Question 1

Do I need a visa to travel with a UK passport?

Accepted Answer

It depends entirely on where you're going, how long you're staying, and why. UK British Citizen passport holders can enter many countries visa-free for short tourism (often 30–90 days), but a growing list now require an electronic travel authorisation (ETA, ESTA, eVisa) before you fly, and some still require a full visa. Search your destination on Visa Panic for the current rule, the official source, and how long it takes to get.

Question 2

What's the difference between a visa, an eVisa, and an ETA?

Accepted Answer

A visa is formal permission to enter a country, usually obtained from an embassy or online before travel. An eVisa is the same thing, applied for and issued entirely online. An ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) — like the US ESTA, Canadian eTA, or the upcoming EU ETIAS — is a lighter pre-travel screening for visa-free travellers, not a visa itself. Visa Panic colour-codes these: blue for visa-free, yellow for ETA/eVisa, pink for full visa.

Question 3

How does Visa Panic decide the 'panic level'?

Accepted Answer

We combine the visa type, how complicated the application is, and how long it typically takes to get, then compare that against your travel date. Calm (blue) means visa-free or trivial; Plenty of time means you're fine; Cutting it close means start now; Panic stations means apply today; Too late means you may need to rebook. Full details on the /panic-index page.

Question 4

Is Visa Panic accurate? How fresh is the information?

Accepted Answer

Every destination page links directly to the official government or immigration source in English and shows a 'last checked' date. We also run an automated freshness checker against those official sources, and an editor reviews any flagged changes before they go live. That said, rules change without notice — always confirm on the official source linked at the top of the page before you book or travel.

Question 5

Who is Visa Panic for?

Accepted Answer

UK British Citizen passport holders taking short tourism or business trips. We don't cover work visas, study visas, long-term residency, or other UK passport categories (BN(O), British Overseas, etc.). For those, you'll need official advice from the destination's embassy or an immigration solicitor.

Question 6

Does Visa Panic sell visas or process applications?

Accepted Answer

No. We are not a visa agency, not an immigration adviser, and not affiliated with any government. We tell you what's required and link you straight to the official source so you can apply yourself for free (or the official fee). Most paid 'visa services' are unnecessary middlemen — and some are scams.

Question 7

What if my passport is less than six months from expiry?

Accepted Answer

Many countries require your passport to be valid for six months beyond your travel date, and the EU/Schengen area requires it to be less than 10 years old on entry and valid for at least 3 months after you leave. If you're close to either rule, renew before you book. See our passport validity guide for the full breakdown.

Question 8

What's ETIAS and when do I need it?

Accepted Answer

ETIAS is the EU's new pre-travel authorisation for visa-free travellers, including UK passport holders. It launches in late 2026 (subject to confirmation). It costs around €7, is valid for three years, and is filed online before you travel to any Schengen country. We have a dedicated explainer at /blog/etias-2026-uk-travellers.

Question 9

What's the Schengen 90/180 rule?

Accepted Answer

As a UK passport holder you can spend up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen Area (most of the EU plus a few others). It's a rolling window, not a calendar count, which trips a lot of people up. Full plain-English explanation at /blog/schengen-90-180-rule.

Question 10

I found a mistake. How do I report it?

Accepted Answer

Email hello@visapanic.com with the country and the issue. We re-check against the official source and update — usually within a day or two. Corrections from readers are genuinely useful.

Question 11

Why are some countries not listed?

Accepted Answer

We've prioritised the destinations UK travellers actually go to. If a country isn't covered yet, check the official UK government travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice while we add it.

Frequently asked, calmly answered.

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