Newsgroups: wstd.travel.advisories
From: 76702.1202@compuserve.COM (Wally Doerge)
Subject: ALL:  NEW TRAVEL INFO -- United Kingdom
Organization: The World @ Software Tool & Die
Distribution: wstd
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 1994 19:29:35 GMT

STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL INFORMATION - United Kingdom
============================================================
United Kingdom - Consular Information Sheet
 March 15, 1994 

Country Description: The United Kingdom is a highly developed 
European nation with a modern economy.  Tourist facilities 
throughout the United Kingdom are highly developed.

Entry Requirements: A passport is required.  Tourists are not 
required to obtain a visa for stays up to six months.  For further 
information concerning entry requirements travelers can contact the 
Consular Section of the Embassy of the United Kingdom and Northern 
Ireland at 19 Observatory Circle, in Washington, D.C. 20008, tel: 
202-986-0205 or the nearest consulate in Los Angeles, San Francisco, 
Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, New York, Cleveland or Dallas.

Quarantine Requirements: The United Kingdom has particularly 
rigorous quarantine restrictions on the importation of pets and 
livestock.  There is a six-month quarantine, for example, on 
importation of dogs and cats.

Medical Facilities: Good medical care is widely available.  Doctors 
and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health care 
services.  U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the 
United States.  In some cases, supplemental medical insurance with 
specific overseas coverage has proved useful.  Further information 
on health matters can be obtained from the Centers for Disease 
Control's international travelers hotline on (404) 332-4559.

Crime Information: The incidence of criminal activity in the United 
Kingdom is generally low, though many major cities have areas where 
caution should be exercised.  Visitors generally lock vehicles and 
guard their personal possessions.  As in any developed country, the 
United Kingdom has higher incidents of criminal activity in urban 
areas than in the countryside.  Incidents of violent crimes such as 
murder, armed robbery, and rape are minimal.  Firearms are strictly 
controlled, making weapons-related offenses far less frequent than 
in large U.S. metropolitan areas.  Large cities in England do have 
areas where the level of crime is significant.

The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported 
immediately to local police and the nearest U.S. embassy or 
consulate.  Useful information on guarding valuables and protecting 
personal security while traveling abroad is provided in the pamphlet 
"A Safe Trip Abroad" which is available from the Superintendent of 
Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

Drug Penalties: U.S. citizens are subject to the laws of the 
country in which they are traveling.  Penalties for possession, use, 
and dealing in illegal drugs are strict, and convicted offenders can 
expect jail sentences and fines.

Terrorist Activities: The United Kingdom is a stable, modern 
democracy.  Civil disorder is virtually nonexistent.  The U.S. 
Embassy, in particular, and London in general, are the sites of 
frequent demonstrations and marches, which are orderly and well 
policed.  There is, however, a history of terrorist violence related 
to the political situation in Northern Ireland, a part of the United 
Kingdom.  Terrorist bombings and other actions have occurred in 
various locations within Northern Ireland, around London and in some 
other British cities, including shopping and  tourist sites and 
airports.  While these acts are not targeted at U.S. citizens, U.S. 
citizens have, in rare instances, been injured.

Registration: U.S. citizens who register at the Consular Section of 
the U.S. Embassy or Consulate can obtain updated information on 
travel and security in the United Kingdom.

U.S. Embassy and Consulate Locations:  U.S. Embassy, London:  24/31 
Grosvenor Square, tel. (44-71) 499-9000.

U.S. Consulate, Edinburgh, Scotland: 3 Regent Terrace, tel. (44-31) 
556-8315.

U.S. Consulate, Belfast, Northern Ireland: Queen's House, 14 Queen 
Street, tel. (44-232) 328239, fax (44-232) 248482.
 
U.S. Consulate, Hamilton, Bermuda: Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, 
Devonshire, telephone (809)295-1342.

 No. 94-031

 This replaces the Consular Information Sheet dated April 30, 1993, 
to include airports as sites of possible terrorist activity.