Travel Prep: Asia and Australasia

I am now in the final weeks of preparation before I depart on my adventure around Asia and Australasia. I will be gone for 4½ months and visit 10 different countries. Logistically, it is rather complicated. In terms of visas and entry requirements, just finding out what you need and what is and isn't allowed is a mammoth task in itself. So, here is some of the wisdom I've gained along the way. 


Japan UK residents can obtain a 3 month tourist visa upon arrival in Japan.

The Japanese goverment bans many common prescription and over-the-counter medicines permitted in the UK. But finding out which ones, is very, very difficult. (I emailed the Japanese Embassy about this,  but never received a reply). I'm just going to hope for the best!!

China As a UK resident, you must apply for a Chinese visa in advance. I applied for a 30 day single entry visa. You have to be careful when deciding when to apply, however, as the visa is valid from the date of issue - apply too soon and your visa may have run out before you arrive! You cannot, therefore, apply more than 3 months before your planned arrival in China. The Chinese embassy recommend you apply between 1 and 3 months in advance. Applying by post to the London embassy is predicted to take around 10 days, in person 4 days, or you can pay extra for an express service. I opted to visit the embassy in person, partly because my itinerary in China is relatively complex, and I wanted to make sure the form was correctly filled in (yes, there's a form. But you can fill it in online here), and partly because I live and work in London so it wasn't hard to make it over to the Embassy. The London one is really close to Bank station, about 2 minutes walk up Poultry, second turning on the right. You can book an appointment in advance (I had to wait about 10 days for the next appointment). A step-by-step explanation of the process is available here). At the appointment you need to make sure you bring along a print out of your appointment, or at least the appointment number (didn't test this out, though!), the completed form, a photocopy of the photo page of your passport, a passport photo of yourself, a signed declaration form, and print outs of your itinerary, flights in and out etc, and any other 'supporting documents'. If you forget the photocopy, you can make one there for 20p. Having waited for my number to be called, the lady checked my documents for me and gave me a receipt slip to come back in 3 days time, keep hold of this receipt as you'll need it to collect your passport again. Collection was fairly straight forward, again I was given a number and called to a desk where I had to pay the £66 fee and my passport, along with it's very official-looking visa, was returned to me. 

Vietnam Although many websites will tell you that you can easily obtain a visa upon arrival in Vietnam as long as you carry a 'visa approval letter' (which costs $45) I have not been able to confirm thi. According to the UK government website, the only reliable way to go is to obtain a visa in advance. Certainly there are some bogus websites out there trying to sell you a fake visa. So, best to go through the Vietnamese Embassy in London. They offer several options for obtaining a visa - apply by post, in person or by email. By email is only available for the express service, however. I opted for the two-day, in person service, again because it is quite easy for me to get to the Embassy, which is located near High Street Kensington station in London. No appointment is necessary in advance, just show up between 9:30am and 12:30pm. There is a form to fill in, which you can download from the embassy website, thankfully it is fairly short and in English - I found it quite easy to fill in. You'll need to include a recent passport photo with the application as well. When I went down to the Embassy, the fee for the standard service was £54, but I opted to pay £69 for the two-day service, as I'm running a little short on time. You can pay a little extra to have it posted back to you (Royal Mail Special Delivery) but I chose to go back and collect it in person. You have to pay by cash or cheque when you drop off your application, so make sure to bring one or the other with you. 

Cambodia UK residents can get a visa on arrival in Cambodia, but bring along 2 passport photos. 

Thailand UK residents can get a 30-day tourist visa on arrival in Thailand, although if you arrive by land (which I will be) this visa is only valid for 15 days. 

Laos Tourists can obtain a 14-day visa on entry at Vientiane or Luang Prabang for US$30.

Malaysia UK residents can get a 3-month tourist visa on arrival.  

Indonesia UK citizens can get a 30-day tourist visa on arrival for US$30. 

Australia UK residents must apply for a 3-month e-visitor visa to enter Australia, in advance. However, you can do so online here and it is free of charge. This form was very simple and easy to fill in and took just a few minutes. Rather unnervingly at the end it recommended I 'attach documents' without specifying what these attachments should be. Despite this, my e-visitor visa was granted by email within a couple of hours. Thanks, Australia!

New Zealand British citizens can enter New Zealand for up to 6 months without a visa, but if you want to work you must have a valid work visa. 

New Zealand have very strict import legislation and most food and drinks, and you must be careful with any objects that might have soil or plant matter on them such as wood products, golf clubs, footwear, tents, fishing equipment and items made from animal skin.