Visiting The United States
Do I need a tourist visa?
Currently, many British citizens traveling on a valid, individual machine readable passport, with a return or onward ticket, and who are staying for less than 90 days, qualify for the Visa Waiver Program. There are conditions, so please review the information concering visa free travel on the American Embassy London's Nonimmigrant Visas Services page.
Operator assisted visa
information callers from within the United Kingdom should dial
09042-450-100 (calls to this line are charged at £1.23/min plus network extras).
Official Travel Information
TSA
For Travelers (Updated: 30 November 2012)
The Transportation Security Administration's
information for travelers has been updated for the 2012 winter travel season. The TSA also has the following airport and travel
advice:
• TSA Winter 2012: Holiday travel hints (PDF, 290Kb) or on TSA.gov
• TSA Winter 2012: Traveling with food or gifts
• TSA Summer Checklist (PDF, 2.1M)
• TSA for Travelers (What To Know, Special Considerations, Medical Conditions & Disabilities)
• TSA and Summer travel 2012
Travellers wishing to inform themselves about TSA programs and methods may find the following links useful:
• About the Secure Flight program
• Video: What is Advanced Imaging Technology? (AIT)
• Article & Video: How Advanced Imaging Technology Screening Works
• What if I forgot to return the green/white I-94 card?
Secure Flight
Under the Secure Flight program, TSA prescreens required passenger data, full name, date of birth, gender, and Redress Number (if available), against government watch lists for international and domestic flights into, out of, within, and over the United States. In addition to facilitating secure travel for all passengers, the program helps prevent the misidentification of passengers who have names similar to individuals on government watch lists by providing an intergrated redress procedure.
Customs
and Border Protection
Information for travelers to the United
States who are visiting for the purpose of working, studying, business travel or
immigration.
Visas @
state.gov
A Department of State source of information about
U.S. visa policy and procedures.
US-VISIT
The Department of Homeland Security's US-VISIT Program is part of a
continuum of security measures that begins overseas and continues through a
visitor’s arrival in and departure from the United States.
I still have the Green card (I-94) or White card (I-94W) in my possession! What should I do?
If you have left the United States and are still in possession of the I-94 or I-94W it is in your best interest to forward it to the appropriate authorities so that your record is corrected and that you do not experience any problems on future travel to the United States as a result.
Where can I obtain tourist information for the U.S. ?
The U.S. no longer operates a national tourist office in the United Kingdom. The U.S. Travel & Tourism Administration in Washington has also ceased to exist. There is currently no central office for tourist information either within the American Embassy in London, or elsewhere in the U.K.
The Visit USA Association, a private non-profit group, offers a selection of information and literature on U.S. travel. Visit USA do not offer visa information
A number of tourist destinations have representation in the U.K. Following is a list of contact telephone numbers. Do please remember that none of the below are qualified to answer visa-related information for which you should call tour Operator assisted visa information line.
Please note that premium rate numbers (dialling codes 09001, 09063, 09065 and 09068) and national rate numbers (dialling code 0990 and 0870) may not be available to callers outside the United Kingdom.
| City or State | Contact number |
|---|---|
| Alabama | [44](0)20 8339 6122 |
| Alaska | [44](0)1483 500006 |
| Arizona | [44}(0)20 8741 7256 |
| Arkansas | [44] (0) 7928 1600 |
| California | [44](0)20 7257 6180 |
| Capital Region USA (DC,MD,VA) | [44](0)20 8339 6048 |
| Central Florida | [44](0)1373 466707 |
| Colorado | [44](0) 8456 020574 |
| Daytona Beach, Florida | [44](0)20 7932 2471 |
| Florida | [44](0)20 7932 2406 |
| Florida Keys & Key West | [44](0)1564 794555 |
| Florida's Space Coast | [44] (0)1293 449145 |
| Fort Lauderdale | [44](0)1628 778863 |
| Georgia | [44] (0) 1444 483767 |
| Great Lakes (IL,IN,MI,MN,OH,WI) | [44](0)8456020574 |
| Illinois | [44](0) 8456020574 |
| Kansas | 08450 533 280 |
| Kentucky | [44](0)20 7681 6270 |
| Kissimmee-St. Cloud | [44](0)1732 875722 |
| Lee County, Florida | [44](0)1273 832832 |
| Los Angeles, California | [44](0)20 7318 9555 |
| Louisiana & New Orleans | [44](0) 20 8460 8473 |
| Maine | 0800 032 6208 (free from the UK) |
| Massachusetts | [44](0)20 8290 6077 |
| Miami, Florida | [44](0)1444 443355 |
| Mississippi | [44](0)1462 440787 |
| Missouri | [44](0)8456020574 |
| Nevada & Las Vegas | [44](0)207 367 0979 |
| New England (CT,ME,MA,NH,RI,VT) | [44] (0)20 82377977 |
| New York City | [44](0)20 7367 0934 |
| New York State | [44](0)20 7629 6891 |
| North Carolina | [44](0)20 7367 0937 |
| Orlando | 0800 018 6799 |
| Palm Beach County, Florida | [44](0)20 7644 6117 |
| Pennsylvania | [44](0) 8456 020 574 |
| Rhythms of the South (Atlanta, Nashville, New Orleans) |
[44](0)1326 250213 |
| Rocky Mountain (ID,MT,SD,WY) | 09063 640655 (Consumer line, calls charged at 60p per minute) |
| Sarasota,FL | [44](0)20 7257 8858 |
| South Carolina | [44](0)20 8460 8693 |
| St Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida | [44](0)20 8339 6121 |
| Tennessee | [44](0)1462 440784 |
| Texas | [44](0)20 7978 5233 |
| Utah | [44](0)0)8456020574 |
| Virginia | [44](0)20 8339 6048 |
| Washington DC | [44](0)20 8339 6048 |
| Washington State | [44](0)20 7978 5233 |
| West Virginia | [44](0)20 8994 0978 |
Links to individual state and territorial Tourism Offices can be found as part of the site SeeAmerica.org which is operated by the Travel Industry Association of America
Where can I find information about the National Parks of the U.S.?
The National Park Service Website provides general information about visiting National Parks in the U.S. together with an alphabetical list of parks with detailed, park-specific information.
Will my British driver's license be adequate for renting a car?
The U.S.A. has an agreement with most countries whereby the renter's full national driving license may be used for a period of up to one year in the U.S.A. This applies to the full U.K. driving license. Provisional licenses are not acceptable.
Most car rental companies require that you have held a full license for at least one year, regardless of age. The minimum age for renting a car is normally 21 although it can be as high as 25. Often an additional charge is levied on drivers who are under 25 years of age.
International Driving Permits are generally not required in the U.S.A but it is helpful to carry one. If they are taken, they are only valid in conjunction with a full national driving license. They should not be accepted on their own. It is recommended that drivers who possess a full national license that is in script other than Roman, i.e. Cyrillic or Arabic, should also obtain an International Driving Permit (IDP).
Young drivers may wish to obtain an International Driving Permit to use as a photo ID, in place of a passport, for entry into bars and nightclubs where the minimum age for entry is 21 years.
If you have endorsements on your license, do check with your rental company that these do not present a problem.
We suggest that you check the requirements of your prospective automobile rental company by contacting them direct.
How can I obtain a disabled parking permit for my car while visiting the U.S.?
More information on disabled parking permits as well as contact information for many states is available on our disabled parking permits for visitors page.
How old do I need to be to buy an alcoholic drink or gamble in the U.S.?
The minimum age for buying and consuming alcohol in the U.S.A. is 21 years, as it is for gambling or entering casinos. Photo ID may also be required for entry to bars and nightclubs (see International Driving Permits above).
What's the weather like where I'm going?
The Weather Channel, a 24 hour cable channel, and the national newspaper USA Today are among a number of websites providing current weather reports and 5 day forecasts for U.S. cities.
How can I obtain tickets to tour the White House?
The American Embassy in London cannot provide tickets to tour the White House. Please be aware that it is difficult for non-U.S. citizens to visit the White House as tourists. Further information is available from The White House web site, or from the 24-hour Visitors Office Info Line at [1] (202) 456-7041.
How many British tourists visited the U.S. last year?
The International Trade Administration's Tourism Industries Office has issued a report indicating that there were 4,176,211 visits to the U.S. by United Kingdom residents in 2006. Many other travel statistics can be found on the Tourism Industries Office website.