Introduction to Travelling to Europe from UK Post-Brexit and from 1 January 2021
From 1 January 2021 and under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, the British passport holders will be allowed to travelling to Europe from the UK for 90 days in any rolling 180-day period without the need of a visa or prior permission until 2022.
The Visa-free time of travelling to Europe from the UK is limited to 90 days but the days spent in Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania are not counted for the purpose of 90 days due to the reason that there are different rules for these countries.
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What is on this page?
- Introduction to Travelling to Europe from UK Post-Brexit and from 1 January 2021
- Travelling to the Republic of Ireland
- Travelling for Business, Work and Studies
- Visa Fee
- The Validity of Existing British Passport?
- Health Insurance
- Pet Passports
- Driving in the EU.
- Driving Permit
Travelling to the Republic of Ireland
According to Immigration law of UK, The 90 days rule does not apply to any time spent in the Republic of Ireland as the Republic of Ireland is part of the Common Travel Area.
Travelling for Business, Work and Studies
If a British passport holder wishes to stay for the period which is longer than 90 days or intends to work, study or travel for business purpose then such a person has to apply for an entry clearance visa, which would allow him to travelling to Europe from UK.
Visa Fee
Under the Withdrawal Agreement and from 2022 all UK nationals and British passport holders will have to apply for a Visa-Waiver Scheme, before travelling to Europe from UK and they have to pay an appropriate fee. Unlike freedom of movement, there are certain rules and restrictions which must be observed by the British nationals. Further details on The European Information and Authorisation System can be found here.
The Validity of Existing British Passport?
If the British passport is less than 10 years old and there are still 6 months left before it expires, then, such a British passport will be considered valid and the holder can travel visa-free within the EU subject to fulfilling the conditions as stated above.
Health Insurance
All existing health insurance cards which are issued before 31 December 2020 are valid until the expiry date noted on the front of these cards. The European Health Insurance Cards are generally valid for 5 years. However, in light of Brexit and at the expiry of the existing EHIC cards, the British Government has announced to roll out Global Health Insurance Card. Please note that there are no further details available as of now.
Pet Passports
The Existing pet passports issued by the British Government will expire on 31 December 2020. It is also important to note that from 1 January 2021, all pets travelling to Europe from UK and Northern Ireland must also have a compulsory Animal Health Certificate (AHL).
These certificates will be issued by a vet. The validity of AHL will be limited to 4 months and they must be obtained 10 days before the planned travelling to europe. The AHC can be only used once. Further, it is required that the pet must be microchipped and has rabies vaccination.
If the pet has to travel into or through Finland, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Norway and Malta then a further certificate of treatment against echinococcus multilicaris will also be required.
Driving in the EU.
In order to drive through or in the EU, the British nationals must take with them their Photocard driving licence, logbook and a valid certificate of insurance. The vehicle must be insured 6 weeks before the visitors planned visit to the EU in order to get the green card that will prove that the driver has sufficient insurance to travel Europe.
Driving Permit
If the licence of the driver is a paper licence or issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, or the Isle of Man, then, in this case, the driver must obtain a driving permit as well to travel to certain European countries.
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