105. PASSPORTS AND VISAS

Something that is common for anyone who travels a lot, but which may not be an obvious matter of concern to a player who is new to the pro tennis tour, is the issue of passports and visas.

Obviously tennis players are constantly travelling from one tournament to the next, usually to different countries, and often to different continents. But what happens when a player needs a new passport, either because hers is reaching its expiry date, or because she is simply running out of pages for immigration stamps? Now I appreciate that country ‘stamps’ are to be phased out in Europe very soon, but many other countries still use them as a proof of entry and exit, so it doesn’t take long for a passport to fill up if you are constantly on the move.

But how do you apply for a new passport when you travel for the majority of the year, with little time at home, and when you need your passport on you pretty much all the time? Good planning is the initial answer. A player must plan ahead and work out when she is going to be at base for a period of time (several weeks) to enable her old passport to be sent off for renewal. But an alternative is to apply for a second passport – not available to all, but if a player can prove that her job requires her to travel almost constantly then she may be considered eligible. This is extremely useful as one passport can then be sent off and a replacement sought, whilst the second passport is used for travel.

Then there is the issue of visas. Whilst many countries now have an online e-visa set up, this is predominantly only relevant for tourist visas Pro tennis players who are earning money during a visit to a country, may need to obtain a work/business visa before they travel. It is down to the player to investigate this before they arrive, although the WTA, ATP and ITF do offer guidelines and advice, and in some instances, will assist a player in obtaining a formal ‘Invitation Letter’ from the relevant tennis governing body, which can form part of the visa application.

I am aware of a number players who enter countries on tourist visas, so as to avoid the inconvenience of having to apply for a work/business visa, which usually involves not only a trip to the relevant Embassy (in London – if UK based) but also the surrender of your passport for a period of time whilst the visa application is reviewed. This may be sufficient for many, but if a player does this, they are taking a risk. What happens if they do particularly well in a tournament and end up being the subject of media interest? It would only take an eagle eyed immigration official to check out the player’s visa situation and before you know it, the player could end up in ‘hot water’ if she entered the country as a visitor/tourist but was clearly involved in work/business whilst she was there? Such a revelation could affect that player’s ability to enter the country again in the future. Is it worth the risk? Another reason for having a second passport, if eligible, as this enables the player to send one of her passports off as part of a visa application process, whilst enabling her to carry on travelling/competing whilst the application is being reviewed.

So whilst tennis players need to be constantly on the move, the reality is that it is not always as straightforward as it seems. Pro’s need to understand that if they are playing tennis, and as such earning money from doing so (albeit not be very much at the lower levels), then they are ‘working’ and as such, they need to be aware of their passport and visa status at all times. British players also need to be fully on top of the numbers of days they are staying in various countries, as following the introduction of Brexit, the restrictions on a player’s ability to travel freely around Europe playing tournaments each week, is very much more restricted than it used to be. More on this in my earlier blog “Brexit!” – see link below. #realitytennis

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