Im planning to travel the middle east, how easy is it to obtain the necessary visas as a UK passport holder?

Question

Im planning a round the world trip which ends in the middle east. Thinking of travelling this area independently maybe some over land. The countries im planning to visit are Yemen, Oman, Egypt, Bahrain, Qatar, Syria, Jordan , Israel.

Is it possible to obtain visas from the relevant airports? Or am I advised to apply here in the Uk before travelling there? I really would like to avoid sending my passport in to all these consulates as they may lose it , therefore delaying my round the world holiday. Please advise best course of action.

Would really appreciate serious answers.

Many thanks in advance

Answer 1

i would have to look at each countries indivually,

Yemen, visa required,

Oman, visa required

Egypt , visa free

Quatar , on arrival

Syria,visa required

Jordan, on arrival

and the rest? you find ,it

i must leave,

Answer 2

Bahrain: available at airport or online e-visa. A formality.

Egypt: visa free if you're travelling to the resorts, otherwise about £20 for a multi entry one from the embassy. A formality.

Yemen: single entry visa for £25 from the embassy, good for 2 months. A formality again.

Oman: multi entry for £20 or single entry for £12 from embassy. A formality.

Jordan: available at airport or land border crossings.

Qatar: available at Doha Airport for $28.

Syria: Entry will be refused to citizens of Israel or holders of passports containing Israeli entry stamps.

Citizens of countries which have no Syrian embassy/consulate can obtain visas at land borders. For example the charge as of February 2008 was $50 for Irish passport holders and $35 for Dutch passport holders. Please note that citizens of countries with a Syrian embassy/consulate must obtain a visa from that mission. The visa issued MUST have two stamps and a signature. Otherwise the visa is considered invalid and you will be turned back at the border. It is necessary to keep the beige arrival form as it must be submitted upon departure.

Citizens of Arab countries do not require visa. Visas are needed for most individual travelers. A "letter of recommendation" stating that your consulate has "no objection" to your visit to Syria is required for many nationalities.

In Istanbul, Syrian visas are issued within one day and the consulate will issue visas to travellers passing through, not just people resident in Turkey. The cost is for EU citizens is 45 Euros and for Canadians the cost is 30 euros as of October 2007. For American citizens, the Syrian government has tightened restrictions and is requiring visas issued from the embassy in DC even if you are applying in the country you have residence in. Visas through the embassy in Washington now cost $131 for a single entry or double entry. It is vitally important that there is no evidence of a visit to Israel (called "Occupied Palestine" by Syria) in your passport, i.e. a stamp or visa from Israel, or Jordanian or Egyptian border crossings with Israel. Likewise you shouldn't say that you have or will travel to Israel to officials in the embassy or at the border. It is rumored this restriction is very strict - if you have a brand new passport or a period in the Middle East with gaps between the exit and entry stamps, a visit to Israel might be suspected and your visa will be denied, or your entry will be denied even with visa.

One way to circumvent this if you have already been to Israel is to ask the officials in Israel to NOT stamp your passport when you arrive and again when you depart that state. When you arrive in Israel they will give you a little card and they stamp the card, not your passport. Thus, your passport shows no evidence of having been in Israel. However, if you place the card inside your passport, make sure the ink can't bleed onto the pages. As of March, 2007, this strategy was effective. Remember though that, when travelling by land, your exit and entry stamps may give away your travels. If you have a Jordanian entry or exit stamp from a border post between Jordan and Israel, for example, the only conclusion to be drawn is that you went to Israel because there is no other option.

Visas are available at the Turkish, Lebanese and Jordanian borders, but this requires waiting up to 11 hours while the request is faxed to Damascus, processed, and faxed back. Whether you can get in or not can be very capricious. It is possible for Americans to get in this way, but other nationalities are more likely to get in, especially if they do not have a Syrian consulate in their home country (e.g., New Zealand or Norway).

Israel: easy, at the airport. However, go to Israel last or you will be refused entry to Qatar, Syria, Oman, maybe Yemen.