Remember when the UK voted to leave the EU in 2016? BREXIT is probably not that fresh in your memory – a lot has happened since then.
What about when the UK left the trading block on January 31, 2020? Yep, a lot has happened since then, too.
But it’s time to start remembering and talking about it all again, and more importantly (for us anyway) it’s time to start figuring out if it has any impact on the way your team travels and/or works. That’s because the agreement to keep many things unchanged until December 31, 2020 (or until a new agreement could be reached) has come and gone and a deal was reached on December 24, 2020.
Here’s a great recap article on BREXIT if you want a quick, somewhat in-depth look at what it changes and who it affects.
BREXIT Basics
Before we get into travel specifics, it’s important to understand the general deals that were agreed upon. It will help give you a frame of reference for other changes brought about by BREXIT.
- Starting January 11, there are no longer taxes on goods (tariffs) or limits on the amount that can be traded (quotas) between the UK and the EU.
- Some new checks will be introduced at borders, like safety checks and customs declarations.
- Businesses offering services will lose their automatic right of access to EU markets and will face some restrictions.
- There will be no automatic recognition of professional qualifications for people who are doctors, chefs, architects, etc. Plus, instead of following EU regulations, UK businesses will need to comply with the rules in their individual country.
BREXIT Travel
BREXIT will impact travel in Europe, especially for UK citizens. Understanding how and who it will affect travel-wise is a bit tricky since the actual impact is hard to quantify and there are exceptions to almost every new rule. Here are the some of the big changes you should know about BREXIT.
- UK nationals will need a visa to stay in the EU more than 90 days in a 180-day period. Plus, starting sometime in 2022 (the exact date isn’t set, yet), British citizens will need to purchase a visa waiver for vacations and short stays in the EU. But, the 90-day travel rule doesn’t apply to Ireland or Non-Schengen countries like Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania.
- UK citizens can no longer use the EU fast-track passport control and customs lane and they must show their return ticket upon arrival in an EU country.
- UK citizens no longer have the automatic right to live and work within the EU. However, this rule doesn’t apply to musicians or other performers (they don’t need work permits). Additionally, UK citizens who moved to the EU before December 31, 2020 can still live and work there but must register as a resident in the country by June 30, 2021.
- The UK now has “third country” COVID status. However, each country in the UN controls its own borders, and exceptions for the UK can be made on a country-by-country basis.
- EU pet passports will no longer be valid for UK pets, and while pets will still be allowed in the UK, they will need to obtain an additional certificate of health every time they take a trip.
- Before BREXIT was in effect, UK travelers were able to travel with their passports right up until they expired. However, now the UK government advises citizens visiting the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, to have at least six months left on their passports.
- European Health Insurance Cards will remain valid until they expire.
- The ban on additional roaming cellphone charges no longer applies to the UK, but both sides will encourage operators to have fair and transparent roaming rates.
For more information on BREXIT, we recommend any of these great articles:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32810887
https://www.travelchannel.com/roam-blog/news-deals/what-brexit-means-for-american-travelers
