Paper: Travel Agency and Tour Operations, Itinerary Preparation & Tour Package Design

Module 31: Familiarization with TIM: Passport, Visa, Custom Regulation, And Health

THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Principal Investigator Prof. S. P. Bansal,

Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi University, Rewari

Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Prashant K. Gautam,

Director, UIHTM, Panjab University, Chandigarh

Paper Coordinator Prof. Mohinder Chand,

Chairperson, Department of Tourism and Hotel Management
Kurukshetra University, Haryana

Paper Co-Coordinator Dr. Amit Mathur,

Associate Professor, CT University, Ludhiana, Punjab

Content Writer Dr. Amit Katoch,

Assistant Professor, UIHTM, Panjab University, Chandigarh

Content Reviewer Prof. Ravi Bhushan,

Department of Tourism and Hotel Management Kurukshetra
University, Haryana, Jhansi
 TERMS DESCRIPTION OF MODULE

Subject Tourism & Hospitality

Name

Paper Name Travel Agency and Tour Operations, Itinerary Preparation & Tour
Package Design

Module No. 31

Module Title Familiarization with TIM: Passport, Visa, Custom Regulation, Health

Objectives To know about TIM, TIMETIC and IATA Travel Centre

Keywords TIM, TIMETIC and IATA Travel Centre

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Learning Outcome

2. Introduction

3. Passports

4. Visas

5. Health Information

6 Airport Tax

7 Customs and Currency

8 Timatic

9 IATA Travel Centre

10 Summary
1. Learning outcome of the module
After completing this module, students will be able to learn about:
1. Travel Information Manual (TIM)
2. TIMETIC (i.e. Travel Information Manual Automatic)
3. IATA travel Centre

2. Introduction about Travel Information Manual:

The Travel Information Manual (TIM) is the most reliable or trustworthy name in the air
industry for travel. It has been providing excellent information since its inception i.e. from 1963
for travel. The information relates to entry conditions, health necessities, customs and currency
regulations. The agency responsible for publishing the travel information manual is INDP (i.e.
IATA Netherlands Data Publications). This manual booklet is published on a month basis and
helpful for the travel fraternity which includes travel agents, tour operators, airlines, MNC’s
involved in travel including the government agencies. It is beneficial for all stakeholders which
includes travellers. The travellers are benefitted in terms of time, costs and avoid delays.

Source: http://acronymsandslang.com/definition/1103529/TIM-meaning.html
 The Travel Information Manual is issued by IATA in form of a manual which contains
practical and useful information to the air travellers with regard to entry regulations or conditions
of various countries. This TIM manual is referred worldwide by thousands of travel professionals
working in airlines, travel agencies, tour operations, Global Distribution Systems (GDS),
corporate and government undertakings. It contains information for more than 216 nations on
travel for all the travel stakeholders. This booklet is the top notch source for air travel conditions
and considered as an authentic, reliable and all- inclusive data for the travel fraternity helping the
people travelling worldwide. And, this publication is being given weightage throughout the world
by the travel organisations, travel companies, immigration authorities and the world Health
Organisations. These organisations give trustworthiness and continuity to the TIM for information
related to visa, passport, health requirements, customs & immigration requirements, tax charged
at airport (airport tax), currency and taxes (duty) paid.

3. Passports:

Passport is a document for travel and it is issued by the government of a country which certifies
the nationality or in short if we say the identity of its holder. It is basically helpful for international
travel. They are customary documents which contains various information related to a citizen of a
country such as his/her name (First & Surname), date of birth, place of birth, Photograph, signature
etc. It helps to categorize or identify the individual. Some of the countries are also using the
biometric information in a microchip embedded in the passport. These biometric passports for
store information for identification purpose which may be in form of facial recognition, eye or iris
recognition or fingerprint recognition. The ICAO doc 9303 also mentions the document and chip
characteristics which includes biometric file formats and the protocols used for communication.
The chip stores the digital image of each biometric feature. The evaluation (appraisal or
comparison) of biometric data is done exterior to the chip of the passport through e-borders (i.e.
electronic border control systems). The minimum space or storage memory required to store
information on the contactless chip is 32 Kilobytes of electrically erasable programmable read-
only memory or EEPROM and runs on an interface in agreement with the ISO/IEC 14443 in
conformity with international standards. This biometric passport or digital passport or epassport
(e-passport) authenticate the individuality or the identity of the passport holder and the individual
data is present both in the printed form on the data page of passport as well as stored in the chip
embedded in the cover (front or back). In order to authenticate the information stored in the chip
electronically PKI is used. PKI is the Public Key Infrastructure used to validate the information
kept electronically in the chip of the passport. It further makes it costly and challenging to
counterfeit the information, after all the security procedures have been completely and
appropriately employed. And, this is the reason why the majority of countries are moving towards
the biometric passports.

Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Indian_Passport_cover_2015.jpg/1200px-
Indian_Passport_cover_2015.jpg

Normally, these passports are travel documents which help the citizens to travel inside or outside
their country. But, at times they may also be issued to people who are not full citizens and may
have just right to abode. The passport which has been issued do not creates any rights in the country
actually visited or compel the issue country in any way such as to provide assistance by the country
consulate. Though there are some passports such as official or diplomat passports which make the
individual eligible to certain rights or privileges such as protection (immunity) from prosecution
or arrest. A large number of nations permit the admission (entry) to the passport applicants of other
nations, occasionally necessitating visa to be acquired, but this process or path is not automatic.
Many other conditions include financial charges or other formalities and may include that the
passport holder may not be a criminal or convicted for crimes. There may also be circumstances,
when one country do not recognize the other country’s passport due to dispute or any other reason.
Or the case may be that the passport holder had visited another country earlier due to which his/her
permission to a recent visit got cancelled.

The Travel Information Manual gives information on passports. The information on passport is
given regarding the various countries in the world. And, the valuable information shared with
regard to various countries in alphabetical order on travel formalities such as admission and transit
restrictions, regulations for minors, adults and other travellers (such as military personnel, crew of
airline or ship etc.),

4. Visas:
The visa is a government document or authority which allows a person or applicant to visit a
foreign country in a legal way. As, the profile of applicants may vary such as an ordinary citizen,
diplomat, defence personnel etc., there are a number of visas satisfying requirements for the
various travellers. The work visas permit an individual to take job or business initiative in a host
country. In the same way, a business visa permits its bearer to engage in some business activity or
attend a business conference without connecting to the host country’s labour market. The student
visa is a visa of non-immigrant type, which permits the applicant to enrol in an educational
institution. If the applicant is applying for high school degree, he needs to have a visa for temporary
residence. Refugee or Asylum visa permits the individuals to live in an alien country owing to any
war, natural disasters or other circumstances. Similarly there are many visas such as spousal visa
(permit the better half or partners to stay together, when they do not hail from the same country),
working holiday visa (allows the applicant to take temporary employment in the country visiting),
Spousal visa (allows partner to visit each other), transit visa (for layover in a country), evisa
(electronic visa which is stored in a database and not stamped or glued, rather it would be a paper
document given for travelling) and Immigrant (to let an bearer to live permanently in a country)
Vs. Non-immigrant Visas (to let an bearer to live temporarily in a country).
 Source: http://businessplanvisa.com/

A visa is primarily an authentication that all his documents or Charta has been seen. It allows an
individual or the bearer to live in a particular country for a fixed duration or even the number of
permitted visits or even permit to work in a country. It may also allow an individual to enter a
particular region, district or a destination. In each instance, a visa is subject to entry permission by
an immigration official at the time of actual entry, and can be revoked at any time. The visa may
be present on the passport in form of a stamp or a sticker or a print document or even an electronic
record of authorization. There may be nations which may permit a bearer to visit a country for a
longer or shorter duration. Even some countries may allow the individuals to visit their host
country without visas for short visits (duration or day). Even some countries may require their
citizens or even foreign guests to get an “exit visa” to leave the country. For example, the Svalbard
which is a special area or territory in Norway allows citizens of certain country or Schengen area
countries to visit this territory without a Visa under the conditions of the Svalbard treaty.

The Travel Information Manual gives information on visas with regard to various nations
throughout the world. The manual gives substantive information with regard to:

 Visas exemptions
  Visas issue
 re-entry permits
 transit without visa
 merchant seamen requirements
 also, other important information is present w.r.t various travelers
 The information of visa is given alphabetically.

5. Health Information:
All the information, advisories and important formalities for international travel which need to be
fulfilled are laid down by the WHO i.e. World Health Organisation.

The main infectious diseases to which travellers may be exposed, and precautions for each, are
detailed in the travel information manual (TIM). Information on malaria, one of the most important
infectious disease threats for travellers. Also, malaria is spread in different parts of world &
information w.r.t is given in TIM. The infectious diseases included in TIM are selected on the
basis of:

 Diseases that have a sufficiently high global or regional prevalence to constitute a

significant risk for travelers;
 Diseases that are severe and life-threatening, even though the risk of exposure may be low
for most travelers;
 Diseases for which the perceived risk may be much greater than the real risk, and which
may therefore cause anxiety to travelers;
 Diseases that involve a public health risk due to transmission of infection to others by the
infected traveler.
Information about available vaccines and indications for their use by travellers is provided in TIM.
Advice concerning the diseases for which vaccination is routinely administered such as diphtheria,
measles, mumps and rubella, pertussis, poliomyelitis and tetanus, and the use of the corresponding
vaccines later in life and for travel are also given.

The most common infectious illness to affect travellers, namely travellers’ diarrhoea, is also
covered. Because travellers’ diarrhoea can be caused by many different food borne and water
borne infectious agents, for which treatment and precautions are essentially the same, the illness
is not included with the specific infectious diseases.

Some of the diseases such as brucellosis, HIV/AIDS, leishmaniasis and TB, have prolonged and
variable incubation periods. Clinical manifestations of these diseases may appear long after the
return from travel, so that the link with the travel destination where the infection was acquired
may not be readily apparent.

The TIM mentions the compulsory or the mandatory vaccinations to be taken by tourists, travellers
or passengers for diseases such as yellow fever, malaria, HIV/AIDS and even other diseases as
laid down by WHO (World Health Organizations). This important information is helpful for the
traveller’s health. Travel by air and by sea also exposes passengers to a number of factors that may
have an impact on health such as jetlag, motion sickness and other Psychological aspects. Hence,
TIM covers all these important aspects.

6. Airport Tax:

A tax levied on passengers for passing through an airport. The tax is generally paid for use of the
airport, and is one of a number of taxes that are typically included in the price of an airline ticket.
It is also known as departure tax. A departure tax is a fee charged (under various names) by a
country when a person is leaving the country.

Some countries charge a departure tax only when a person is leaving by air. Various rules apply
to the payment of the tax, including payment at the airport to those about to catch a flight
(sometimes only in the local currency and sometimes by credit card), or by some prepayment
method, or it may be charged to the airlines and included in the airline ticket price. The TIM gives
the information by country in alphabetical order along with information on other travel formalities.
Also, other details such as the overall cost, the location where payment has to be done along with
the thinkable exceptions for departure tax.
 7. Customs and Currency:
The customs and currency formalities are also to be considered when a traveller is moving from
one country to another. Every passenger entering any country has to pass through a Customs check.
The passenger has to declare the contents of his baggage in the prescribed Customs Declaration
Form at airports in any country. The passenger has the option of seeking clearance through the
Green Channel or through the Red Channel subject to the nature of goods being carried.

For the purpose of Customs clearance of arriving passengers, a two channel system has been
adopted

(i) Green Channel for passengers not having any dutiable goods.

(ii) Red Channel for passengers having dutiable goods.

However, Green channel passengers must deposit the Customs portion of the disembarkation card
to the Customs official at the exit gate before leaving the terminal.

Also, the declaration of foreign exchange/currency has to be made before the custom officers and
all these aspects are mentioned in the travel information manual. The information with regard to
Import and Export regulations, pets, wild flora and fauna and Duty-free allowances, baggage
clearance are also mentioned in TIM. The travel information manual is available in various issues
whether monthly or annual. The yearly subscription runs from January to December. Though, the
person can also ask for order part-way through the year at a pro-rated cost. At the same time,
individual month issues are also available.

8. Timatic:
Timatic is the database containing cross border passenger documentation requirements (IATA).
Timatic stands for Travel Information Manual Automatic and is used by airlines to determine
whether a passenger can be carried, as well as by airlines and travel agents to provide this
information to travellers at the time of booking (IATA). This is critical for airlines due to fines
levied by immigration authorities every time a passenger is carried who does not have the correct
travel documentation.

The information contained in Timatic covers:

  Passport requirements and recommendations
 Visa requirements and recommendations
 Health requirements and recommendations
 Airport tax to be paid by the traveler at either departure or arrival airport
 Customs regulations relating to import/export of goods and small pets by a passenger
 Currency regulations relating to import and export by a passenger
 Contains requirement for every nationality going to every country.
 Serve as reservation and departure control systems

Timatic was first established in 1963 and is managed by the International Air Transport
Association (IATA). Over 60 million travellers have their documentation requirements checked
against the Timatic database every year (IATA). Timatic Sourcing is responsible for developing
and maintaining sourcing relations with airlines and immigration authorities, ministries of foreign
affairs and other government departments to ensure the advice provided by Timatic to its users is
accurate (IATA). It is available in a number of forms including Timatic, TIM – hard-copy book,
Timatic Web – web-based, Timatic XML and IATA Travel Centre, Consumer web portal (IATA).

IATA continues to develop new solutions based on Timatic which are tailored to the needs of
Airlines, Travel Agents, Ground handlers and other aviation related organizations (IATA). These
include:

1. Timatic Mainframe – Available in all major DCS & GDS systems

2. Timatic Auto Check – An XML based solution which can be integrated into check-in and
booking systems
3. TimaticWeb2 - Web based solution proving personalized advice on regulations
4. TimaticWeb2 Cobranded – Cobranded and included on your inter/intranet sites
5. Timatic Script for Amadeus –> Available for Travel Agents in the Amadeus Selling
Platform GDS
6. Travel Information Manual (TIM) – Monthly paper publication including all Timatic
information
8.1 Timatic Sourcing

To enable airlines and other aviation partners to securely manage the passenger document
verification process, Timatic solutions require 100% reliable information. To achieve this they
partner with airlines, as well as developing closer bilateral relations with government agencies
worldwide (IATA). Timatic also invite relevant government bodies to join our extensive sourcing
network to ensure that passengers always travel with correct documents.

8.2 Benefits of Timatic

 Reduced fines and repatriation costs

 Reduced operational and staffing requirements
 Reduced training costs
 Increased penetration of self-service check-In.
 Enhanced customer experience

8.3 Partnering for proactive updates

Timatic’s vision is to enable airlines and other aviation partners to securely manage the passenger
document verification process by providing Timatic solutions containing 100% reliable
information (IATA). In order to achieve this, Timatic continues to partner with airlines, as well as
developing closer bilateral relations with government agencies worldwide. Considerable effort is
put into convincing governments to proactively send updates on immigration requirements to the
Timatic team. This benefits all those involved in the passenger document compliance process,
namely, airlines, handling agents, airports, customs and immigration authorities and, most of all,
passengers (IATA).

Also, the relevant government bodies are invited to join our extensive sourcing network to ensure
that passengers always travel with correct documents (IATA). Also on its websites, the video to
learn about the benefits of collaborating with Timatic by proactively sending updates (IATA).
 9. IATA Travel Centre
When searching for travel information online, it’s important to know that your source is accurate,
reliable and - more importantly - up-to-date (www.timaticweb.com). You can count on the IATA
Travel Centre as your trusted, centralized source for the latest international travel requirements. It
is the most accurate source available, drawn on a comprehensive database used by virtually every
airline, and information gathered from over 1,000 official sources worldwide
(www.timaticweb.com).

In addition, the IATA Travel Centre can tell you more about your destination country, from
applicable taxes to currency information and local customs regulations. And it provides useful
information on traveller rights (IATA).

Your bags are packed, you’re ready to go… but do you have everything you need to board the
airplane?

Many travellers are not aware of international travel restrictions and requirements. Things like
visitor’s visas, foreign entry and vaccination requirements are just some of the details to verify for
successful travel preparation (www.timaticweb.com). Unfortunately, many who do check travel
requirements consult contradictory or dated sources – resulting in a situation that will still keep
them grounded upon airport arrival.

When searching for passport, visa and health information online, it’s important to know that your
information source is accurate, reliable and – more importantly – up-to-date
(www.timaticweb.com). The IATA Travel Centre delivers accurate passport, visa and health
requirement information at a glance

The traveller can count on the IATA Travel Centre as their trusted, centralised source for the latest
international travel requirements. The IATA Travel Centre is the most accurate source available
because we draw on a comprehensive database used by virtually every airline, and information
gathered from over 1,000 official sources worldwide, such as immigration and police authorities
(www.timaticweb.com). What’s more, this user-friendly system is constantly updated, so when
you search for destination-specific details, you can rest assured the information returned is both
current and complete.
The IATA travel centre is an important Online Database which tells about the host country &
destination you visit apart from the important information such as travel documents or the health
requirements. It is a one stop location or centre or shop which tells you everything about the
country or destination to be visited from its taxes to currency to local customs. It gives you all the
important information such as passport, visa, and health related to travel via air to other countries.
And this IATA travel centre information updates all the important information by their
immigration specialist’s. But, as you know that the rules or regulations throughout the world may
change on a daily basis. Hence, getting the information or the right documents at times may not
guarantee entry to a foreign nation. But, surely it IATA Travel Centre information gives you a
way. Hence, the immigration department or authorities may have total control over entry or exit
of a traveller in or out of a particular country. At times, the lack of suitable fees may also inhibit
or restrict the entry or exit of the visitors, until the necessary conditions are fulfilled. At the same
time, the airlines may too refuse entry of travellers from their aircrafts, when certain conditions
are not fulfilled. So, after checking the necessary information, it is important to cross check
information from concerned department or airlines, so that your journey or visit do not get
disrupted. Hence, always follow the conditions and terms of usage of IATA Travel Centre.

9.2 The search criterion used by traveller in IATA travel centre website:
In the Timatic knowledge or database, several queries are done online by millions of travellers
and companies as it gives the most authentic information in a few seconds. It also tells you the
authorized authority for making your important documents. Hence, all valuable information
regarding Visa (visitor intended to stay abroad), Passport (citizenship document) and Health
certifications based on the individual and destination based standards. The system asks the
individual information with regard to citizenship (nationality), nation of residence, birth
country, date of birth, sex, country of departure, transit nations, date of arrival, purpose of visit,
period of stay etc. and there after gives you comprehensive information explanation to the
tourist according to its travel plan or the itinerary.
Summary

The travel information manual (TIM) gives all valid & accurate information with regard to air
travel. It gives you valid information with regard to your travel needs such as visas, Passport,
airport tax, customs & currencies health. It is a most reliable resource in the air industry since
its inception year (1963). The information is accurate, comprehensive and total pertaining to a
tourist destination and is developed & printed by IATA.

The Timatic on the other hand is an online ready to use database for a passenger movement
across a border w.r.t travel documents. It is used by all stakeholders of tourism industry
whether a travel agent, tour operator, hotelier or even any other tourism professional to provide
necessary information w.r.t travel to a traveller. The information is available in variety of forms
such as Timatic Web – web-based, Timatic, Timatic XML, TIM – hard-copy book, IATA
Travel Centre or Consumer web portal.