Country Information

Capital: Stockholm

Time zone: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 during the summer)

Telephone services: Country Code: 46 Outgoing Code: 009

Emergency telephone numbers: Dial 112 anywhere in the EU to reach the emergency services. Additional local numbers:-All services – 90 000 / 112

Tourist information: Swedish Travel and Tourism Council, 11 Montagu Place, London W1H 2AL Tel: (020) 7724 5868 or (01476) 578 811 (24 hour brochure request line) Fax: (020) 7724 5872.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all except: Nationals of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, providing they hold a valid national ID card. (for a stay of up to 3 months). Nationals of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway holding travel documents issued for travel between these countries. Nationals of Liechtenstein and Switzerland providing they hold valid national ID cards (for a stay of up to 3 months). Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact the relevant authority before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except: Nationals of Australia, Canada, USA, EU, and Japan. Nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (UK Passport holders), Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Malta, Malawi, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Swaziland, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.

Health information: No information is available at present. Please seek medical advice prior to travel.

Food & drink: Water is considered drinkable, normal precautions should be observed with food.

Currency: Swedish Krone (Skr) = 100 øre Personal cheques can be cashed in Swedish banks through the Eurocheque system.
All major credit cards are accepted. Travellers cheques, preferably in US dollars, are widely accepted.
ATM availability: Over 2 000 locations.

Cost of living: Expensive – similar to other Scandinavian countries.

Languages: Swedish. Lapp and English are also spoken.

Weather: The climate is mild, which varies according to its great length. Summers can be very hot but get shorter further North. The midnight sun can be seen between mid- May and mid-June above the Arctic circle. Winters can be bitterly cold particularly in the North.

Electricity: 220 volts 3 phase AC, 50 Hz. 2 pin plugs are used.

Post: 3 -4 days. Poste Restante is widely available.

Transport: RAIL: There is an extensive rail system. The network is more frequent in the South where there are more people. ‘Scanrail’ cards etc can be purchased. ROAD: Sweden’s roads are well maintained and relatively uncrowded. BUS: Cheap and efficient services are available to all towns. TAXI: Available in all towns and airports. CAR HIRE: Available in most towns and cities.

Special information: Normal social courtesies should be observed. Casual dress is acceptable for social occasions. Sweden is regarded as one of the safest countries in the world and crimes against foreigners are rare.

Capital:

Time zone: GMT + 8

Telephone services: Country Code: 65
Outgoing Code: 005

Emergency telephone numbers: All services – 999

Tourist information: Singapore Tourism Promotion Board, 1st Floor, Carrington House, 126 – 130 Regent Street, London W1R 5FE Tel: (020) 7437 0033 Fax: (020) 7734 2191.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Passport should be valid for at least six months even for those in transit to neigbouring countries. Return ticket required. Requirements may change at short notice. Contact the Embassy before departure.

Visa information: Visa Required only by the following: Nationals of Afghanistan, Algeria, Cambodia, China, CIS, India, Iraq, Jordan, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, Tunisia, Vietnam, and Yemen. All other visitors require a 14-day social visit pass which is issued on arrival providing they have a valid passport and return tickets and sufficient funds to cover their expenses during their stay. This may be extended to 3 months on application to the Singapore immigration department at their discretion. For stays of 2 week or longer the passport must be valid for 6 months after departure from Singapore. Visitors from Thailand and the Philippines require a visa if their stay is longer than 14 days.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended, There may be a risk of Typhoid
Other Health Risks: Cholera, Hepatitis A, B and E, Dengue fever.

Food & drink: Water is considered drinkable, normal precautions should be observed with food

Currency: Singapore Dollar (Sing $) = 100 cents The currency of Brunei is also legal tender.
All credit cards are widely accepted. Travellers cheques are accepted, US dollars are the preferred currency.
ATM availability: Over 1000 locations

Cost of living: Much more expensive than other S E Asian countries. Hotels range from the new high-class to international standard. Prices start at US$ 100. Singapore is known as the shopping capital, where all types of luxury items can be purchased inexpensively.

Languages: Chinese (Mandarin). English, Malay and Tamil

Weather: Warm and humid throughout the year. No particularly wet or dry seasons. Most rain falls during the Northeast monsoon (Nov – Jan) and showers can be sudden and heavy.

Electricity: 220/240 Volts AC 50 Hz. Plugs are flat 3 pin.

Post: Up to 1 week.

Transport: SEA: Ferry runs frequent service. ROAD: DOCUMENTATION: IDP is required. BUS: Cheap and efficient. TAXI: Numerous and cheap. METRO: Cheap and efficient.

Special information: Singapore has a very low crime rate and very severe penalties for those who break the law. Smoking is widely discouraged and is illegal in public places. The death penalty is applied to some drug offences.

Capital: Ljubljana

Time zone: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 during the summer)

Telephone services: Country Code: 386 Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Ambulance – 94, Fire – 93, Police – 92

Tourist information: Slovenian Tourist Office, 2 Cranfield Place, London NW6 3BT Tel: (020) 7372 3767 Fax: (020) 7372 3763.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all except: Nationals of EU countries with a valid ID card. Return Ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact the relevant authority before departure.

Visa information: These can be issued at border points and are required by all except: Nationals of Australia, Canada, USA, EU, Japan. Nationals of Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Bosnia – Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Israel, South Korea, Liechtenstein, FYR of Macedonia, Malta, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, Vatican City.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Other Health Risks: Rabies, Tick borne encephalitis

Food & drink: Water is considered drinkable normal precautions should be observed with food.

Currency: Slovene Tolar (SIT) = 100 stotins Major credit cards are accepted in tourist hotels and restaurants. Travellers cheques can be exchanged. Deutsche Mark or US dollar cheques are preferred.
ATM availability: Over 70 locations

Cost of living: With the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1991 and the change to a western type economy, Slovenia is marginally more expensive than the other former states.

Languages: Slovene which is closely related to the Serb-Croat. Some Hungarian and Italian may be spoken.

Weather: The climate is continental. Summers are warm and winters are cold. There is a Mediterranean climate along the coast.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz.

Post: Reasonable internal service.

Transport: RAIL: Intercity trains operate and are relatively cheap. ROAD: There is a good network of high quality roads. However because of the civil war they now effectively end at Zagreb. DOCUMENTATION: Full national driving licences are accepted. International insurance is mandatory for all foreign vehicles with a small number of exceptions.

Special information: Normal social conventions apply. Informal dress is acceptable. SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS: Travellers can become targets of pick pockets and purse snatchers, especially at railway stations and airports.

Capital: Freetown

Time zone: GMT

Telephone services: Country Code: 232
Outgoing Code: International calls must be made through the operator.

Emergency telephone numbers: 223 961/5 (Embassy)

Tourist information: National Tourist Board of Sierra Leone, International Conference Centre, Aberdeen Hill, PO Box 1435, Freetown, Sierra Leone Tel: (22) 272 520 or 272 396 Fax: (22) 272 197.

Passport information: Valid passport required. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the Embassy before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except nationals of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Republic, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo ( a return ticket is required by these nationals for visits of less than 90 days.)

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Exists all year throughout the country in the Falciparum variety. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported
Yellow Fever: Vaccination is strongly recommended to all visitors if planning to journey into rural areas. A vaccination certificate is required for travellers arriving from infected areas. Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Cholera, Rabies .

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink. Avoid dairy products as they are not pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption.

Currency: Leone (Le) = 100 cents NOTE: Import and export of local currency is limited to Le 50000.
Amex is accepted, but all other credit cards are unacceptable. Travellers cheques are accepted, in US dollars or sterling, preferably.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Expensive.

Languages: English Krio (widely spoken) other local dialects.

Weather: Climate is tropical and humid all year round. May – Nov = the raining season.

Electricity: 220240 Volts AC 50 Hz Supply subject to variations.

Post: 5 days to Europe.

Transport: ROADS: Secondary roads are impassable during the rainy season. There are many road blocks at night on major roads near the centres of populations. There is a major petrol shortage with up to 48 hour waits at petrol stations. DOCUMENTATION IDP is required.

Special information: EXTREME RISK: The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all travel. All foreign nationals are being evacuated. A curfew 23:00 to 06:00 is strictly enforced. Due to the coastal curfew small boats must be off the sea by 18:00. People breaking curfew risk being shot. There is little or no cunsular assistance in Sierra Leone.

Capital: Dakar

Time zone: GMT

Telephone services: Country Code: 221
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Not present.

Tourist information: Ministry of Tourism and The Environment, BP 4049, 23 rue Calmette, Dakar, Senegal Tel: 821 1240 Fax: 822 9413

Passport information: Valid passport required. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except nationals of Great Britain, Canada, USA, Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Togo and Tunisia.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Malaria: Exists throughout the country in Falciparum variety. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required by travellers arriving from endemic areas
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Cholera, Meningitis, Rabies

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink. Avoid dairy products as they are not pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption.

Currency: CFA Franc (CFA Fr) = 100 centimes Amex and MasterCard are accepted, but other credit cards are not. Travellers cheques, preferably in French francs, are accepted.
ATM availability: 9 locations.

Cost of living: Accommodation is expensive, especially in the capital city and surrounding areas.

Languages: French, Many local languages are also spoken.

Weather: Dry season = Dec – May. Rainy season = June – Nov.

Electricity: 220 Volts AC 50 Hz

Post: 7 – 10 days to Europe.

Transport: ROADS: many are impassable during the rainy season. There are frequent check points and speed restrictions are strict. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is required. Many roads in the Casamance region are mined.

Special information: Avoid travel to the Casamance region. It is polite to pay respect to the headman or school-teacher of any village you visit. Tipping is not always deemed courteous. Muggings are increasing in cities and major towns.

Capital: Lisbon

Time zone: GMT (GMT + 1 during the summer)

Telephone services: Country Code: 351
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Dial 112 anywhere in the EU to reach the emergency services. Additional local numbers:-All services – 115.

Tourist information: ICEP/Turismo Palácio Foz, Praça dos Restauradores, 1200 Lisbon, Portugal Tel (1) 346 3643 or 793 4660 or 793 4627 Fax (1) 346 8772 or 793 4627.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all except: Nationals of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland holding national ID cards. NOTE: The Portuguese authorities do not recognise passports issued by the Palestinian Government. Requirements may be subject to short term change. Contact the relevant authority before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except: Nationals of EU countries for stays up to 3 months. Nationals of Australia and Japan for stays up to 3 months. Nationals of Canada and the USA for stays of up to 2 months. Nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Bermuda, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Switzerland and Uruguay for stays up to 3 months. Nationals f Ecuador, South Korea and Malawi for stays up to 2 months. Nationals of Brazil for stays up to 6 months. Nationals of other countries should consult the Portuguese consulate for further information.

Health information: Yellow Fever: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age arriving in or destined for the Azores or Madeira if coming from infected areas.

Food & drink: Drinking water is generally safe. Travellers may sometimes experience mild food poisoning to which local people are immune, this may require antibiotic treatment.

Currency: In common with 12 Member States of the European Union (EU), here the Euro is the currency. There are seven different banknotes and eight coins of the Euro. Each participating EU country has coins with one common side and a reverse side specific to each country, while the banknotes look the same throughout the euro area. The export of gold and other valuable is subject to special conditions. All credit cards are accepted and travellers cheques are easily exchanged. ATM availability: Over 5 000 locations.

Cost of living: Relatively inexpensive and offers excellent value in transport, accommodation and food.

Languages: Portuguese.

Weather: Northwest: mild winters with a high rainfall and fairly short summers. Northeast: longer winters and hot summers. South: Summers are hot with little rain, high temperatures are moderated by a permanent breeze.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz, may vary in other areas. Continental 2 pin plugs are used

Post: 3 – 5 days to the rest of Europe.

Transport: RAIL: Services are provided in every town. Cheap fares are available on “blue” days – usually Monday afternoon to Thursday. Tourist tickets providing a period of unlimited travel are also available. ROAD: Every town can be reached by an adequate system of roads. TAXI: Charged according to distance and are metered. CAR HIRE: Available from main towns and airports. DOCUMENTATION: IDP or Foreign licence are accepted. It is compulsory to have Third party insurance, full owner registration documentation for the car and drivers licence on you when driving. Failure to present these documents on demand can carry a spot fine or even car seizure. Whilst a Green card is not essential in EU countries it is still generally advisable to have one

Special information: Politeness is essential. Beach wear should not be worn in towns. Normally smokers refrain from smoking during the course of the meal while others are still eating. Serious risk of robbery at main train stations and on international trains.