When should I organise my passport and visa?

Question:

My passport is due to run out in the New Year and I will probably need to get a visa organised for my next holiday, possibly to India. What advice would you give on getting this sorted out?

Answer:

By Bob Atkinson, travelsupermarket.com

Planning and organising your holiday is one of the things that many of us Brits really do enjoy. In fact, we enjoy it just as much as going on holiday itself. Scouring brochures, pouring over gorgeous pictures of exotic locations and researching places to sunbathe, shop, party and relax.

But the bit we tend to be a little bit rubbish about is the documentation, and in particular checking passport and visa requirements. So if you are planning your summer 2012 holiday or even thinking about going away somewhere, follow our tips to take care of your leisure travel arrangements and avoid last-minute hassle.

Start with your passport

Get your passport out now (if you can find it) and check the expiry date. If you have less than six months left to run on your passport, then don’t wait until it runs out, order a new passport now. Get online and check with the UK passport agency.
Renewals cost £77.50 for a standard service, more for faster turnaround and large passports and all the info and forms you need are online. Alternatively you can obtain a form from the Post Office and use their Check and Send service for £8.17 plus the renewal fee.
At this time of year, before the Easter 2012 rush, the UK passport offices turn around applications and renewals far quicker than in the peak demand period of summer, so you will get your passport back far quicker.

The check if you need visas

Wherever you are planning to go, please check if there are any visa requirements to enter the country. These can and do change regularly, so never assume that requirements are the same as the last time you travelled. An example would be Kenya, which has changed a number of times in recent years. The best way to do this is on the embassy website of the country you are planning to visit. The site should tell you what you need to do in order to apply for a visa as well as telephone numbers for assistance. Only use official websites, NOT those that are set up to scam people into charging for free information.
If you do require a visa there will be a number of ways of obtaining it. Some countries will require that you send your passport together with the relevant supporting documentation and any fees. Some will require that you attend in person or that someone lodges the application for you on their behalf. Some allow online applications such as the USA and some will allow you to buy a tourist visa on arrival for a fee, such as Turkey.
In some circumstances you will be required to show evidence of travel details and bookings when you apply. My advice here is to read through the regulations for the visa before you book your travel to ensure you are not going to fall foul of any obvious reason why the country would not allow you in. e.g. those with criminal records or who have previously been refused entry. In that way you minimise the chances of losing any money if you cannot then get a visa.
If you find all of this far too much hassle, you can employ the service of a passport and visa specialist. There are a number of companies who will take care of your needs for a service fee, including paying for people to queue in line for you (a favourite for those going to India), checking all of your documents and turning around the applications faster than normal. However some of the fees can be high and if you are organised you can save yourself this money.