West Sussex, UK (20th February 2013) – Holidaymakers looking to travel outside of Europe should be aware of the cost of tourist visa fees, especially this year as several countries have raised their charges. In order for travellers to plan ahead and budget for these fees, Airports Parking and Hotels (APH) has compiled a comprehensive guide highlighting the cost of all tourist visas applying to UK travellers. The research is available in the Know Before You Go section of the website at www.aph.com/touristvisas.
The research compares the fees for tourist visas in 20 countries, including Australia, China, India and Thailand, highlighting any additional service charges, the maximum length of stay available, the length of validity of the visa and how travellers can apply.
Both India and Vietnam were found to have almost doubled the cost of fees for standard single-entry tourist visas, with India now charging £82, up from £42.20, and Vietnam now charging £30 ($45), an increase from £16 ($25). However, travellers to both these destinations must also pay an additional service charge, with India charging UK tourists £10.20 and Vietnam charging £12.29 for a ‘Visa for Approval Letter from the Vietnam Immigration Department.
With regards to the cost of visas to other destinations, some countries offer tourists a free Stamp on Arrival when entering the country including Australia for a 90-day stay, Dubai for a 30-day stay, Egypt for a 14-day stay and Thailand for a 15-day stay. However, travellers looking to stay longer than the allocated maximum length of stay must pay for a tourist visa prior to travelling.
Most countries were found to charge an average of £30 or under, with Turkey charging only £10 for a multiple-entry Visa on Arrival and Cambodia, Egypt and Nepal all charging £15. The most expensive country for a single-entry visa was India, charging £82, and for multiple-entry tourist visas were Russia, Tanzania and China, charging £65, £70 and £180 respectively.
The length of validity of each visa was also found to vary between destinations, with the minimum length of time available at 30 days for Madagascar, Russia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. The tourist visa for India and the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) form for the USA do not expire for up to two years.
For more information on APH, visit http://www.aph.com
About APH:
Airports Parking and Hotels (APH) is the UK’s award-winning long-stay airport parking operator and booking agency, after winning the Best Airports Parking Company for a third consecutive year at British Travel Awards 2012. This year APH also approaches its 33rd year as a retailer and operator of pre-booked airport parking and travel extras. APH offers parking at all major UK airports as well as airport hotels packaged with parking and airport lounges. APH is also a carbon-balanced company and has, through the support of the World Land Trust, helped purchase more than 1,000 acres of endangered rainforest.
Contact:
Media Enquiries
Sarah Salord / Jessica Meins
McCluskey International
Airport Parking Hotels Ltd
Snowhill, Copthorne,
West Sussex, UK
Zip: RH10 3EQ
Tel: 020 8237 7979
Email: aph@mccluskey.co.uk