 UTC

"Do nothing" seems like a rather broad term. You do need to do "something" every time you enter a foreign country. Whilst you don't get a visa you do get a stamp. Yours will most likely be the standard 6 month visitor stamp which reminds you about no working or recourse to public funds. Yes, as a US citizen you are eligible for the VWP (provided you don't go against their terms, the main ones I can think of are being denied entry previously or any convictions.) However to enter the UK (or any country) it's fairly standard to provide ( ... )

trindajae August 25 2009, 13:41:51 UTC

That makes sense, thank you. We were already planning to have all of that information readily accessible because we'll be using it when we land, but I'll make extra certain that it's somewhere I'll be able to grab it from our carry-on luggage.

fox_c August 25 2009, 20:33:55 UTC

Just a note on hotel arrangements - my friends and family have mentioned that this seems to have gotten much more strict in the past year. Just your hotel name (or the name of friends/relatives) is not sufficient, you have to have the full address. My brother almost didn't make it into the country at Christmas (they got the special screening) because he didn't have my address. Just so you know. . .

trindajae August 25 2009, 20:44:13 UTC

Duly noted, thanks. :)

annaonthemoon August 25 2009, 15:31:55 UTC

You should be fine without applying for a visa ahead of time and just getting it when you land under the VWP. The fact that you will be traveling with your mom only lends more credibility that you won't become an overstayer, IMHO.

trindajae August 25 2009, 20:45:27 UTC

Yeah, if I chose to disappear into the proverbial London fog, my employers would likely be a bit unhappy with me... LOL.