What travel documentation will I need for my holiday?

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Last updated: 27/05/2025

What are the passport requirements to travel?

Like all holidays overseas, or anytime you leave/enter the country, you’ll need a passport. A P&O Cruises holiday is no different. But there’s no need to worry, we’ll explain everything you need to check before sailing. 

Information to note:

• P&O Cruises guests can only board and travel to EU or Schengen area countries* if their passport was issued less than 10 years from the cruise embarkation date.

• Your passport must have at least three months left before the date of expiry when you disembark (regardless of whether the passport has an extension period). For example, if you’re travelling in October 2026 and your passport expires in December 2026, this will not be valid, and you’ll be denied boarding.

 

*EU countries include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Additional countries in the Schengen area include: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

This applies to British Citizen passports however, if you hold a different passport then you should contact the relevant embassies or consulates to confirm your entry requirements. 

If you do not possess the correct documentation, you will be denied boarding, without any refund of the cruise fare and subject to any fine or other costs incurred by P&O Cruises.

Please be aware that guests applying for their first British Citizen passport may now be required to attend interviews prior to their passport being issued. For this reason, we would advise all guests in this situation to allow a minimum of six weeks to obtain their passports.

For further information, please contact the Identity and Passport Service Advice line on 0300 222 0000 or visit the website at: www.direct.gov.uk/passports or use the online contact form. 

Your passport will be scanned upon embarkation and may be held collectively in the Reception Office in order to comply with various Immigration requirements. We recommend you make photocopies of your ‘personal details’ page of your passport (page with photograph) or an alternative form of official photographic I.D in case this is required by the local immigration authorities.

If you have dual nationality and are travelling with multiple passports you must declare this at check-in. Please note that immigration information is sent to each port of call, in advance.

What are the visa requirements to travel?

Some countries require you to have a travel visa to enter their borders. This article will explain what this might mean for your P&O Cruises holiday.

Information to note:

Please be aware that visa regulations and requirements change. 

• Visas are required when embarking/ disembarking or staying on board.

• If you arrive at an embarkation port early or stay on at the end of your cruise, different visa regulations may apply. We highly recommend that you check with your travel agent or the appropriate Embassy two months prior to departure for the latest requirements. 

• If you are joining and/or disembarking in any port other than Southampton, please contact the relevant consulate or embassy to determine your individual visa requirements for travel by sea.

• Participation in certain shore excursions may alter your visa requirements, please refer to the ‘Essential Information’ for each shore experience.

Fines may be imposed if you travel without the correct documentation, and it is important we point out that it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct documents prior to travelling or transiting to the countries included in your itinerary. Failure to have the correct documents will result in denial of boarding or repatriation, in line with government regulations. Please be sure to check your itinerary and obtain the visas required for the specific countries you will be visiting during your cruise. 

Our preferred visa provider is CIBT. Please visit www.cibt.co.uk/pocruises for more information.

Visa requirements by country

All information is based on British Citizen passport holders and is subject to change at any time.

Australia and India

A visa will need to be purchased prior to travel. Visas can be obtained directly through the Embassy, online or alternatively you can apply through P&O Cruises recommended agent, CIBT, for an additional charge.

Guests visiting India by ship will be required to have a valid visa.

India has recently opened up the possibility to obtain an E-visa online for entry into Chennai, Cochin, Goa (Mormugao), Mangalore and Mumbai.

For assistance in obtaining your visas, please contact our preferred visa provider CIBT on 0844 800 4650.

For guests visiting Australi, Check whether you require an approved e-Visitor or Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) for entry into Australia. If so, visit here to create an application and print a copy of your confirmation for embarkation.

China

Chinese visa requirements have recently been relaxed:

Guests (of all nationalities) whilst in Shanghai, arriving and leaving with the same ship, may be able to make use of a visa free stay for the duration of booked shore experiences only. Visa free stay is applicable only when entering China via Shanghai (restrictions apply for consecutive Chinese ports).

A Chinese visa is required when the entry port into China is not Shanghai.

Guests on Overland Tours are required to obtain a Chinese visa.

New Zealand

Guests are required to obtain a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) before travelling to New Zealand, which can be obtained via www.etanewzealand.com for an additional charge. (Australian citizens are exempt).

Schengen Visa requirements

Non-European passport holders may require a Schengen Visa for entry into Continental Europe. The United Kingdom is not a Schengen State member*. British Citizen passport holders do not require a Schengen Visa. Please ensure you check your entry requirements for Europe prior to embarkation.

*Schengen State members are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Please note it is the responsibility of the guest to ensure they have all of the correct documentation for their holiday.

USA

British Citizen passport holders and other nationals of the VWP (Visa Waiver program) may enter the United States of America (USA) without a visa after completing an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). ESTA is an automated online system used to determine the eligibility of visitors to travel to the USA under the VWP and whether such travel poses any law enforcement or security risk. Please note, you will be unable to enter the USA under the VWP unless you have obtained an ESTA prior to travel. This is required for travel to all USA ports. Important – you must be in possession of your ESTA prior to boarding the ship. Kindly present at check-in, a copy of your ESTA confirmation as evidence for Immigration purposes. Please PRINT A COPY of your ESTA despite advice on the website that this is not necessary. Please ensure the information on your ESTA confirmation matches your passport information. In addition there is a requirement to be in possession of a biometric passport (or E-Passport) when travelling to the USA under the VWP.

If you do not have a full British Citizen passport or a passport from another country eligible for the VWP please check to ensure you have the correct documentation for your holiday.

Vietnam, Jordan and Oman

A visa may be required for visits to these countries. If they are required, the ship will make the necessary arrangements and the applicable cost of the visa charged to your on-board account.

 

ETIAS Update

In the near future, British nationals travelling to the EU will be required to obtain an ETIAS travel authorisation prior to sailing with P&O Cruises for all itineraries that include an EU port. This travel authorisation is a new EU regulation and will be proactively enforced. As with all visa and passport requirements, applying for the ETIAS travel authorisation is the responsibility of the travelling guest. The current timeframe for this new regulation to come into effect is the latter half of 2026. For any guests sailing to the EU, further information will be communicated in due course as it becomes available.

For more information please visit - https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en

Non-European passport holders

Visa requirements may differ for guests who don’t hold a British passport. You may require a *Schengen Visa for entry into Continental Europe. We recommend you contact the relevant embassy or consulate for advice.

*Schengen State members are: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The United Kingdom is not a Schengen State member.

World cruise visa requirements

Visa requirements may differ for each country or port of call.

Together with our preferred visa provider CIBT we are pleased to introduce to you a simple online solution to all your World Cruise visa requirements www.cibtvisas.co.uk/pocruises

Our new online portal will provide you with:

• Detailed visa information specific to your cruise
• Details of required documentation needed to support your applications
• Application forms available for you to print out and send back

 

Please note: the online portal will replace our previous postal information pack and the information applies to the holders of a British Citizen passport. 

Your visa requirements may differ if you do not hold a British Citizen passport, should this be the case, you can contact relevant embassy or consulate for advice. Be sure to advise that you are travelling by sea, as your visa requirements may be different to the standard advice supplied for air travel

Remember...

We’d like to remind all guests that it is your responsibility to ensure that you have all the correct documentation for travelling. Embarkation may be denied as a result of insufficient documentation. This includes immigration forms where necessary.

For information on immigration forms, please see our article 'Do I need to submit immigration forms to travel' 

You’re almost ready to sail. We hope you enjoy your holiday with P&O Cruises.

Still need help?

Still have questions? Our friendly Customer Contact Centre is always happy to help! Contact us today on 0344 338 8003.

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