Latest UK foreign office news & advice

A coach returning to the Birmingham area crashed near Reims, France in the early hours of Sunday 19 February.

On 20 February a Foreign Office spokesperson said:

“Our thoughts remain with everyone involved in or affected by the tragic bus crash in France yesterday morning.

“The Foreign and Commonwealth Office continues to provide consular support to everyone involved and is working closely with French and UK authorities.

“The majority of the 49 British nationals who were on the coach are back in the UK, however seven people remain in hospital in France.

“We would like to thank the French authorities and emergency services for the outstanding assistance they have provided to those involved in this tragic event.”

Further information

Travel advice on twitter @fcotravel

British Embassy in France

Emergency information from Interski Travel Company

We, as a family, are devastated at the tragic loss of Peter, a wonderful husband, father, son, brother, son-in-law, brother-in-law, uncle, friend and teacher.

“We are still extremely concerned about the health of his wife, Sharon, who was injured and is still recovering in hospital in France. Sharon is accompanied by her daughter Amy, who escaped the incident with minor injuries.

“Until they are safely home we ask that our privacy is respected and that we are left to grieve with our friends and family.”

Further information

News: Foreign Office Minister's statement

News: Bus crash and Helpline information

Emergency information from Interski Travel Company

Travel advice on twitter @fcotravel

British Embassy in France

Dating or romance fraud is when you think you’ve met your perfect partner online or while abroad, but they aren’t who they say they are. Once they’ve gained your trust, they ask for money for a variety of emotive reasons.

Have you ever received a letter like this?

How to avoid being a victim

• look for the clues that their request may not be genuine - signs such as in the letter above
• be vigilant. Fraudsters are adept at changing their approach
• speak to a family member or friend for advice if you are in any doubt
• conduct your online chats within the dating website's monitored area. Resist pressure to move quickly from a chatroom to personal email
• be particularly suspicious if you are asked for money
• keep a record of correspondence

• send any money, no matter how persuasive the story is
• believe anyone who offers to recover money you are already sent
• keep things to yourself, even if you are asked to
• give out personal or financial details. Fraudsters may use these to steal your identity and use it to commit other kinds of fraud
• let your own bank account be used by someone else to deposit or transfer money. They could use your account for money laundering
• trust what appears to be a UK address or phone number. They can be diverted to anywhere in the world
• share compromising photographs. They could be used to force you to continue sending money.

Further information

Source: Serious Organised Crime Agency

More information on romance fraud from Action Fraud

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A survey of over 2,000 people across the UK found that only 14% know that dialling 112 will reach the emergency services and only 3% recognised it was the EU emergency number. 

The European Commission created the European emergency number – 112 – to make it easier for people travelling within the European Union to access emergency services. The number works in all EU Member States and connects the caller to the local emergency services hotline.

Previous research carried out by the European Commission shows that the UK is one of three countries in Europe where awareness of the 112 emergency number is lowest*. When asked to state what the number 112 is for, over half of people surveyed by the FCO (51%) admitted they did not know, with 12% believing it connected them to directory enquiries. A range of other interesting definitions were offered with some believing it could be ‘a brand of perfume or aftershave’, ‘the number of a bus’ or as one person stated, ‘a pair of Levi jeans’.

Lynda St Cooke from the FCO’s Know Before You Go campaign said:

“Knowing that you can phone 112 can save you time in critical situations. It is an essential number which we would encourage everyone to carry with them when on holiday in Europe, just as they would carry contact details for their hotel or car rental company.  With luck you will never have to use it, but being prepared means you don’t have to worry about the local number to call if you or your family find yourselves in an emergency situation.”

Further information

Travel checklist - before you go and when you are there

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Travel insurance advice

Travel advice by country

We have so far received no reports of unrest directly affecting tourists, tourist resorts or other islands. The international airport, which is on a separate island to the capital, is operating normally.

• see the travel advice for the Maldives
  

Ministers are seeking to speak to Maldivian leaders, including the former President, Vice-President and leader of the opposition. A team from the British High Commission in Colombo will travel to the Maldives urgently.  

The Maldives is a new democracy and we view these developments with concern. We call on all groups and institutions in the Maldives to find a peaceful way through these difficulties, in accordance with the Constitution.

Further information

Maldives travel advice

British High Commission in the Maldives website

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Following severe weather conditions over the weekend, there may be continuing disruption to air, rail and road travel across the UK, with cancellations and delays possible.

Travellers are advised to contact their airlines or travel providers for the latest information before departing, and to allow extra time for their their journey.

• Heathrow Airport is expected to return to a normal flight schedule on Monday 6 February. You can view flight information on the Heathrow airport website.
• You can find UK Airports contact details here, and you can follow the latest updates from UK airports and airlines on Twitter.
• You can find information about disruptions to rail travel on the National Rail website.

Further information

Follow @fcotravel on Twitter
Met Office severe weather warnings
UK Airports contact details
National Rail travel information
Civil Aviation Authority - Guidance on your rights and what you should do if your flight is delayed or cancelled.

Since 2010, Turkish visit visas issued at arrival ports state that they are valid for multiple stays up to a maximum of 90 days in a 180 day period.

Up to 31 January, this rule has not been enforced by the Turkish immigration authorities, who were operating a flexible interpretation of the requirement.

However, from 1 February, the new visa rules will be fully enforced, and you will only be able to stay in Turkey for a total of 90 days in every 180. 

If you plan to remain in Turkey for a period of more than 90 days after 1 February, you should either enquire about longer stay visas from your nearest Turkish Embassy before departure, or if in Turkey, you should enquire at your local Foreigners Police Department (Yabancilar Sube) before 90 days expires. If you stay in Turkey for long periods of time, it may be worth considering obtaining a residence permit.  

Be careful not to overstay the 90 day period. Overstaying is taken very seriously by the Turkish Authorities. Those who overstay the 90 day limit could be fined, detained, deported and banned from re-entering Turkey.

Further information

Turkey travel advice

British Embassy in Turkey website

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Speaking ahead of the visit, Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said:

“I welcome the visit of the Mufti of Mirpur and the Khari Sharif Welfare Society (KSWS) to the UK this week. Forced Marriage is an appalling, brutal and unacceptable practice. It is recognised in the UK and around the world as a serious abuse of human rights. The visit of the Mufti and his colleagues is an important opportunity for that message to be reiterated in communities around the UK. The UK enjoys excellent working relationships with the Pakistani authorities and civil society organisations on this issue. We look forward to continuing this work in future”

Mr Ahmed said:

“There is no concept of forced marriage in Islam. Some people think that marriages without the consent of a man or a woman are in accordance with Islam.  This way of thinking is against the teachings of Islam, rather it is a tradition and cultural practice in the Asian sub continent.

“In some parts of Asia and in many developing countries forced marriages are common. The Holy Prophet’s  first marriage took place at the request of his suitor, a woman called Khadijat-ul Kubra.  He married his daughter, Fatima, to Hazrat Ali having first asked his daughter’s consent.

“I, Hafiz Nazir Ahmed Mufti of Mirpur, along with the other members of my delegation, have come to the UK to convey this Islamic concept.  I hope my visit to the UK will be useful for improving relations between Pakistan and the UK, and discouraging forced marriages.  I will continue to co-operate on this issue with the British Government”.

The Forced Marriage Unit

The British Government has a forced marriage unit to provide advice and support related to a possible forced marriage. Trained professionals offer confidential advice and assistance to:

• those who have been forced into marriage
• those at risk of being forced into marriage
• people worried about friends or relatives
• professionals working with actual or potential victims of forced marriage

Find out more about the forced marriage unit

Further information

Information for victims of forced marriage 

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A few simple preparations can make the difference between the trip of a lifetime and a trip that you'll remember for all the wrong reasons.

So the Know Before You Go team will be at the Adventure Travel Show in London to give practical advice and tips. Visit them at stand E8.

There will also be a Foreign Office team in the Discover Africa section of the show, providing advice on safety and security when travelling to North and East Africa. Visit them at stand A8A

Further information

Travel checklist - before you go and when you are there

Follow our travel advice updates from @fcotravel on twitter, facebook and foursquare

Travel insurance advice

Travel advice by country

Flooding has caused road closures, power cuts and left people cut off from their homes or destinations. Ra, Tavua/Nadarivatu, Ba, Lautoka, Nadi and Nadroga/Navosa districts are the most severely impacted. Local authorities have also imposed a 12-hour curfew (restriction of movement) order for certain towns and cities in these affected areas.

Heavy rains forecast to continue for several days.

Travellers should continue to monitor the latest situation on the Fiji Meteorological Service website, in local newspapers and on Radio Fiji 2 on 105 FM.

Further information

Fiji travel advice

British High Commission Fiji

Fiji Meteorological Service website

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