At present marks three years since we left the EU. At 11pm on 31 January 2020, the UK was not a member of the bloc. The Brexit dividends promised to voters within the 2016 referendum by no means targeted on journey. The “sure” vote would set off the beginning of recent border guidelines and finish British passport holders’ proper to stay and work visa-free in EU nations.
Queues for passport stamps, expensive paperwork when touring with pets and cell phone roaming costs are a number of the modifications that got here with the tip of the Brexit transition interval on December 31, 2020. New border guidelines for all non-EU residents shall be launched this 12 months additional change of journey to Europe from the UK. We clarify the most important modifications.
Passport issuance and expiration dates
UK passport holders can not journey to an EU or Schengen Space nation with a passport issued greater than 10 years earlier than the date of entry into that nation. The passport should even be legitimate for at the least three months after the day they intend to depart.
This rule created confusion, with some journey suppliers offering incorrect data. The 2 situations above are unbiased of one another: for instance, your passport was issued on September 30, 2013 however has an expiration date of December 30, 2023 and also you deliberate to go to Spain for per week on September 23, 2023, would you meet the principles of the EU.
Passport stamps (and future checks)
For the reason that finish of the Brexit transition interval in January 2021, British passport holders can solely keep within the EU or Schengen space with no visa for 90 days out of any 180 days. To make sure that vacationers from third nations adjust to this rule, they have to obtain a passport stamp upon arrival and departure from EU or Schengen nations. Within the peak journey interval final summer season, Britons reported lengthy queues at Spanish airports for non-EU passengers.
The European Fee will introduce its Entry Exit System (EES) by the tip of 2023. This replaces passport stamping. As an alternative, biometric knowledge shall be collected from non-EU travellers. British passport holders are anticipated to have their fingerprints and pictures taken on their first go to to the EU after the system is launched. In accordance with EU guidelines, the information may be saved for a most of three years.
This 12 months can even see the European Journey Info and Authorization System (ETIAS). All UK passport holders will need to have an authorised ETIAS for entry into 30 nations. There’s a cost of €7 (£6.20) for candidates aged 18-70. These underneath the age of 18 or over the age of 70 nonetheless want to use, however usually are not required to pay a charge. An ETIAS is legitimate for 3 years or till the passport expires, whichever comes first.
British passport holders don’t want Etias to go to Eire.
Driving guidelines
Britons should carry their UK driving license when driving within the EU. UK drivers don’t want an Worldwide Driving Allow (IDP) to go to and drive within the EU, Switzerland, Iceland or Liechtenstein.
Nonetheless, in some EU nations and Norway, drivers may have an IDP if they’ve a paper driver’s license or one issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man. An IDP prices £5.50.
These with a UK driving license don’t want an IDP when visiting Eire.
As of September 2021, the nationwide identification sticker for UK registered automobiles driving within the EU is UK, slightly than GB. This may be included right into a license plate (together with the Union Flag) or as a separate decal. Vehicles that should not have a UK identification code of their quantity plate require a UK sticker. GB stickers are not legitimate.
If you’re in Spain, Cyprus or Malta you have to current a British sticker regardless of what’s in your license plate. UK drivers should carry their car logbook (V5C) when bringing their car into the EU or a VE103 to show they’re allowed to make use of their employed or leased automobile overseas.
Passports for pets
It’s now dearer to journey to the EU along with your pet. Britons will need to have an animal well being certificates (AHC) to take their pet to any nation throughout the European space. The certificates should not have been issued greater than 10 days earlier than departure.
The established timing for acquiring an AHC means making an appointment inside 10 days of touring to the EU. As well as, to journey to the EU, your pet have to be microchipped, vaccinated and have up-to-date deworming remedies – all of which shall be detailed within the certificates.
AHCs have to be issued by an official veterinarian and stay legitimate for a return journey inside 4 months. The associated fee for a certificates can vary from round £100 to £300. As much as 5 pets may be added to a certificates, with a value of round £50 for every extra animal.
There are additionally guidelines for returning to the UK from the EU with a pet. A vet should deal with your canine in opposition to tapeworm for no less than 24 hours and a most of 5 days earlier than your arrival within the UK. They need to additionally document the therapy in your pet’s passport or AHC. You should carry particulars of every pet’s rabies vaccination and tapeworm therapy.
See gov.uk for extra data.
Medical insurance
Vacationers from the UK visiting the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland will need to have:
- A UK World Well being Insurance coverage Card (GHIC)
- A European Well being Insurance coverage Card (EHIC)
These should come along with journey insurance coverage with medical insurance. Healthcare methods differ by nation and in some nations you must pay for therapy. With a GHIC you possibly can obtain medically crucial care therapy in Europe at a lowered fee or generally even free. Britons with a sound EHIC don’t want to use for a GHIC.
Each playing cards are legitimate once you journey to an EU nation or, if you’re eligible, in Switzerland. You possibly can not apply for a brand new EHIC, however functions for a GHIC are free and have to be made by the NHS web site.
Well being care guidelines differ for a go to to Spain or Eire and if you’ll stay, work or research within the EU.
Extra Brexit journey
Shopper rights
The UK retained EU passenger rights after Brexit. You possibly can declare as much as £520 in compensation in case your flight is delayed by greater than three hours, except the modifications are brought on by a rare circumstance or your flight has been cancelled.
These guidelines apply to flights departing from a UK airport and flights arriving at a UK or EU airport on a UK or EU airline.
If a flight is canceled lower than 14 days earlier than departure and the substitute flight delays a passenger’s arrival by two or extra hours, they’re legally entitled to compensation. The quantity is dependent upon the gap of the flight, in addition to the departure and arrival occasions of the rescheduled flight and when the flight was cancelled.
Guidelines for compensation for delays and cancellations of flights to the EU stay in place. Nonetheless, there are plans to alter the principles for home flights within the UK.
The proposals within the Aviation Shopper Coverage Reform Session, which was underneath evaluate between January 31 and March 27, would hyperlink compensation to the value of journey on UK home routes – and payouts might be considerably lowered.
Below the proposed modifications, air passengers might get a 25 p.c refund after an hour’s delay, 50 p.c after two hours, and a full refund after three hours.
Residing and dealing in Europe
As defined above, British passport holders can keep within the EU or Schengen space with no visa for as much as 90 days in any 180-day interval. The principles differ for Britons who lived in an EU nation earlier than the tip of the Brexit transition interval.
British passport holders who need to transfer to an EU nation will want a piece allow or different sort of visa to remain within the EU for greater than 90 days. Some nations, comparable to Portugal, Spain and Greece, have or introduce visas for homeworkers.
Roaming costs
Cell operators within the UK are not required to ensure free roaming within the European Financial Space (EEA). The top of the Brexit transition interval introduced this variation. Additional protections ended on June 30, 2022, together with the each day restrict on roaming costs.
Many main cell phone networks have reintroduced roaming costs for purchasers touring throughout the EU. The fees are generally solely utilized to newer clients.
EE, Vodafone, Voxi, Sky Cell, Three and Tesco Cell are among the many operators which have rolled again roaming costs.
Tax-free purchasing
UK residents are actually eligible for duty-free purchasing within the EU.
The minimal spending quantity required for a VAT refund differs per EU nation. To be eligible, vacationers from the UK should show that they bought the products within the EU and that they intend to devour or use them of their nation of residence, which have to be outdoors the EU.
Nonetheless, British vacationers misplaced the precise to take as many duty-added merchandise as they need out of the EU. Limitless allowances for bringing alcohol again from the EU ended with the Brexit transition interval. Now UK residents aged 18 or over are restricted from the next:
- 42 liters of beer, and
- 18 liters of nonetheless wine (24x75cl bottles), and
- 4 liters of spirits or 9 liters of glowing wine/fortified wine or different liqueurs (bottles of 12x75cl); this final quantity may be break up, so for instance half the quantity of spirits and half of the glowing or fortified wine
Eurostar companies
Eurostar Group lately introduced that it’s reserving lots of of seats in its trains daily to keep away from delays at stations.
Trains between London and Paris carried 30 p.c fewer passengers, it mentioned. Gwendoline Cazenave, CEO of Eurostar Roup, recommended post-Brexit border controls and ranges of border employees after Covid had created bottlenecks at stations.
The checks embody the passport stamps required by UK passport holders when coming into and leaving the EU or Schengen space.
Eurostar runs 14 companies a day between London and Paris; in 2019 there have been 18 companies per day.
