Quick question about interviews in London. My fiance will be traveling from Edinburgh, but obviously has no where to check luggage or his mobile. He's read on the London embassy website that mobile phones are not allowed, nor large bags. Surely he can't be expected to travel with the clothes on his back and no phone.

Any chance he's allowed to have the phone, but keep it turned off?
Or perhaps find a locker at an airport/train station to stow his belongings for the interview?

Any advice from other UK applicants who have had to travel long distances to the London embassy is appreciated!

Thanks!

No electronic devices allowed.... All packages and devices will need to be left behind at the door. Many embassies have secure places for items to be housed during the visit.

Many embassies...but I'm specifically asking in the UK region forum what others have done.
Thanks for your reply, however I'm looking for what others have done to cope with this situation.

A search of the forum will indicate that London is one of those many embassies

Bring as little as possible with you
Everything brought into the Embassy must be searched or passed through an x-ray machine, so the less you have, the less the guards have to look at. Also, there are no storage facilities at the Embassy, so bags and suitcases too large to carry must be left elsewhere (a list of left luggage facilities can be found here: http://london.usembassy.gov/cons_new/forms...ss_Baggage.pdf)

Don't bring electronics
Though many people carry their cell phones, digital cameras, PDAs and Blackberries, MP3 players, iPods and even laptop computers with them everywhere, electronic devices like these are not allowed into the Embassy.

You can bring your phone and a small bag - they will keep them at the gate house and give you a number ... simple ... don't bring a laptop though!!!

If he's coming to a main line station there will be left luggage at the station.

Hope this helps you both!!!

Can I at least bring a small back pack? I will be making an overnight stay with my son and don't see me having time to run over to a station to make use of a storage box

Thank you so much! This was exactly the kind of answer I was seeking - someone who has been through the process at this exact embassy.

Thanks again!

Welshcookie,

Mercedes brought her small rucksack but you know, she's a US Citizen, so maybe they are less suspicious of her than of the regular joe soaps.

It worked for us so maybe it won't work for others. I'd hate to say yes and then you find out it's no .. it was a small back pack.

R

We had a medium-sized tote bag (probably 18x24 in) for carrying all the papers. It easily had enough room to store overnight things had we needed to. (And in fact I used it for that very purpose a few weeks ago.) I also had my handbag. No probs. The embassy doesn't want people to bring big suitcases, of course, but something reasonably small is going to be fine.

Blackberries/phones/ipods/similar small electronics are okay to check at the security hut. I did see someone check a laptop, but I wouldn't recommend it.

now I know you are trying to be helpful Haole, but you have obviously copied and pasted that from the embassy website. That website, as we with first hand knowledge of the embassy can attest, is not actually up to date with regards the above. They do have storage facilities, and they will let you keep your phone in the storage facility. Your bag you can bring in, as well as any liquids you are willing to take a sip of, to prove it's not paraffin or similar.

I saw people being turned away from the line and told to go and put bags and a laptop into storage
for what it's worth

Just thought I would chime in for what its worth. We stayed at the Marble Arch Inn last week, and they allowed us to leave our small suitcase in their reception area (we left no valuables in there). Then we just took our small tote bag with all of our paperwork, a small carrier bag with breakfast, and my handbag...oh and my umbrella because it was throwing it down with rain. We went back to the hotel after and picked up our suitcase.
They searched everything quite carefully but only had to leave behind our phones and Glyn's car keys.

This is what I thought I would try to do after reading this thread, I'm thinking of booking in at the Hilton London Metropole as it is only about 10 minute walk, but i'll take a look at the Marble Arch Inn

LOL...whatever you do, don't try to compare the two. We just wanted something close, clean, and safe where we could rest our heads. It was 45.00 for the two of us for the night. TINY...would describe it best. But very clean. Definitely NOT the Hilton.

ok...as long as it doesn't have bed bugs like the hotel we stayed at in Notting Hill I'll be good

EEWWW...yuck. No bed bugs. Like I said we just wanted someplace clean to lay our heads. I had traveled back to the states on Friday landed back in the UK on Monday and by monday night we were down in London for his interview on Tuesday. I layed down on the bed at 7pm and slept immediately.
I had been hoping to kind of make it a holiday in London...but I knew I would be totally jet lagged and would be a zombie so cheap and clean was how we went.