Eighteen Saltus students and their chaperone were stranded on England shores for three days after French officials refused them entry.

The students and their teacher were part of a group of 30, which flew from Bermuda on the British Airways flight last Friday, according to Nigel Kermode, Headmaster of Saltus.

After taking buses down to the coast to catch a ferry to Normandy, French officials grew concerned by the students travelling with Bermudian passports and one student who was travelling on a Bahamian passport.

Twelve of the students were able to complete the travel as planned because they held British Passports that indicated they were Bermudian residents. The other 18 were held till Monday.

The French officials' confusion and apprehension, according to Mr. Kermode was about the incorrect terminology in the locally-issued passports.

He said: "The issue rested with the Bermudian passports and they did not have stamped in them that the holder was of an overseas territory.

"The staff consulted with the British authorities and spoke to Riquette Bonne-Smith, the Honorary French Consul in Bermuda on Friday. She contacted the French authorities in New York City. I got a phone message on Saturday letting me know all would be well."

Mr. Kermode assured the paper that he had been in contact with the parents through emails and letters throughout the stranding.

On Monday, the 18 students were finally allowed, after the hard work of Mrs. Bonne-Smith, to cross the border and continue on their 10-day Modern Foreign Language trip in Normandy.

They are scheduled to return next week.

Following the problems encountered on the school trip, Mrs. Bonne-Smith issued a reminder about the visa and passport requirements with Bermudian passport holders, wishing to enter France.

According to the Honorary French Consul, since 2002 any Bermudian holding a local passport had to ensure inside the passport it states: British Overseas Territories Citizens in order to travel to France without a visa.

A Bermudian passport applied for and acquired since 2002 will have this stated automatically.

However, those issued before 2002 will state that the citizen is: British Dependent Territories Citizens so the passport holder will require a visa.

Mrs. Bonne-Smith recommended that Bermudians apply for the British passport, rather then update their Bermudian one because it would give them access to all of Europe.

She said: "I would recommend Bermudians holding a Bermuda passport issued prior to 2002, to apply for a British passport, this will enable them to travel throughout Europe without the need of a visa.

"I would like also to announce to all non-Bermudians to check with their consulate before travelling to France because if they fall in the categories of countries whose citizens need a visa to go to France, they will have to go to the French consulate in New York to obtain a visa because of the introduction of biometrics passport."

The reminder about French visas comes only weeks after Italy announced it had changed the requirements for any Bermudians travelling to Europe on a Bermudian passport.

They will now need a visa to enter Italy — regardless of the terminology used.

This applies whether Italy is either the first port of entry to Europe or the country where the visitor stays for the longest period of travel.

Karen Stroeder, assistant to the Italian Consul for Bermuda, also urged Bermudians to apply for their British Passport at the time of the announcement.

The British Passport has been available to Bermudians since May 2002 with the commencement of the British Overseas Territories Act, which made all British Overseas Territories Citizens (BOTC) full British citizens.

Mr. Kermode added: "It was an unfortunate inconvenience. The staff handled it very well and the parents were informed. "If they couldn't get through they planned to take them to museums in London"