How we check our rules

Every rule on Cleared to Travel comes from official government sources, and shows the date we last checked it.

Two official sources for every rule

For each passport and destination, we read two kinds of official source:

  1. The destination's government. Its immigration department, foreign ministry, official visa or travel permit site, or embassy.
  2. Your own government's travel advice. GOV.UK for UK passports, the US State Department, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, the Government of Canada, Smartraveller for Australia and SafeTravel for New Zealand.

A rule only goes on the site when both agree. Each answer links to the sources we used, so you can check them yourself.

When sources disagree

Sometimes a destination's government and a traveller's government say different things, often because one has been updated and the other hasn't. When that happens on something that matters, such as whether you need a permit or how long you can stay, we don't guess. We hide that answer, show you the official link instead, and check it by hand.

How often we check

  • Every month, we review every source for every destination.
  • Every week, we check rules with a deadline coming up, such as a visa-free scheme about to end or a new permit about to start.
  • If a rule hasn't been checked for 45 days, the checker warns you. After 90 days, it stops giving an answer and sends you to the official site.

Rules that are changing

When a change has been announced but hasn't happened yet, we show the rule as changing, not as a firm answer. If your trip falls after a scheme ends, the checker tells you to check again closer to the time.

Every change is logged

When a rule changes, we update it and add it to our public rule changes log, with the date it takes effect. Big changes, such as a new permit, are checked by a person before they go live.

What we never do

  • Link to visa agencies or unofficial permit sites, which often charge far more for the same form.
  • Use travel blogs, forums or news reports as a source.
  • Take money to change an answer.

Found a mistake?

Use the "Report something wrong" button next to any rule. A link to the official source helps us check it faster.