Do I need a visa to travel in Europe after Brexit?
A BREXIT DEAL has been struck between the UK and the EU.
The deal will include changes to travelling abroad – and we’ve explained whether this means you will need a visa to go on holiday in Europe.
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We’ve explained everything you need to know about getting a visa for your holiday in Europe following the Brexit deal news Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Will I need a visa to go on holiday to Europe?
Brits will not need to have a visa to travel to Europe even with the new deal so your two week holiday will be unaffected.
However, if you want to stay much longer than you will need to apply for a visa.
The new rules only allow you to stay for up to 90 days out of 180 days, even if this is in different countries across the EU.
Different rules will apply to Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania – if you visit these countries, visits to other EU countries will not count towards the 90-day total.
This has affected families with holiday homes, who are now restricted on how long they can stay there.
Brits won’t need a visa if going on holiday to an country in the EU, as long as they stay less than 90 days out of 180 days Credit: Getty – Contributor
Will I need a visa to work or study in Europe?
If you want to stay longer, for example to work or to study then you will need to get a visa, which depends on each country.
You will also need to show you have enough money to cover your trip, as well as proof of a return ticket or ticket for onward travel.
How much does a visa cost?
A work or study visa differs in price depending on the type and the country.
The Shengen visa, which costs €80 (£72) for adults, is not allowed for this.
Working and studying visas can cost hundreds of euros depending on the process.
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British travelers will pay fee to visit Europe after Brexit
Now that the UK has left the EU, the rules for travel have changed and are set to change even further. Many Brits are now asking if they will need to pay to enter Europe from the UK.
At present, there is no additional EU entry fee for British citizens. However, British travellers will have to obtain an ETIAS visa waiver every 3 years to travel to EU countries post-Brexit. The European Commission has confirmed that UK travellers can apply for the travel authorization once it is implemented in November 2023.
Will I need a visa to travel to the EU after Brexit?
Since Brexit, citizens of the UK have not needed a visa to visit any European Union member states. Passengers arriving in EU countries can enter using only their British passport.
From November 2023, UK travellers will be able to apply for an ETIAS visa waiver to enter EU countries. The authorization will be valid for 3-year periods and allow an unlimited amount of entries.
The ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) has not been launched yet. However, it will be a requirement for many nationalities (not just the UK) who travel to any of the countries in the Schengen Area.
An ETIAS visa waiver is not a visa. It is instead an electronic travel permit that has been introduced to enhance the security and enforce the borders of the Schengen zone. British citizens can obtain this visa waiver to enter Europe like other visa-exempt third countries such as the USA and Canada once ETIAS goes live in November 2023.
What do I need to visit the EU from the UK after Brexit?
British passport holders will be able to register with ETIAS from November 2023. This will be very simple. UK travellers will need to complete the short ETIAS online application form. The application form should not take longer than 10 minutes to complete.
Applicants will need to enter a range of information on the online form including their name, address, passport details and answer background questions regarding health and any past criminal convictions.
The vast majority of applications will be very quickly approved.
Do you need to pay to enter Europe from the UK?
At present, there is no charge for Brits to enter the Schengen Area.
However, in November 2023, the ETIAS will be launched. UK passport holders travelling to any Schengen country must register online before their trip. There will be a small ETIAS fee for British travellers to cover the cost of processing the application.
The EU has said that British applicants under 18 or over 70 will not have to pay for an ETIAS visa waiver.
Why do British citizens have to pay for the ETIAS?
Brits and other visa-free travellers must pay a small amount to cover the cost of processing the ETIAS registration.
The ETIAS online registration system will be much more convenient and affordable than what visitors from non-eligible countries will have to do — go all the way to an embassy or consulate to submit paperwork for a visa for each individual Schengen country.
There have been various false claims that the ETIAS fee for Brits is a “revenge tax” for Brexit, since all EU citizens can travel freely to anywhere within the EU without paying.
However, this charge is not exclusive to British citizens. All third-country nationals who enjoy visa exemption for the EU must register with the ETIAS and pay the small processing fee. This includes Americans, Canadians, and Australians, among others.
Now that the UK is no longer a member of the EU, British citizens do not enjoy the perks of being an EU citizen and must abide by the same travel rules as any other visitor.
Why is ETIAS being introduced for Brits?
ETIAS is being implemented to improve the security of the region. It will help authorities to protect the Schengen Area in terms of international crime, terrorism, and health.
All applicants will be screened using security databases such as Interpol and Europol. This will allow the authorities to identify people who pose a potential risk and prevent them from entering Europe.
The United Kingdom is one of 61 countries whose citizens need to apply for an ETIAS from November 2023 before travelling to EU countries.
How long can you travel in Europe after Brexit?
At the moment, UK citizens can travel to any country in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days without a visa. It is also possible to move between the countries in the zone without border checks.
This will continue to be the case after the ETIAS is launched. The only difference will be that Brits will have to register with the system online before travelling.
Robert J. Benoit
Robert J. Benoit has been writing about the travel industry for years, producing content for a number of different publications. He is particularly interested in the Schengen acquis and the effects of Brexit on travel throughout Europe. His content ranges from breaking news coverage to sensible travel recommendations.
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Seven things you need to know about travel to Europe after Brexit
Most of us in the UK haven’t had much reason to think about travelling to Europe over the past year. But in 2021, as vaccines start being rolled out, you may well be considering a trip to your go-to city or beach break. You may even be mulling over a holiday in an emerging destination you’d never have even thought about visiting before. Anything goes post-pandemic, right?
But wait – remember Brexit? In January 2020, the UK left the EU – sort of. Right up to the end of the year, we were in a transition period, and owing to lots of other major stuff happening, it very much flew by. But at 11pm on December 31, Brexit properly took effect. And quite a lot has changed.
While there’s still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the UK’s future relationship with the bloc, we know for sure that the rules governing travel are going to change. So if you’re planning a trip? Here are the most important things all Brits should know about travel in Europe from January 2021.
1. You should probably check your passport
Until now, all UK citizens with a valid passport have been able to travel freely throughout Europe. As of January 1, however, you may need to renew your passport much earlier than you might think. On the day you travel, your passport must have at least six months left before it expires, or you might not be able to travel to any EU countries, or the EEA states of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. (The old rules still apply for travel to Ireland.)
You can check if you need to renew your passport before travelling using this tool from the British government, and you can apply for a new one here. Make sure you renew it at least a couple of months before you’re planning to travel, as it may take several weeks to process applications in busy times (including right now).
2. You can no longer apply for an EHIC
Your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) will remain valid until its expiry date, but you can no longer apply for a new one. On January 11, the UK government launched a replacement scheme, the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), which will entitle you to necessary state healthcare for free or at reduced cost in Europe and other countries with reciprocal arrangements such as Australia and New Zealand. You can apply for one on the official GHIC website.
For the moment, the GHIC won’t cover healthcare in the EEA states – so if you are travelling to Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, then you should make sure to take out private travel insurance with adequate healthcare cover. If you suffer from a l ong-term illness or have existing injuries, you may need to go to a specialist insurance company to ensure you are covered.
3. Free mobile roaming is a thing of the past
The guarantee of free mobile roaming throughout the EU and the Schengen area came to an end on December 31. Check with your phone operator to find out if you any charges you may incur in the country you’re travelling to – most aren’t planning to reintroduce charges.
Unlike in the pre-roaming days, a new law does also protect you from racking up huge data charges without you knowing. Once you hit £45, you’ll have to ‘opt in’ to spend any more on internet while still abroad.
4. Border checks may feel a little different
At border control, you will now need to use separate lanes from EU citizens when queuing. Officials may also be more inquisitive than before, asking you to provide a return or onward ticket and prove that you have enough money for the length of your initial stay.
5. Your driving licence will still be valid – but you’ll need a ‘green card’ proving you have insurance too
Despite reports British drivers would soon have to apply for an ‘international driving permit’ before travelling to the Continent, according to the terms of the Brexit deal, UK licences will still be valid within the EU. However, if you are bringing your own car, you’ll also need a ‘green card’ (proving you have car insurance cover when driving abroad) and a GB sticker. Drivers travelling from Northern Ireland to the Republic will also have to bring a ‘green card’.
6. Visas are now required for longer stays
If you’re a tourist, you won’t need a visa for short trips to most EU and EEA countries. You will be able to stay for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period. To stay for longer than 90 days, you will have to get a visa or travel permit.
The EU has set up this short-term stay visa calculator to help travellers calculate how much longer they can stay in Europe. Visit the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s ‘travel advice’ pages to find out the application process for each country.
The rules for Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania will be different: visits to those four countries will not count towards the 90-day total. Travel to Ireland, meanwhile, hasn’t changed at all since January 1 (and you can still work there).
From 2022, Brits will likely have to apply in advance to visit the EU. As part of the new Etias (European Travel Information and Authorisation Scheme), you will have to pay €7 for a three-year pass, and before every trip, specify the country you will first arrive in, as well as provide the address of your first night’s stay.
7. You might not be able to travel to Europe at all until UK infection rates drop
As of December 31, when the Brexit transition period ended, the UK is no longer exempt from border restrictions that bar travel from outside the EU and the EEA. Since January 1, there have been several reports of British holidaymakers being turned away from airports across the bloc.
Up to 13 Brits have been turned away at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, according to Dutch border force officials. This was because their trips were ‘non-essential’ and the UK is now subject to ‘third-party’ travel restrictions, a spokesperson told the Guardian. Others have been turned away at airports in Germany.
Only a dozen or so countries with low transmission rates are currently exempt from the rules against travel from outside the bloc. EU commission officials say there are no plans to include the UK alongside the likes of Australia, Japan and South Korea, where cases are significantly lower.
Were the UK to be officially confirmed as a ‘third-party’ country, individuals would only be able to enter the bloc in for certain work reasons (for example, if they are diplomats, care workers, aid workers, seasonal farm workers or transport workers), as well as for study, transit and urgent family reasons.
Many of these arrangements may change, so check back soon for the latest updates on travel to Europe.
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Source https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/13559176/europe-visa-holidays-brexit-deal/
Source https://www.etias.info/british-pay-fee-visit-europe-after-brexit/
Source https://www.timeout.com/uk/travel/brexit-eu-travel-passport-visa-new-rules-january-2021