FCO Travel Advice

Stay safe overseas – know before you go

Whatever your reason for travelling abroad, you’re sure to want a trouble free trip. Many of the things that often go wrong for travellers can be prevented or made less stressful by taking a few simple precautions. So it makes sense to spend a little time getting prepared before you travel – you could save yourself a lot of problems later on.

With this in mind, we are working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to help British nationals stay safe abroad. The FCO website (www.fco.gov.uk/travel) offers straightforward travel advice, top tips and up to date country information to help you plan your holiday.

Their Top Tips include:

Make sure you have valid travel insurance, even if you’re only planning a short trip.
Visit your GP at least 6 weeks before you travel to get any vaccinations you might need.
Read up on your destination, including local laws and customs.
Make photocopies of your passport, visas and insurance details and leave a copy with a relative or friend at home.

You can also find detailed below handy checklists to use before you set off and whilst you’re away and some additional advice specifically for women. Plus it’s worth reading up on what the local British Consulate can do to help you if you run into problems abroad – and what they can’t do.

General Travel Checklist

British nationals take millions of trips overseas every year, most of which pass without any kind of incident.

Yet it is important to remember that outside the UK:
you are less likely to be familiar with local conditions, customs and risks
you may be more exposed to a variety of threats, such as crime
support which you could freely get in the UK may not be available or may be very expensive.
So, to stay safe and secure abroad, and to be prepared in case things go wrong, it is important to take a few simple precautions before you go:

Check the FCO website (www.fco.gov.uk/travel) or call the travel advice line (0845 850 2829) to help you make an informed decision about your destination and safety abroad. You can find the latest updates on vital information from security threats to political unrest, natural disasters to epidemics, as well as country specific travel advice and the top ‘don’t go’ countries.

Always make sure you have full travel insurance which is up to date, valid for the entire trip and covers everyone who is travelling. Check you are covered for all the activities you want to do, including any dangerous sports, and that it covers all your luggage and equipment, personal injury as a result of terrorist activity, and legal costs. You should also look carefully at exemptions to the insurance policy, including any relating to pre-existing medical conditions, or alcohol and drugs.

Anyone travelling within the European Economic Area or Switzerland should also get a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which entitles you to some reduced or free emergency care. But remember even with the EHIC card, you will still need travel insurance.

Make sure that all your vaccinations are up to date and find out about any other suggested medical advice by visiting your health-care provider.

Fill in the contact details at the back of your passport for your next-of-kin or someone who can be contacted in an emergency. Apart from your passport, take another form of identification with you (preferably one with a photograph, such as a driving licence).

Make sure you are aware of the immigration and customs controls of the country you are travelling to, including any necessary visas. You should note that for many countries your passport needs to be valid for at least six months after the date you travel. In the UK, you can get on-line information on how to get a passport from the Identity and Passport Service (www.passport.gov.uk) or by calling 0870 521 0410.

Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back. Leave an itinerary and details of where you might be able to be contacted during your time abroad. You should also make two copies of your passport (including pages with relevant visas), insurance details and any other important travel documents. Leave one copy at home with a family member or a reliable friend and take one copy with you, packed separately from your passport.

Take enough money for your trip and some back-up funds, such as traveller’s cheques, some cash (sterling or US dollars) or credit cards. Before you leave, check that your cards are valid, and find out how you can replace them and your traveller’s cheques if they are lost or stolen. Keep a separate note of their numbers and of the number you would need to ring to stop any credit cards if they are lost or stolen.

Buy a good travel guide that includes basic information on local laws and customs. Talk to your travel agent or tour operator about possible risks.

If you are planning to drive, make sure your UK driving licence is current and valid. Make sure you know the driving laws, licence requirements and driving conditions in the country you are visiting. In some countries you will need to have an international driving permit as well as your UK licence.

If you are travelling in uncertain local conditions or remote areas, you should consider contacting the local British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate to see if you need to register with them. For some countries, you can register on-line at www.fco.gov.uk.

When you are there Checklist

• Be aware of security and take sensible precautions. Leave your jewellery and valuables at home and only carry as much money as you need for the day.
• Keep copies of your passport, insurance details and other important travel documents separate from the originals.
• Carry a form of ID such as a driving licence or a photocopy of your passport.
• Stay aware of what is going on around you. Find out from your guidebook or tour guide about any local scams and keep up to date with local events in the media.
• Keep a note of the local British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate phone number
• Protect your passport: carry a photocopy and keep the original in a safe place.
• Stay in regular touch with your family and friends in the UK, especially if you are traveling alone or in a remote area
• Be aware of local laws and customs, particularly when visiting religious sites, markets and rural communities.
• Check that what you are bringing back to the UK is legal.
• Be aware of local attitudes to alcohol and know your own limit.
• Be aware of penalties for any association with drugs. Pack your own baggage, fasten it securely and do not leave it unattended
• Follow any health advice you received before travelling. You should, for example, drink plenty of safe drinking water, use sunscreen, and take care what you eat and where you eat it.
• Check out the lists of local lawyers, interpreters, doctors and funeral directors that are available on Embassy, High Commission or Consulate websites.

Additional advice for Women Travellers

Attitudes to women in other countries can be very different from the UK. The more you prepare yourselves, the better your travelling experiences will be. The following tips will help you.

Be Prepared

• Check and follow all relevant FCO Travel Advice.
• Get adequate travel insurance and check that the cover is appropriate.
• Get a good guidebook and get to know your destination. Find about local laws and customs. Take a phrasebook that you can use in emergencies.
• Find out about the culture and customs of the countries you will be visiting; for example, what you should wear when visiting religious and other cultural sites.
• Keep your family and friends informed of your plans.
• Leave a copy of your itinerary, passport, travel insurance documents and credit cards with someone at home.
• Take copies of all these documents with you and keep them separate from the originals in case any of them are lost or stolen. Keep originals in the guesthouse safe.
• Travel light. The less luggage you carry, the more independent you will be.
• Plan to stay healthy. If you are taking prescribed medication, check it is legal in the country you are visiting. Pack it in your hand luggage and take the prescription with you. If taking medication with you, also take a prescription and a GP's letter in case you are stopped by Customs or lose your medicine and need to replace it.
• Carry a list of British Consular Offices in the countries you plan to visit.

Clothing & Behaviour

• Think about how your clothing will fit in with local customs and attitudes. Look at what the local women are wearing if you feel you need guidance. Don't wear expensive jewellery. Wearing dark glasses can boost your confidence and reduce harassment, but remember to remove them when talking to people.
• Consider wearing a wedding ring even if you don't usually do so. It can help you avoid harassment.
• Be wary of new-found 'friends'. Don't tell strangers where you are staying or give out too many details about your travel plans.
• NEVER carry packages or anything else through Customs for other people. Always pack your own baggage and never leave it unattended. The penalties for possession of / or trafficking in Drugs in some countries can include long prison sentences or even death.

Travelling Around

• If you are travelling alone you may attract unwelcome attention and you may receive unwelcome propositions or remarks. It is usually best to ignore them.
• Act confidently. Plan your daily itinerary. Know where you are going and what you are doing. Leave details of your plans with your hotel or guesthouse. Make sure when you go out you know how to get back. Some guesthouses can give you cards that show you how to get back.
• Never accept car rides from strangers or hitchhike. Ask the local guesthouse to recommend a taxi firm and, when possible, try to double up with someone you know when travelling by taxi.

Hotels & Guesthouses

• Use only a first initial when checking in. Don't put 'Ms', 'Miss' or 'Mrs'.
• Never leave your key where someone can note your room number.
• Do not leave your window open if your room is on the ground floor
• Use a door wedge on the inside of your hotel room door for extra security.
• Never open your room door to anyone - maintenance, flower delivery or whoever - without checking with reception to verify the service.
• If the guesthouse provides a safety box or safe - use it!

Going Out

• Avoid risky situations such as travelling or walking alone at night or drinking by yourself in a bar. Drug-assisted rape is a real and growing risk so never leave your drink unattended.
• Alcohol can affect your judgement and your ability to react. Be aware of your environment and stay in control.
• Plan to stay in touch
• E-mail, telephone and write home regularly. You can make use of the International Poste Restante service for receiving letters and packages abroad.
• Tell friends and family where you are going. The more people know about your movements, the better protected you will be.
• If trouble flares up, contact family and friends. This will put their minds at rest that you are safe and well.
  Consular Assistance

Who the FCO can help

• The FCO can provide support to people outside the UK who are:
• British nationals
• in certain limited circumstances, British nationals with another nationality – ‘dual nationals’
• European Union or Commonwealth nationals whose country does not have a local mission, in circumstances where the
• FCO have agreed to help their nationals.
• The FCO cannot provide this support to other countries’ nationals, even if they may have been lawfully living in the UK.

How the FCO can help
If you do get into difficulty whilst abroad the FCO offers help which is appropriate to the individual circumstances of each case, including:

• issuing replacement passports;
• providing information about transferring funds;
• providing appropriate help if you have suffered rape or serious assault, are a victim of other crime, or are in hospital;
  helping people with mental illness;
• providing details of local lawyers, interpreters and doctors and funeral directors;
• doing all we properly can to contact you within 24 hours of being told that you have been detained;
• offering support and help in a range of other cases, such as child abductions, death of relatives overseas, missing people and kidnapping;
• contacting family or friends for you if you want; and making special arrangements in cases of terrorism, civil disturbances or natural disasters.

The FCO cannot...

• get you out of prison, prevent the local authorities from deporting you after your prison sentence, or interfere in criminal or civil court proceedings;
• help you enter a country, for example, if you do not have a visa or your passport is not valid, as we cannot interfere in another country’s immigration policy or procedures;
• give you legal advice, investigate crimes or carry out searches for missing people, although we can give you details of people who may be able to help you in these cases, such as English-speaking lawyers;
• get you better treatment in hospital or prison than is given to local people;
• pay any bills or give you money (in very exceptional circumstances we may lend you some money from public funds, which you will have to pay back);
• make travel arrangements for you, or find you work or accommodation; or make business arrangements on your behalf.