U.K. Landing cards

Hi Shawna,

It's a good question.
I write in the first address--the hotel or B&B street address of my first night's stay. Example: "10 Gloucester Street London"

For number of days, I put down the number of days my feet are on UK soil. If I'm in the UK for 2 days, then go to the Netherlands for 4 days, then return to the UK to fly back, I count my UK days on both ends including days I'm traveling (e.g. If I'm at St. Pancras in the morning to catch the Eurostar, I count that morning as a day in the UK.)

So far David Cameron has not come running after me to hunt me down for filling in the card wrong so I guess I'm doing it okay. :)

Have a great trip!

You put the address of the first place you will staying.

You put the number of days you are staying on this sojourn. When you come back from Paris to London, you will probably have to fill out another "landing card" (of course you're already on land) and you then give the duration of that particular stay.

If immigration officials want to know more, they will not hesitate to ask. At that time, you will of course give the requested information. But don't worry about putting it all on the card - just tell the truth in the simplest way possible.

Thank you Rachel and Harold for your replies! Haha I'm glad Cameron hasn't run anyone down- that's a good start!

Rachel, so in your example you'd put down 3 days? wanted to make sure I understand what you took time to tell me! In my case it if I did it the way I think you do, I would put down 86 days on my first landing card (this includes travel day to Paris), which is the cumulative amount of days id be in the uk. At Harold's recommendation it sounds like I would put down just the days I'm on uk soil before leaving to Paris and not include the days I'm hoping to be approved for upon coming back

If I'm misunderstanding and you're both saying the same thing, forgive me, I'm hungry :) thank you both again for your time and help!

Shawna,

86 days is a much longer stay than I've ever made so in that case you may want to record number of days leg by leg as Harold recommends.

At this point I'm going to bow out because I can't speak to trips of that length. Sorry! I'm typically there for less than two weeks so I don't think they worry about people like me overcounting at LHR or undercounting at the Brussels train station. As noted, just record as honestly as you understand and answer their questions about your travels when asked.

Thanks Rachel! It is a rather long trip I am planning which is why Im concerned about getting it right.

dg,

I've never encountered that particular situation, but this is what I'd do in the same situation.....

• On your arrival in the U.K., list the total number of days you'll be there (including arrival and departure days). At 87 days you're still well within the 6-month common travel area limit.
• List only the address of the first place you'll be staying as I believe it only provides one space for that. If the officer asks, provide as much information as he requests.
• Are you returning to the U.K. from Paris via air or the EuroStar? I don't recall Landing Cards being used on the Paris - London trip.

Yes, there are Landing cards for Paris - London. If you are travelling by Eurostar, UK immigration takes place at Paris (Gare du Nord). There is a dispenser full of blank landing cards, you fill it in and give it to the passport officer.

I wold fill in the number of days for that visit to the UK. If you are leaving and coming back later, then you will fill in a second landing card when you come back. I wouldn't stress about this, they are a minor piece of bureauocracy.

Do be aware as a non UK / Commonwealth citizen that as you check into hotels etc you are obliged to tell the proprietor where you will be staying next. Therefore the chain of your 'whereabouts' is theoretically documented. I say theoretically as the keeping of these records under the 'Immigration (Hotel Records) Order 1972' is not always as assiduous as it could be.

I entered and left the UK four times in the last two months so I can tell you my experience.

When you arrive the UK Border Force wants to know how long your stay is in the UK. Every time you enter you will go through Immigration and get a stamp. Your days outside the UK are not put on the landing card. Only that current stay.

So, if you do a journey of 50 days UK, 10 days paris, 20 days UK, in that order, you would put 50 days on your first landing card. They will probably ask you where you plan to go afterwards. Just be honest. When you return to the UK, using the above example, you will then put 20 days on your landing card.

They don't care about the number of days of your entire trip unless they ask. Only the time in the UK. And only the time of that current stay. (While you see it all as one trip, they see it as two separate visits to the UK.)

And for my four stays, even with one being one night, I got four stamps in my passport. (In fact, the two I got at Heathrow were by the same officer. ) The other two were Edinburgh and Paris-Nord.

The address you should provide is the one you will be going to that first night.

I have stayed in 14 different hotels in the UK and Europe over the last two months and have never been asked where I was going next or what hotel I would be staying in. The only thing the hotels all asked for was my credit card.

The hotels and clerks who don't ask for the information put themselves liable for a fine up to £5000 and / or 6 months in prison if caught.

Thank you so much to all of you- I see I should have jumped on the Rick Steves forum sooner than I have cause y'all know what you're doing :) I think I understand how to go about this now and great tip on where to find the cards after Eurostar journey back to London (this is how I wil betting back- one of you asked!) thank you Frank for sharing your personal experience as well, it is extremely helpful to get a play by play from someone who has done this.

My last concern, and perhaps this doesn't matter and is the case for several people, is the first portion of my trip upon landing won't line up with my return plane ticket date which is also out of London - it makes sense to me they would ask to see my return ticket to the states, which will be marked for December 16.

Lastly, I'll be traveling with 2 copies of my accommodation itinerary to have in case it needs presenting to any of my bnb hosts for their records, so that's no problem. Thanks!

We have never been asked for our return ticket at entry nor has a hotel ever asked for our next hotel - good thing too as we do not book ahead and would not have known.

Shawna

don't miss the check in time for the Eurostar. They are very strict about it and if you miss it they won't be putting you on the train.

I suggest at least an hour now. The lines are not getting shorter.

Thank you Christi and Nigel! Great tip on the check in time- I'll make a note to leave plenty of time for that.

"My last concern, and perhaps this doesn't matter and is the case for several people, is the first portion of my trip upon landing won't line up with my return plane ticket date which is also out of London - it makes sense to me they would ask to see my return ticket to the states, which will be marked for December 16. "

This is what I meant by them asking you questions. If they see that the number of days doesn't match with your plane ticket and if it concerns them, they will ask you about it. You then show your Eurostar ticket (or explain your plan to get one). Again, no need to volunteer any un-asked information; just be prepared to answer the questions they do ask.

Got it. Thanks Harold!