From: 76702.1202@CompuServe.COM (Charlie Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.travel
Subject: y
Date: 13 Oct 1992 16:41:58 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL INFORMATION - United Kingdom
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United Kingdom - Consular Information Sheet
 October 7, 1992

Embassy Location:  The U.S. Embassy in London is located at 24/31 
Grosvenor Square, telephone (44)(71)499-9000.  There are also 
consulates in Edinburgh, Scotland, at 3 Regent Terrace, telephone 
(44)(31)556-8315, and in Belfast, Northern Ireland, at Queen's 
House, 14 Queen Street, telephone (44)(232)328239.  The U.S. 
Consulate in Hamilton, Bermuda is located at Crown Hill, 16 Middle 
Road, Devonshire, telephone (809) 295-1342.

Country Description:  The United Kingdom is a highly developed 
European nation with a modern economy.  Tourist facilities 
throughout the United Kingdom are highly developed.

Entry Requirements:  Tourists are not required to obtain a visa for 
stays up to 6 months.  For further information concerning entry 
requirements for the United Kingdom, travelers can contact the 
British Embassy in Washington, DC, or the nearest Consulate General 
in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, New York, 
Cleveland or Dallas.

Quarantine Requirements:  The United Kingdom has particularly 
rigorous quarantine restrictions on the importation of pets and 
livestock.  There is a six-month quarantine, for example, on 
importation of dogs and cats.

Medical Facilities:  Good medical care is widely available.  
Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health 
care services.  U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside 
the United States.  In some cases, supplemental medical insurance 
with specific overseas coverage has proved useful whenever insurance 
claims are made.  Further information on helath matters can be 
obtained from the Centers for Disease Control's international 
travelers hotline on (404) 332-4559.
  
Crime Information:  The incidence of criminal activity in the 
United Kingdom is generally low, though many major cities have areas 
where caution should be exercised.  Visitors generally lock vehicles 
and guard their personal possessions.  As in any developed country, 
the United Kingdom has higher incidents of criminal activity in 
urban areas than in the countryside.  Incidents of violent crimes 
such as murder, armed robbery, and rape are minimal.  Firearms are 
strictly controlled, making weapons-related offenses far less 
frequent than in large U.S. metropolitan areas.  Large cities in 
England do have areas where the level of crime is significant.  
Useful information on guarding valuables and protecting personal 
security while traveling abroad is provided in the pamphlet, "A Safe 
Trip Abroad," available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. 
Government Printing Office, Washington DC 20402.

Drug Penalties:  Penalties for possession, use, and dealing in 
illegal drugs are strict, and convicted offenders can expect jail 
sentences and fines.

Terrorist Activities:  The United Kingdom is a stable, modern 
democracy.  Civil disorder is virtually nonexistent.  The U.S. 
Embassy, in particular, and London in general, are the sites of 
frequent demonstrations and marches, which are orderly and well 
policed.  There is, however, a history of terrorist violence related 
to the political situation in Northern Ireland, a part of the United 
Kingdom.  While these acts are not targeted at U.S. citizens, U.S. 
citizens have, in rare instances, been injured.

Registration:  Americans who register at the Consular Section of 
the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate can obtain updated information on 
travel and security within the areas.

 No. 92-053