How Brexit will affect travel to the EU

[Tobias]

Rules on travelling to and from European Union countries will change on 1 January 2021.

The agreement between the UK and EU to keep many things the same - for 11 months after Brexit - comes to an end at 2300 on 31 December 2020.

A post-Brexit deal between the UK and the EU has now been reached, with lots of new rules on trade and in other areas, but the UK will become a third country meaning its citizens will be treated like all others countries outside the EU/EEA/Schengen.

More information here: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-46627083

[Gary & Nok]

So really it's nothing like the disaster all the doom and gloom merchants were predicting

[Tobias]

What doom and gloom are you referring to?

[prikphet]

So really it's nothing like the disaster all the doom and gloom merchants were predicting

Fancy that

[richardb]

European Heath Insurance Cards will remain valid post New Year until they expire according to the agreement struck . So for a brand new 5 year one you have a couple of days left,


Richard

[Gary & Nok]

What doom and gloom are you referring to?

The doom and gloom merchants that said we would fall of the cliff edge and we would not be able to holiday in Europe etc. etc. Them ones

[Tobias]

The doom and gloom merchants that said we would fall of the cliff edge and we would not be able to holiday in Europe etc. etc. Them ones

I have never seen any suggestion from any source that Brits would not be able to holiday in Europe. That of course does not take away the fact that the UK will become a ‘third country’ on 1 January 2021 effectively banning all non-essential travel to Schengen and other parts of the EU until further notice.

There are of course to be restrictions in the number of days Brits will be able to spend within Schengen and other EU/EEA states in any 6 month period as well as significant restrictions and leave requirements for business travellers across the EU/EEA/Schengen - there will be quite a bit of red tape to negotiate as well as the expense, time and inconveniences resulting from it both before the trip and at the border.

[KhunIanB-UK]

There was talk about having to pay for an ESTA type travel arrangement for the EU Countries and a lot of "scare" stories over the last few years.

Agreed, people will have to plan their holidays for EU countries now, as they do the rest of the world, but at least it will be a level playing field and it will also stop a lot of criminal scum that have been able to cross borders with impunity (criminal scum of any nationality, British or otherwise).

[Tobias]

There was talk about having to pay for an ESTA type travel arrangement for the EU Countries and a lot of "scare" stories over the last few years...

And so it will be. The ETIAS or the European Travel Information and Authorization System will come in to play in the summer/autumn of 2022 and a fee will be payable. I am not aware of any scare stories regarding Brits being able to travel to the EU.

...people will have to plan their holidays for EU countries now, as they do the rest of the world, but at least it will be a level playing field and it will also stop a lot of criminal scum that have been able to cross borders with impunity (criminal scum of any nationality, British or otherwise).

Well, no. The UK will no longer be part of Europol and that means the UK will be less secure. Britain has always had control over who it lets in to the country, even whilst within the EU. The ‘scum’ you refer to were always prohibited from entry to the UK to the exact same extent as they will be from 1 January 2021. There is no material change in that regard.

Sadly our removal from Eoropol, Eurojust, and the European Arrest Warrant scheme, as well as other data-sharing agreements such as the SIS (Schengen Information System) will mean the UK will be much less secure. As a direct result of Brexit and the rather limited ‘deal’ the UK has negotiated, the UK will no longer have direct, real-time access to any of the sensitive EU databases covering security (Europol) and justice (Eurojust) including air passenger details and criminal record information normally available to Immigration and Police officers at the UK border. This also means DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration data will also not be immediately available to UK authorities at the border.

So despite the emotion in your assertions, I’m afraid you are mistaken. There is no difference as to whom will be allowed entry to the UK, and from 1 January 2021 the information immediately available to law enforcement at the border will be considerably less meaning the UK will be less secure come New Years Day.

[Vinny]

CNN’s How Brexit will change travel.

[John]

European Heath Insurance Cards will remain valid post New Year until they expire according to the agreement struck . So for a brand new 5 year one you have a couple of days left,

Not actually so, more detail has now been issued, see below.

There you will see the name is changing to "UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)", but apart from that it is basically the same inside the EU, but not for non-EU EEA countries.

[Vinny]

From a US perspective: Britain's 'major crisis' is good and bad news for travelers.