With Brexit negotiations coming to a close soon, it is best to ensure that you are prepared in either event of a deal or a no deal.
After the UK leaves the EU, there will be some changes with regards to travelling around EU countries, and it is best to check now, especially if you have travel plans after the 31st of October 2019.
What could happen after 31st October, 2019?
If the UK agrees to a deal, then nothing will change, and all the rules will remain as they are until 2020. However, if the UK does not agree to a deal, then there might be changes to passports, driving rules, EHIC cards, and pet travel to name a few.
Passports
If you hold a British passport, and you’re travelling after the 31st of October, and there is no deal, you may need to renew your passport earlier than you think.
When you are travelling, your passport needs to have at least 6 months remaining and your passport must be less than 10 years old.
If you do not renew your passport, it is possible that you may not be permitted to visit many of the countries in the EU, and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Passport renewals usually take 3 weeks, so it’s best to apply for a renewal earlier rather than later.
Visas
If the UK agrees to a deal, then nothing will change and you will be able to enter EU or Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland until at least 31 December 2020 for travel or work with no issues.
However, if the UK does not agree to a deal, then you may not need a visa for short stays for up to 90 days.
If you are aiming to stay longer than 90 days, or to work, or to study, then you will need a visa or a permit to do so. Additionally, you may have to show your return ticket, show proof that you have enough funds for your entire stay and use a different lane when queuing at Border Control.
Healthcare
If the UK agrees to a deal, then state-provided healthcare will still be available to UK citizens who are visiting EU countries, provided they have an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card). The EHIC also extends to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
If the UK does not agree to a deal, then the EHIC card will not be valid, and UK citizens travelling to EU countries will need to ensure that they have appropriate healthcare cover when they are travelling.
Here are some tips to help you prepare:
Tip 1:
Stay in the loop, visit https://www.gov.uk/visit-europe-brexit regularly to ensure that you don’t miss any vital pieces of information that might affect your travel plans.
Tip 2:
Stay updated with travel advice for the country that you plan to visit; pay special attention to local information, laws and customs, money and any other news regarding tourists and travel.
Tip 3:
Always ensure that you have travel insurance with proper healthcare whenever you’re travelling anywhere, just as a precaution.
For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/visit-europe-brexit
If you’re unsure about any of these changes and would like some proper migration advice before you travel, then please get in touch with us. Our team have over 25 years of experience and will help ensure that you have everything you need in place before you travel.
Peju is one of the UK’s leading Immigration Consultants. She is a highly experienced and sought after Immigration and Compliance Consultant with over 12-years’ experience dealing with UK Visas & Immigration.
She is registered by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner at the highest level and has supported businesses to ensure that the migration of staff is compliant with relevant country migration laws, especially the United Kingdom.
