Latest news with #BritishPassport
Telegraph
19-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
I've sold my dream Canary Islands home. I had a lucky escape
I first went to the Canary Islands in the 1990s. Having visited Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, it was the latter I fell in love with. Bowled over by the endless sunshine, gorgeous beaches and outdoor lifestyle, I figured it was the perfect place to buy a holiday home. So, in 2003, we did. I was still in my mid-20s – naïve as anything, but happy because it meant by the time the 20-year repayment mortgage had been paid off, we would have a place in the sun and somewhere warm to retire to. It was a dream come true. While it lasted. Little did my 20-something-year-old self ever envisage a time when Brexit would come about and change every plan that I'd put in place. I still remember crying when I saw the results of the Brexit referendum. As a teenager of the 90s, I'd grown up with European free movement, taken it for granted – but now I knew things were set to change. The problem was, I didn't know how far or how fast things would change, and I still remained optimistic that some sort of deal would be struck. It was in 2021 when I realised my time on the island was over. With only €4,000 left to pay on the mortgage, my heart was heavy with the realisation that the place I had bought 18 years before would never be the retirement home I'd longed for it to be. As a British passport holder, I could only stay for 90 days within any 180-day period without needing a visa. Of course, I could have looked into residence permits, but the decision felt too big, and not one I was ready to make. As a way to buy time, I looked into putting the property on Airbnb and but the fees involved, cumbersome regulations and the tax that would be due – along with the time I'd have to spend managing a holiday let operation – made me realise I'd be working harder to stand still. Letting go of a dream, especially one you have worked hard for and paid into for almost two decades, is hard. Really hard. The property sold within two days of listing to a cash buyer from Germany. I won't deny when I heard the new owner was going to use it as their retirement home, I felt a twinge of envy. It's been three years since I sold, and when I went back in 2023 (staying in an Airbnb!), I confess I stood outside my old home in the glorious sunshine wondering what on earth I'd done. Fast forward to 2025 and I know selling was the right decision. The anti-tourism movement has been rumbling for some time now, but this year in the Canaries it feels like it's gained more ground and publicity. In March, a sign was spotted in Tenerife reading 'Kill a Tourist', along with rental cars being set on fire and regular protests. Reports suggest holiday bookings are down as tourists heed the warnings to 'go home'. With more anti-tourism protests taking place just last week across the islands, it's hard to feel welcome or wanted when you're so clearly not. But what I don't understand about these protests is what the end game is? Opposition has been raised to a number of infrastructure projects, including a South Train initiative in Tenerife which sought to enhance connectivity, the Chira-Soria hydropower pumping station in Gran Canaria, and the Dreamland film city development in Fuerteventura – which, following strong local opposition, was then cancelled. If the Canary Islands want to find a new economy outside of tourism, they will have to take some difficult decisions – and quickly. I thoroughly enjoyed my 18 years of owning a property in Fuerteventura, but now I'm pleased I'm left with just my memories, and not a potential headache.
Daily Record
18-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Queen Elizabeth's unusual £1 cure for jet lag and how it works
The late monarch travelled the globe in her Royal duties and she had a strange way of combatting jet lag As Queen for a record-breaking 70 years and 214 days before her death in 2022, Queen Elizabeth was used to flying all over the world and many were long haul flights as she visited Commonwealth countries in her role. So it's fair to say she was familiar with jet lag and how to deal with it. Royal tours and the demands that come with them leaves little down time, so the Monarch had an unusual way of combatting jet lag. And she avoided sleeping pills or regular medication to help her body clock adjust. Instead she would suck on a boiled sweetie. For many of us a strong cup of coffee might be the cure, for the late Queen she chose a Barley Sugar sweet which us commoners can buy online for £1.25 for a 100g bag. The sweets are often described as travel sweet as they are also thought to combat travel sickness. Medical experts may not agree with sugar as a solution to jet lag and indeed, some would advise to avoid. This is because it can cause a spike in blood sugar levels which will crash later, causing fatigue. But GP Dr Nick Knight, a specialist in lifestyle medicine, told the Telegraph at the time, there was some merit in her actions. He explained: "What the Queen is doing by having barley sugar is essentially using her body's sugar metabolic pathways to help adjust her body clock. "It is a little niche but essentially the same should happen if you were to have your breakfast, lunch and dinner at times that match your destination before you get there, regardless of whether you're hungry or not. "Doing this instead of just consuming barley sugar will obviously be more filling." But she didn't just pack barley sugar sweets for long haul flights. Other items that were staples on royal flights included a black dress in case of mourning, a supply of her own blood and a doctor close behind. This was the case if she was visiting countries where reliable blood supplies were not a given. And when she would fly to Scotland to spend summers at Balmoral, the Queen's beloved Corgis would accompany her on the flight. Of course, she never had to worry about showing her passport. She was the only royal who didn't require a passport, after all the British Passport was issued in her name. However, she reportedly did have to undertake an identity check when she left or came back to Britain. She had to give her full name, age, address, nationality, gender and place of birth to immigration officials.
The Independent
13-05-2025
- The Independent
Which of my two passports should I use for Australia?
Q Later this year, I hope to travel to Australia via Sri Lanka and come back direct. I am lucky enough to have both British and Australian passports. What I'm confused about is which one do I use at each stage of the journey? Charlotte E A People who have two passports are in an excellent position, but you need to be careful about how you manage them. Starting with first principles: two types of organisations are interested in the nationality of your passport. The immigration authorities of the country you are travelling to want to know that you are entitled to enter, and also want you to enter and leave their country on the same passport. (One exception to this: the UK has no checks on departure.) The airline wants to know that you are entitled to travel to the destination of your ticket. It is not interested in how you later leave that destination. From the UK to Sri Lanka: the British government doesn't care about when you leave. The airline wants to know that you have a valid passport and visa; for most people, that will be Sri Lanka's electronic travel authorisation (ETA), price $50 (£38). Organise this with your British passport. At the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, use your British passport to enter and leave. From Sri Lanka to Australia: on departure from Colombo, the airline will want to know that you are entitled to enter Australia. Therefore, present your Australian passport to the airline, which gives you the automatic right to enter with no additional formalities. This will apply even if you are on a connecting flight, eg on Singapore Airlines rather than SriLankan Airlines direct to Melbourne or Sydney. On arrival in Australia, show the passport control people your Australian passport. You should also use this to leave Australia. From Australia to the UK: use your British passport for the flight – otherwise you will be asked, as an Australian, to obtain a UK ETA. On arrival in the UK, just go through the eGates with your British passport. If this all seems too complicated, just apply for the free Australian eVisitor pass, which is fast and easy to obtain, and do the whole thing on your British passport. Q I know you are a fan of Albania. But have you heard about the controversy over the new Vlore airport? I read that it is being built next to a lagoon that has pelicans and flamingos, which does not seem like a good idea. Rebecca H A At present, the sole major air gateway for Albania is Tirana: Mother Teresa international airport, about 10 miles west of the capital. It is now around 70 years old, and for most of its existence handled a few tens of thousands of passengers each year. Although it has a large new terminal, Tirana airport is struggling to cope with a surge in passengers, especially tourists. Last year, more than 10 million people flew in and out, making Tirana significantly busier than many UK airports, including Bristol and Glasgow. Albania has plenty of potential to expand tourism, with a largely unblemished Adriatic coast. The tourism minister, Mirela Kumbaro, told me she is 'pushing for four- and five-star hotels with international brand names'. For comparison, neighbouring Montenegro has about half the coastline length and half the area of Albania, but has two airports: one in the capital, Podgorica, and the other at Tivat on the coast. Accordingly, Albania has been building a new £100m airport near the coastal city of Vlore in the south of the country. Last Thursday, the first certification flight, intended to confirm the readiness of airport systems, touched down. But as you say, environmentalists are concerned about the proximity of wetlands on a key migration route for birdlife. A group known as Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania says: 'The construction of the airport near the Narta Lagoon is not only a disaster for the birdlife in the area, but also questionable in terms of flight safety.' Along with other environmental groups, it has challenged the plans in the Supreme Court of Albania, though the case has yet to be heard. Meanwhile, Munich Airport International, the German state-owned firm that was expected to operate the new airport, has ended its involvement. What does all this mean for travellers? History tells us that airport projects tend to go ahead despite environmental objections. I predict that by the summer of 2027 there will be regular flights to Vlore, at which point all eyes will be on the lagoon and its avian population. Q l'm due to fly to Pakistan in a few weeks. If the Foreign Office doesn't recommend against travel, where do I stand with claiming the price of the flight if I decide to cancel? 'Trips at 50' A I have not been lucky enough to go to Pakistan. But all the accounts I have heard from travellers who have been are extremely positive. They talk about the dramatic scenery, desert forts and shimmering mosques. But most of all, they describe the generous welcome given to visitors by the people. So I can't wait to go. At present the Foreign Office warns against travel to border regions, especially in Kashmir. But the rest of the nation is open. In the light of the heightened conflict with India, the FCDO says: 'British nationals already in, or planning to travel to, the region should be aware of geopolitical tensions ... remain vigilant, monitor the media and this travel advice.' While this is a volatile part of the world, I think it unlikely that the Foreign Office will warn against travel to Pakistan in the next few weeks. Even if it does, people (possibly including you) with flight-only bookings are in a difficult position. Your contract with the airline is to take you to Pakistan. The fact that you no longer want to go is not legally relevant. So long as the carrier is in a position to fulfil its side of the bargain, you have no claim to a refund. Having said that, airlines typically offer flexibility when the destination on your ticket looks increasingly dangerous. Your carrier may offer the chance to rebook later, or switch to a different route. A full cash refund is unlikely. If you have booked on a package holiday, then you are in a stronger position. As soon as the FCDO warns against travel to a destination, trips are cancelled. Full refunds or alternative trips (the choice is yours) are offered. Conversely, in the absence of a Foreign Office warning, there is no obligation to refund you. And to cover all bases: unless you have one of the vanishingly rare 'cancel for any reason' (CFAR) travel insurance policies, you will not be able to make a claim. So, in your position, I would start packing and looking forward to the trip.
