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United States of America Price and Processing Time Changes.

Dear applicants, please note that from 03 March 2019 price for United States of America will be £125 for all visa types plus service charge and processing time for all types of visas will take 15 calendar days. http://ru.vfsglobal.co.uk/visa_types.html 

The ABTA Destinations team continue to monitor the current heightened political tension in India and Pakistan.
 
Thailand: FCO Travel Advice Update
 
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has updated the travel advice for Thailand with an update to the Summary: Thai Airways have cancelled or delayed a number of flights between Europe (including the UK) and Thailand due to airspace closures over the Kashmir region. This is affecting flights on 28 February. We are in close touch with the airline and Suvarnibhumi Airport in Bangkok to provide support. If flying with Thai Airways you should check with your tour operator, travel agent or the airline for up to date information on your flight status before travelling to the airport. The relevant extract of the advice is below for your reference:
 
Summary
Thai Airways have cancelled or delayed a number of flights between Europe (including the UK) and Thailand due to airspace closures over the Kashmir region. This is affecting flights on 28 February. We are in close touch with the airline and Suvarnibhumi Airport in Bangkok to provide support. If flying with Thai Airways you should check with your tour operator, travel agent or the airline for up to date information on your flight status before travelling to the airport.
 
The overall level of the advice has not changed. There are restrictions within the advice.
 
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all but essential travel to areas within the provinces on the Thai-Malaysia border, including:

• Pattani
• Yala
• Narathiwat
• Southern Songkhla province. Our advice against all but essential travel does not include areas north of and including the A43 road between Hat Yai and Sakom, and areas north-west of and including the train line which runs between Hat Yai and Pedang Besar.

The ABTA Destinations team are monitoring the current heightened political tension in India and Pakistan.
 
As a result of Pakistan closing its airspace effective until 11:59pm on 28 February, we understand that a number of airlines operating flights from the Far East to destinations in Europe are having to reroute their aircraft away from Pakistan and northern India.
 
Several affected airlines are posting information on flight disruptions on their Twitter feed. We have shared the latest details below, however please note that this is not an exhaustive list and it is recommended that you liaise with the applicable airlines to establish whether their flight schedules have been affected by the situation.
 
For your information we are also including the most recent FCO Travel Advice updates received earlier this afternoon.
 
Pakistan: FCO Travel Advice
 
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has updated the travel advice for Pakistan with an update to the Summary – updated information on heightened tensions between Pakistan and India, particularly across the Line of Control. 
 
The relevant extract of the advice is below for your reference:
 
Summary
Following a terrorist attack in Pulwama on 14 February, there are heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, particularly across the Line of Control. In response to these tensions, Pakistan has announced the closure of its airspace, effective until 11.59pm on 28 February. There are no commercial flights operating to, from or within Pakistan at this time. You should check with your airline before travelling to the airport for flights to and from Pakistan.
 
The overall level of the advice has not changed, and there are restrictions in place.
 
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to:

• the Federally Administered Tribal Areas
• the districts of Charsadda, Kohat, Tank, Bannu, Lakki, Dera Ismail Khan, Swat, Buner and Lower Dir in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
• the city of Peshawar and districts south of the city, including travel on the Peshawar to Chitral road via the Lowari Pass
• northern and western Balochistan
• travel on the Karakoram Highway between Islamabad and Gilgit

 
The FCO advise against all but essential travel to:

• the Kalesh Valley, the Bamoboret Valley and Arandu District to the south and west of Chitral in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
• the city of Quetta
• the city of Nawabshah in Sindh Province, and areas of interior Sindh to the north of Nawabshah

 
View the travel advice in full here: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/pakistan
 
India: FCO Travel Advice
 
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has updated the travel advice for India with an update to the Summary – updated information on heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, particularly across the Line of Control.  The relevant extract of the advice is below for your reference:
 
Summary
Following a terrorist attack in Pulwama on 14 February, there are heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, particularly across the Line of Control. There may be disruption to air travel in Jammu and Kashmir and northern India at short notice. You should continue to exercise caution, monitor news reports and keep up to date with this travel advice and the advice of local authorities.
 
The overall level of the advice has not changed, and there are restrictions in place.
 
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to:

• the immediate vicinity of the border with Pakistan, other than at Wagah
• Jammu and Kashmir, with the exception of (i) travel within the city of Jammu, (ii) travel by air to the city of Jammu, and (iii) travel within the region of Ladakh
• Manipur, except the state capital Imphal, where the FCO advise against all but essential travel

The tourist destinations of Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Sonamarg fall within the areas to which the FCO advise against all travel.
 
The FCO advise against all but essential travel to:

• the city of Srinagar and between the cities of Jammu and Srinagar on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway
• Imphal, the state capital of Manipur

The FCO have updated the travel advice for the following countries: Ecuador
 
Ecuador
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has updated the travel advice for Ecuador with an update to the Entry Requirements (Visas) section – the maximum stay in the Galapagos Islands, as a tourist, is 60 days.  The relevant extract of the advice is below for your reference:
 
Entry Requirements
Visas
Although local regulations may not always be implemented, all visitors to the Galapagos Islands should provide a copy of their hotel booking. Likewise, visitors staying with local residents in the islands should have an invitation letter from their host available. Maximum stay in this region, as a tourist, is 60 days.
 
The overall level of the advice has not changed, and there are restrictions in place.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel within the 20km exclusion zone along the border with Colombia, except for the official border crossing town of Tulcan in Carchi province. See Local travel
The FCO advise against all but essential travel to:

• the areas of Tarapoa and the Cuyabeno reserve outside the 20km zone in Sucumbios
• the areas of El Angel Ecological Reserve inside the 20 km exclusion zone in the province of Carchi
• all other areas of Esmeraldas province outside the 20km exclusion zone. See Local travel

The Angola Embassy will be closed on the 5^th and 8^th of March. 2019

The Azerbaijan Embassy will be closed on the 8^th, 22^nd, 26^th of March.

The Royal Thai Government is working to improve our immigration system and visa application procedure, by introducing e-visa application. 

UK visa applicants will be required to fill in application form and submit their documents online, then make an appointment for a visit to the Embassy. 

From 1 April 2019, visa applicants in the UK and Ireland have to apply online. https://thaievisa.go.th/Home/

Once the online form is completed you can send your application to us in the usual manner so we can lodge on your behalf but we will need to make an appointment first. The updated visa requirements will be added to our website from the 1^st of April and for any more information to e-mail our visa department at visa@rossconsular.com

There will be an exemption on this to the following nationalities below who would have to make personal application only. http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/84396-How-to-apply-for-visa-in-person.html

Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Peoples Republic of China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, India, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen