Annex A
STYLE AND FORMAT OF TRAVEL ADVICE
The following headings and sub-headings should
be included where possible.
(A) SUMMARY
— Should be in the form of five-six
bullet-points (at most);
— If you are advising against travel/all
but essential travel (either to the whole country or to specific
areas), always include this as the first bullet-point in the Summary;
— There should be at least one bullet-point
on the threat from terrorism;
— The remainder should focus on the
main risks to travellers;
— If there is no UK Diplomatic presence
in a country, say so in the Summary;
— You should avoid using phrases such
as "the vast majority of visits are trouble-free": this
is (a) a hostage to fortune; and (b) over the top language. If
you need to use such language, better to say "most visits
are trouble-free";
— Final bullet-point should be a generic
one on need for medical and travel insurance: "We strongly
recommend that comprehensive travel and medical insurance is obtained
before travelling".
(B) SAFETY
AND SECURITY
(NB THIS SECTION
IS MANDATORY)
(i) Terrorism
— Always the first sub-section of this
section. This must appear in every Travel Advice.
— See Annexes B and C from CTPD, for
further advice on writing the terrorism paragraph and processing
changes.
— In addition, you should generally
use the following phrases: "You should be aware of the global
risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against
civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners. Please
read "Security and General Tips" and "Risk of Terrorism
when Travelling Overseas" pages."
(ii) Crime
— Give details of crime situation in
country with advice to travellers, eg any specific scams and levels
of violent crime.
(iii) Political Situation
— Give details of any forthcoming elections
and potential demonstrations/strikes.
(iv) Local Travel
— Repeat the advice against all or
all but essential travel to particular areas, with an explanation
why we are advising against travel there.
(v) Road/Rail/Air/Sea Safety (included as
appropriate)
— On Road Safety: include the condition
of the roads/local driving patterns/what type of driving licences
are required (eg are UK licences sufficient or are International
Driving Permits required).
— On Rail Safety: eg the need to secure
sleeping compartments in trains.
— On Air Safety: refer to circular
16-04 issued by AMED, who lead on all air safety matters.
(C) LOCAL
LAWS AND
CUSTOMS
— Give information on drugs penalties,
dress codes, attitude to homosexuality (is it illegal?), legality
of taking photos near sensitive sites, eg military locations etc.
(D) ENTRY
REQUIREMENTS
— If visas are required and where to
obtain them, etc.
— Advice on minimum passport validity
(especially if less than six months).
— Advice for lone parents/other adults
(eg grandparents) travelling with children: Where appropriate,
you should use the following generic wording, or check with Post
whether more or less detailed advice is appropriate:
"Single parents or other adults travelling
alone with children should be aware that some countries require
documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing
lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting
the children to leave the country. For further information on
exactly what will be required at immigration please contact the
London embassy [website link] of the country to which you will
be travelling"
(E) HEALTH
— Repeat the instructions in the summary
about the need for comprehensive medical/travel insurance, and
if necessary give further details on the local medical facilities/the
need for medical evacuations etc;
— If in Europe, advise on the use of
E111 forms;
— Don't give advice on what vaccinations/profilaxis
are needed—refer to DoH website or advise the traveller
to contact his/her own GP for up to date information;
— Include any outbreaks of contagious
diseases, eg SARS, Bird Flu;
— Include information about endemic
diseases (eg cholera/malaria).
(F) NATURAL
DISASTERS
— Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods,
volcanic eruptions, etc.
— Any immediate effects, eg roads closed
etc as a result of a hurricane should go in the Summary and in
the "Local Travel" section.
(G) GENERAL
Give details of anything else not covered in
above, eg:
— If there is no British Diplomatic
Mission, it should be stated here. Also include details of Honorary
Consul or nearest Diplomatic Mission for emergency consular cases.
— Advice on whether British nationals
should register with the Embassy/High Commission on arrival.
— If the Embassy doesn't issue passports
locally, what the arrangements are for obtaining a replacement/emergency
passport and likely time taken.
— Money: availability of ATMs, use
of credit cards/travellers cheques/official currency in new EU
countries.
— Reconfirmation of flights (if necessary).
(H) CONTACT
DETAILS
— There is a hyperlink at the bottom
of each Travel Advice to the UK Missions Overseas page on the
FCO website that gives details of the British Embassy/High Commission
and subsidiary posts. It is important that these are kept up-to-date.
(Amendments should be sent direct to Online Communications Dept
using the "FCO website" address in the GAL).
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