Why can’t I just request a paper form to fill in? I am used to the traditional offline system and it is easier to telephone you to request it.

There are many advantages to the online system:

• You have 24-hour access and do not need to telephone the Customer Services team during office hours
• You can edit the form as often as you like until it is locked 2 weeks before your trip
• Your details and those of your pupils are held in a more secure system, on a password-protected database.

Why can’t I apply for the LOT earlier than 8 weeks before my trip?

Sometimes legislation and official documents can change and we want to be sure that you are using the correct form, because it is an important legal document.


My school is independent so it does not come under a local education authority. Does that mean I cannot use the LOT?

No, you can still use the LOT. The local education authorities are used as a geographical reference point, and independent schools are listed on the database under the authority which would cover a state school in the same area.


I can’t find my school on your database.

If your school is registered with the Department for Education, it will be on their online database of schools, Edubase, http://www.edubase.gov.uk from which the List of Travellers database is derived. Please check the Edubase website to make sure your school is listed.

If your school has a number of campuses, only one (usually the main one) will be registered on Edubase. Sometimes this may come under a different local education authority, so you may need to widen your search.

If you still cannot find your school on the Edubase website, you should contact their Helpdesk on 0870 120 25 27 or e-mail helpdesk@edubase.gov.uk for advice.

Only schools and 6^th forms are eligible to use the List of Travellers form. If you are an FE college then you will not be present on our database.

If you are a 6^th form which is part of a general FE college then it is likely that you are classed in Edubase as an FE college. We are unable to register 6^th forms unless their 6^th form status is confirmed by Edubase. If you are not classed as a 6^th form by Edubase then you will need to contact the DfE to clarify your status and ask them to update Edubase. You can contact the DfE on 0870 000 2288.

The trip is departing and returning on the same day but the system is not accepting these dates. What should I do?

The system does not recognise day trips but you can still use the LOT by setting the return date one day later. This does not affect the validity of the LOT because the dates are not printed on the form. However, to ensure that we have the correct information available, we recommend that you include the actual return date in the Notes field when completing the form.


Our trip is from the 14th to the 19th, which is six days, but when I received the printed form, it said five days. Can you please amend the form?

The system counts the number of days of the trip based on the number of nights you spend out of the UK (which is why it doesn’t recognise day trips). Our database correctly shows the dates of your trip as being 14th to the 19th, but the system has calculated this as five days based on the number of nights in the trip. You should not be challenged about this, as the actual travel dates do not appear on the form. If the immigration authorities had any queries, however, we would be able to verify the details from our database.


The group is split over more than one coach. What should I do?

If the non-EU pupils are travelling on the same coach then you should register one trip, with the teacher on that coach as the lead teacher. If the non-EU pupils are travelling on different coaches then you will need to register a different trip for each coach. You should put the teacher travelling on the coach as the lead teacher for the trip.


When I put in the date of birth, it defaults to today’s date. How can I make sure the right date goes on the form?

If this happens, you can click on the blue button at the side of the date field (a blue box with three white dots). This will bring up a calendar showing the current month. Click on the double arrows pointing to the left and this will take you back to previous years. When you have the correct year, use the single left or right hand arrows to take you back or forwards to the correct month. Then click on the correct day, and you will see the complete date appear in the white box.


The form asks for the number of EU and non-EU travellers. Should I include the accompanying teachers as well as the pupils?

No, the form only covers pupils. If any staff have non-EU passports they will need to apply for visas if these are required.


What does ‘Locality’ mean on the form?

This is the town and postcode of the school.


Should I include children with passports from other EU countries on the list?

There is no need to do this, because they can travel freely within the EU. Some schools choose to include all pupils on the list in the interests of equality, but unless you are travelling to Germany, where this is required, you only need to include non-EU children.


My son is going on a trip to Spain with his athletics club. Can he use a LOT?

No, the scheme is only for school trips accompanied by a teacher. You will need to contact the Spanish embassy to check on visa requirements and make an application.


My daughter is going on a school trip to Austria. She is the only non-EU pupil. Can we apply for the LOT ourselves so as not to cause extra work for the teacher?

No, we are only authorised to issue the forms to school staff. Your daughter should ask the organising teacher to make the application. This is very easy now that we have the online system. Please give the teacher the URL www.britishcouncil.org/listoftravellers which gives all the necessary information.


I am a teacher taking a school trip to Slovakia. The website says that the LOT is not valid there. What should I do?

You will need to contact the Slovak embassy to check on visa requirements and make an application.