4 Key Questions To Ask Before You Travel From UK To USA

Are you planning a transatlantic holiday in the not-too-distant future? Some of you will hate me for saying this, but the holiday season is nearly upon us, meaning a lot of families and couples love planning trips from the UK to the USA. There are plenty of attractions and destinations that might appeal to you; from the sublime streets of New York to the massive adventure parks of Orlando. 

Either way, you're excited about planning a trip, though there are a few questions you need to ask before you start packing your bags. Keep on reading, and you'll find everything you need to know about travelling to the US:

Do you need a visa to travel from the UK to the USA?

The short answer is no, the longer answer is...it's complicated! 

While you won't need to apply for a visa to enter the US, you will still need to apply for something. This thing is called the ESTA visa waiver service, and it basically provides you with the right to travel to the US from the UK for up to 90 days, without needing any type of visa at all. You can apply and register for this online, just check out the official-esta.co.uk services for more information. The good news is that this is less stressful and requires far less effort than applying for a visa. As long as you are a permanent resident of the UK, you will be accepted. 

Do you need a passport to visit the USA?

Yes, you absolutely do. While some of you might think this is a strange question, it is completely relevant when you take into account the rules when travelling from the UK across Europe. Before Brexit kicked in, we could travel anywhere in the EU without a passport, so long as we had another form of ID or UK travel documents. Of course, this has changed now, but you always needed a passport to travel to the US. 

Effectively, there are many of you out there who haven't got a passport, hence this question is being asked. Unfortunately, you can't even enter the US with travel documents - you need to have a valid UK passport. If you don't already have one, it's advisable to apply for one right away. Thankfully, you can do the whole thing online and upload your own photo, so you don't need to go down to one of those awful passport photo booths! 

Also, when it comes to passport validity, there is some mixed information out there. US Officials will state that your passport has to be valid for six months beyond the end of your stay. However, they also add in the small print that country-specific agreements apply, and there is one between the UK and USA. So, you'll be pleased to know that you can enter the US with a passport that has less than 6 months remaining, as long as it remains valid for the duration of your trip. Effectively, your passport could expire two days after you get home, and it will still be valid.  

One final note on the passport front - yes, there is more! - is that you need to have an e-passport. Funnily enough, this is only an essential requirement for people using the previously mentioned visa waiver program. These passports are more secure and have an embedded electronic chip that can be scanned. The good news is that new British passports are all e-passports, so this shouldn't be an issue for most of you. Check that your passport has a symbol at the bottom that looks like a rectangle with a circle in the middle. This is the sign of an e-passport, so you'll know if it's valid or not. 

What aren't you allowed to bring through US Customs?

When you enter the US, you will have to pass through customs control, where you'll be asked to declare certain items. If you don't declare them, and your bags are searched, you could face fines that you'll be forced to pay. Some of the most common items to be aware of include:

• Tobacco products - people aged 18 and up can bring in duty-free up to 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars per person. If you have them, you need to declare them.

• Alcohol - You are allowed one litre of alcohol per individual aged 21 and older.

• Gifts - Any duty-free gifts you are bringing into the US need to be declared and must be valued at a maximum of $100.

• Cash - You must declare cash of $10,000 or more, regardless of what currency it is in. If it is worth this much, it must be declared.

Obviously, there are plenty of restricted items you can't bring into the country with you. This includes drugs, but it also includes most agricultural products. For instance, you can't bring meat or plants from the UK to the US. So, if you were hoping to have a supply of British bacon during your trip, you'll have to think again!

What are the current coronavirus requirements?

Lastly, we need to spend a bit of time going over the current coronavirus requirements. At the time of writing this, it is still not possible for British nationals to enter the US - if you have been in the UK, Ireland, Schengen zone, Iran, Brazil, China, South Africa or India in the last 14 days. 

However, the US government made an announcement that these restrictions will be lifted from the 8th of November 2021. Therefore, unless you've been out of the UK for over 14 days and in a country not listed above, you won't be able to travel until after that date. The good news is that this gives you plenty of time to plan your trip! The bad news is that demand for flights will be high, so you need to act fast if you want to get a booking at a reasonable price. 

What will the rules state when these restrictions have been lifted?

Obviously, the US isn't going to let everyone in without any rules. Primarily, you will need to be fully vaccinated, with a vaccine that's approved for emergency use by WHO or approved by the US FDA. Alongside this, you will need to take a COVID-19 test no more than 3 days before travelling, and it must show a negative result. You will then need to take another viral test 3-5 days after arriving. Thankfully, as you are fully vaccinated - and provided your tests are negative - you will not need to quarantine when you arrive. 

Of course, you will also need to follow all the state and local coronavirus rules. Most airlines make you wear masks for the duration of your trip, and certain states require you to do so when in shops. Just do a bit of research wherever you're planning to stay, and it will help you know what you are and aren't allowed to do regarding the virus. 

Remember, this information is accurate at the time of writing and publishing. If you are reading this beyond November 8th 2021, double-check that the rules are still the same. 

On that note, you've reached the end of this guide to travelling from the UK to the USA. The great news is that travel between these two countries is relatively easy. Yes, the virus has made it more challenging, but with restrictions lifting it should be easier to get there once more. So, start planning your trip today, and you can jet off to the US as soon as it's allowed. 

Photo by Dimitry Anikin on Unsplash