Deal or No Deal – Advice for travelling in Post-Brexit Europe

It has featured in the news almost everyday since Spring 2016,

There have been promises, rumours and, some would argue, downright lies, but what does Brexit actually mean? And, more importantly, how will Brexit impact upon your travel ,and training plans, in Europe, after October 31st?

Millions of Brits travel abroad every year. Perhaps in search of warmer climates (or at the very least a break from the rain), the vast majority of migrating Brits head south, to mainland Europe, with Spain proving the firm favourite among sun seekers, with a dizzying 15.62 million visitors from the UK in 2018 alone!

But with a potential NO DEAL Brexit on the horizon, all this could be about to change.

There are several websites offering advice for post- Brexit journey makers, such as the gov.uk official site ( https://www.gov.uk/visit-europe-brexit ) where you can even sign up to get email alerts for changes to European Travel Guidelines.

However the flood of, often contradictory, information, can be, more than a little bit, confusing. So, here is a selection of, advice, guidance, and information, that we hope will clear things up a bit and keep you traveling in a Post Brexit world!

  Keep up to date!

As of yet, both the nature of, and resultant impact of Brexit remain unclear.  If the UK agrees a deal for it’s EU exit, there would be no immediate changes to European travel regulations. The rules would be the same until at least 2020.

If however,the UK leaves the EU without a deal, there would be notable changes in the rules for passports, pet travel,  driving, EHIC cards and more, taking effect as soon as October 31st 2019. It is worthy to note, these changes may not just have an impact on travel within the EU, but also regulations in countries such as, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland will be impacted.

As it stands currently, travel to, and within, Ireland will not change, (even in the event of NO deal). Your travel and work rights will remain the same as they were before.

Passports

As a minimum, before you travel, ensure:

• Your passport is still valid for at least 6 months.
• Your passport is less than 10 years old (even if it has 6 months or more left).

In the event of a NO DEAL Brexit you may need to renew your passport earlier than previously. It used to be the case that UK citizens who renewed their passport before it expired could have up to nine months of the remaining validity added to their new travel document. However this time carried over may not count towards the six-month requirement after a no-deal Brexit.

You can check the validity of your passport with this government tool.       

Keep in mind it usually takes at least 3 weeks to renew a passport, and indeed the advice being given is to renew as soon as possible, as the passport office can get busy, and is likely to get even busier in the event of no deal.

Visas and Travel Documents.

Visas should not be required for short trips.

If there is a Brexit deal, there will be no changes to how you enter EU countries, and also Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, until at least December 31st 2020. In the event of a no deal Brexit however, you will most likely need a visa or permit to stay in Europe for more than 90 days (in any 180 day period), or to work or study abroad.

A no deal Brexit would also see the UK become what is known as  a 3rd country. This may mean British travelers requiring a Schengen visa, or equivalent form of travel documentation, to visit continental Europe, Scandinavia, or even potentially the Republic of Ireland.

However, the most likely outcome is looking like the UK being included onto the list (of currently 62 countries) who are not in the EU, but from which travelers do not require visas for European travel.

Recent security concerns however, have lead to calls for better management of EU borders, for this reason, and to raise revenue for EU countries to share, a new ETIAS system is set to be implemented, for these 62 countries, from January 2021.

ETIAS

Similar to the American ESTA, the ETIAS (standing for European Travel Information and Authorisation System) is an entirely electronic security system. NON EU travelers will need to complete ETIAS before entering Europe. The application is expected to take about 10 minutes to complete and can be authorised almost immediately upon completion.

There will be a 7€ charge per application for ETIAS, however this is still a fraction of the 60€ cost of a Schengen visa. AN ETIAS is also valid for 3 years (or until the travel document( i.e passport) registered with the ETIAS expires). To use ETIAS correctly you must first pass through the first country stated on your application. After you enter that country, you can visit any other country in the Schengen zone for up to 90 days.

You can enter any Schengen member state, as many times as you want, for as long as your ETIAS is valid, provided you have not stayed in the Schengen zone for more than 90 days in any 180 day period.

*NOTE*

Just because you have the ETIAS you are not GUARANTEED entry in to an EU country. This is at the discretion of the border authorities.

Border Controls

The British government has advised that you may be required to do the, at border control, following when visiting EU countries:

• Show a return or onward ticket.
• Demonstrate that you have enough money for your trip.
• Queue in different lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens.

Healthcare and Insurance

Regardless of the outcome of Brexit, you should always ensure that you have appropriate and sufficient travel insurance and healthcare cover before you go abroad. You can find information about Sports Tours own bespoke insurance policy, that is specifically designed for use on our tours, here;

Travel Insurance

In the event of a no deal Brexit then, in theory, the cover provided by the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) would no longer be valied. *NOTE* the EHIC scheme also covers Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, it is particularly important to ensure you have the right medical cover on your insurance, as the EHIC covers these, while many travel insurance policies do not.

Advice on finding the right travel insurance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/foreign-travel-insurance

Travel

How ever you intend to travel, in the event of a no deal Brexit, there may well be changes from 31st of October.

Driving

A no deal Brexit may result in the requirement for extra documents to take your car, from the UK, into Europe.

• You will need  a motor insurance green card (which can be obtained from your insurer) when driving in the EU. This proves that you have the minimum required insurance. Provide your insurance company with at least 1 months notice before you travel, to ensure you get the greencards in time. Multiple greencards may be needed if:
  • You have fleet insurance – as you will require a green card for each vehicle.
  • You are towing a trailer or caravan. One will be needed for the vehicle that is towing, and one for the vehicle or trailer being towed. You will need separate trailer insurance in some countries.
  • You have 2 policies covering the duration of your trip, ie if your policy renews during your trip.
• Driving licence and international driving permits (IDPs). Some countries require, one or more, IDP. You can check if you require one, for your travel, on the Post Office website. Each permit can be purchased, for £5.50, at participating Post Office branches.
• Vehicle registration documents. You should carry your UK driving licence, and your V5C log book (if you have one).
• GB stickers and registration plates. Your car should display a GB sticker even if you have a number plate which includes a GB identifier.

Flying

Even if there is no deal, flights should  be able to run as before. The EU has agreed measures for a level of  “basic connectivity” (for a year) after Brexit, to prevent planes from being immediately grounded if there is a no-deal Brexit.

Airlines are already making adjustments to policies to ensure flights can operate as normal.

While to UK government maintains that air travel post Brexit should remain undisrupted there is no certainty to this. ABTA recommends booking holiday packages if possible, as these are protected by the package travel regulations. This guarantees a holiday, alternative deal, or refund, in the event of disruption to your travel plans. You will also be protected if you buy a package holiday and the company you bought it off goes out of business.

Cruises, Ferries, Eurostar & Eurotunnel, Bus, and Coach Services.

Although the government are currently advising that these services will be able to run as before, this is not necessarily the case.

Bus and coach services to non-EU countries, such as Switzerland and Andorra, may no longer be able to run. There have also been warnings of long queues at London St. Pancras International (the main Eurostar terminal in the UK), but Eurostar bosses have said that they are working to ensure the service continues to run as smoothly as possible.

EU regulations on rail passengers rights, on bus and coach passengers rights, and on maritime passengers rights, will be brought into UK law, so that travelers remain protected for travel in Europe.

Bank Cards and Financial Changes.

The government has warned that, if you have a UK bank account, and intend to use your bank card in the EU (as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), it may become more expensive to do so. A no deal Brexit could also see the value of sterling plummet and see the reintroduction of,previously banned, credit card surcharges.

If there is no deal, you will need to declare cash of a value of £10,000 or more, if you take it between the uk and another country.

Mobile Phones and Data Roaming.

In 2017 the EU scrapped additional charges for data roaming within countries of the European Union.Using your phone in the EU is likely to become more expensive after Brexit. The amount EU phone operators will be able to charge UK operators, for providing roaming services, will no longer be regulated.

A new law has been introduced meaning that you can not incur charges over £45 (per month), without being notified first. If you reach £45, you will need to opt in, to spend, more, in order to continue using data abroad. Your phone operator will provide information on how to do this.

While many phone operators (O2, EE, Giffgaff, among others)  have confirmed they have ‘no plans’ to reintroduce data roaming fees after Brexit, only Smarty and 3 (according to research) have guaranteed free roaming will continue.

Check with your provider, about data roaming surcharges, before you travel, and ensure that you fully understand how to turn your data roaming off.

If you are still unsure of what Brexit means to you, or your travel plans, be sure to check with your travel providers, mobile phone companies and banks, before you go. 

For more information see GOV.UK website (link above) and be sure to keep up to date with the latest news and updates – to keep yourself in the know.

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