Gates Travel can assist with passport renewal and visa applications.
We generally offer this service to clients who are booking their travel with us, but if you've booked elsewhere and urgently need assistance please get in touch. We will help if we can.
Many countries require visitors' passports to be valid for longer than their intended stay. This may mean renewing your passport some months before it expires. We strongly recommend checking passport and visa requirements well in advance of travel.
If you frequently need to send your passport away for visa applications, or you regularly visit countries which are in diplomatic conflict with one another, it may be possible to obtain a second passport from HM Passport Office. This enables you to travel on one passport whilst the other is away, or to enter country B without showing evidence of your previous visit to country A.
If you are travelling to the USA under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), you must apply for pre-travel authorisation via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). This also applies if you are transiting at a US airport without entering the country.
ESTA applications are made at the US Department of Homeland Security website https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov and a fee applies. Beware of fake and imitation websites which charge much higher fees.
We recommend that you make your ESTA application before confirming any non-refundable travel arrangements as, although most applications are granted immdeiately, some may be delayed or referred to the US Embassy.
Gates Travel will assist with ESTA applications where we are arranging travel to the US.
We aim to reply within an hour during normal trading times.
If you have a complex enquiry, it may be quicker and easier to phone us.