Passport and Visas

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.

The passport must have at least three months left before the date of expiry when you disembark (regardless of whether or not the passport has an extension period).

For cruises that travel outside the EU or Schengen area, in line with the requirements of many of these countries, guests are required to have six months validity left on their passports from the date of final disembarkation.

All passports should have sufficient blank pages for entry and exit stamps (applicable to the length and ports of call in your itinerary).

*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 on  https://eforms.homeoffice.gov.uk/outreach/Passport_Enquiries.ofml 

Our recommended passport and visa service provider CIBT, can assist with the renewal of your British passport, please visit www.cibt.co.uk/pocruises.

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 take 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.

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

Please be aware that visa regulations and requirements change. In addition, if you are arriving at an embarkation port early or staying 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. 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 travel or transit 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. 

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

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.

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

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 time frame for this new regulation to come into effect is May 2025, and for any guests sailing to the EU in 2025, further information will be communicated in due course as it becomes available.

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

Visa requirements may differ for guests who don't hold a British passport. 

Non-European passport holders may require a *Schengen Visa for entry into Continental Europe. 

*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.

We recommend you contact the relevant embassy or consulate for advice. 

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.