If you’re visiting Australia, visa requirements now apply. Whether you’re heading down under for the beautiful weather, the surfing, the landscapes or the relaxed way of life, you now need an Australian visa for all types of travel to Oz, even if you’re just going for a few days.

As a tourist/traveller you can get a visa for Australia online (as long as you are from one of the eligible countries) for any of the following:

• Short Stay Tourist or Business ETA (Electronic Travel Authority): Valid for 1 year for multiple journeys of up to 3 months.
  
• Long Stay Business ETA: Valid for 10 years or life of passport (whichever is shorter) for multiple journeys of up to 3 months.

To get your Visa, you can either go to the Local Australia High Commission or visit CIBT, Virgin Atlantic’s trusted partner, for quick, convenient and reliable assistance .

Visit CIBT Now

If you are a holder of a non-US passport and were born in the United States of America you need to be aware of a change in policy by the US Government. US law states that anyone born in the United States is considered to be a US citizen and if that person attempts to travel to the US on any document other than a US passport, they must carry with them a 'loss of nationality letter'. These letters can be obtained from US Embassies.

As the US Immigration Service will refuse entry to the US of any person born in the USA attempting to enter the US on a non-US passport without the loss of nationality letter, Virgin Atlantic is not able to carry such passengers unless they have the "letter". We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause to our passengers.

When travelling to the US under the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) you must hold a valid, individual machine readable passport if you are a citizen of one of the following countries: the United Kingdom, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

New passport requirements now take effect for passports issued on or after 26 October 2005. US authorities will require all countries participating in the VWP to issue passports with a digital photo of the passport holder's face printed on the data page of the passport. Passengers wishing to travel on the VWP without digital photos issued after 26 October 2005 will require a visa to enter the US.

Since 1st August 2008 the US are offering an electronic alternative for those travelling to the US under the Visa Waiver Programme. An electronic travel authority from the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) website should make your journey smoother both at check in and on arrival at US Customs. The ESTA scheme was initially voluntary but has now become mandatory as of 12 Jan 2009.

It is the passenger's responsibility to make their application and ensure they have a valid travel authority before they travel. This will make the check-in process much easier for them. Those nationalities not eligible to use the Visa Waiver Program will need to process a visa before travel.

You can obtain your ESTA free of charge by visiting the U.S. Government website. This must be done within 72 hours in advance of your journey.

Alternatively, for passengers who require a bespoke service, Virgin Atlantic has partnered with CIBT where for a set fee they will determine your eligibility and apply for an ESTA or a formal US visa on your behalf.

Visit CIBT now