The article below is an excerpt from Simon Calder’s travel newsletter. To get the latest from Simon delivered straight to your inbox, simply enter your email address in the box above.
While no one enjoys The Independent’s daily political newsletter View from Westminster more than I do, many of us try to escape the barrage of backstabbing and by-elections by heading abroad. Yet increasingly many people are travelling to explore other countries’ political landscapes.
Political Tours, a travel company led by reporters around the world, is filling its tours fast. “People really want to get under the skin of a place,” says the director, Nicholas Wood. “Going with a journalist is the best way to understand how the world works. We’re living through very interesting times. Why is that? Go and find out for yourself.”
Nicholas navigates through a series of political hotspots: “We’ve got Hungary next week, Taiwan the week after, Turkey in May, Lithuania and Poland in June to look at Nato and relations with Russia.” The Mexican tour in September still has space available: this week’s turmoil may either deter you or spark your interest (see the poll later in this newsletter).
After that you could head north of the border. “We’ve got a tour to the US midterm elections in October and November, which is selling like hot cakes,” he says. “The catch is that because we’ve travelled to so many odd and interesting places – Iran, North Korea, Cuba – you’ve got to get a proper visa. My visa is up for renewal, so I’ve got to sort that out.” Then there is the prospect of US Customs and Border Protection scrolling through your social media activity.
On the subject of red tape: after China scrapped visas for British travellers last week, could India follow? The world’s two most populous countries both offer intriguing culture stretching back for millennia, delicious cuisine and joyful travelling. The People’s Republic is now fully open for British holidaymakers; I will arrive there on Monday. In contrast, India’s tortuous visa system remains a serious deterrent to travellers: you could book an expensive trip only to find your eVisa application is refused for unknown reasons. I invested the necessary and gruelling online hours and secured a permit before booking flights for my Indian winter trip in December. But China is now the simple alternative.
My week has been dominated by the full implications of the UK electronic travel authorisation being made mandatory from Wednesday. I have been covering the ETA since it was first announced three years ago. For almost all that time, my concerns have been two-fold: will overseas visitors be aware of the requirement, and will the cost and complexity deter some inbound tourism? But I failed to spot, in the legal texts, the significant effects on dual nationals planning trips from their adopted country to the UK. It is only in the past six weeks that I, and many prospective travellers, have become aware of the impact on the “dormant diaspora”.
Someone who is British by birth or descent may happily have been coming and going for years on their passport from Australia, Canada or Singapore. They could have allowed their UK passport to lapse because it did not appear to provide any extra value. Others may never have had one, having inherited Britishness from a parent – indeed, they might not even have realised that they were British citizens, as the rules for transmitting citizenship have changed several times over the years. Yet these people have learnt they must change their travel arrangements. UK citizens cannot apply for an ETA on a foreign passport. So anyone planning a trip to the mother country must try to renew their British passport (£94.50); renounce their UK citizenship (fee £482); or spend £589 on a “certificate of entitlement” – a digital verification that the holder has the right of abode in the UK.
But trips in the near future may prove impossible: these processes take weeks. Which is why, at the 11th hour, the Home Office introduced a workaround. Airlines can accept an expired British passport issued at any time since 1989, along with a valid foreign passport. The biographical details – full name, date and place of birth – must match exactly. This will prove a problem for someone whose name has changed since the now-expired UK passport was issued.
The Home Office says airlines can choose whether to allow the two-passport combination. Six carriers have confirmed to me that they will permit travel: British Airways, easyJet, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, United and Virgin Atlantic. Others have given answers hedged with uncertainty. But I reckon the current/expired passport combination will swiftly be adopted as an option for all airlines flying to the UK. Expired passports will be regarded as proof of citizenship until, well, their owners expire.
Sign up for Simon’s newsletter
Simon Calder’s exclusive twice-weekly travel newsletter for The Independent is packed with insight, inspiration and trusted advice to help you explore better.
The newsletter is your guide to planning smarter journeys: from finding the best low-impact ways to get around to choosing destinations that benefit local communities.
Each Friday and Sunday, you’ll receive a curated digest of the biggest developments in travel, along with unbeatable deals, destination ideas, and expert tips on where, when and how to go.
To sign up, simply enter your email address in the box at the top of this article.
You can also head to our newsletter preference centre to sign up for the email.
As China goes visa-free, Britain ties itself in knots with complex ETA rules
How to make a multigenerational holiday enjoyable for all, according to experts
Relentless UK rain prompts surge in February half-term holiday bookings
As China goes visa-free, Britain ties itself in knots with complex ETA rules
Simon Calder’s Travel Week newsletter: Sign up for holiday inspiration, advice, deals and more
