Brexit is the official withdrawal of the UK from the European Union (EU) after 47 years of membership. This has major implications on cross-border trade and, consequently, travel will be hugely affected as well.

Many of us have been wondering what will happen for travel to the UK and for British passport holders after December 31^st 2020, and finally, we have some answers.

The below is a list of important things to know for post-Brexit travel:

• On the day of departure for any travel, UK passport holders will need to have a passport that is valid for less than 10 years, and with more than six months remaining for all travel outside the UK (except Ireland).

• At borders, passengers will need to show onward or return tickets for entry, or show proof of sufficient money for the stay, and possibly, use separate immigration lanes to those used by EU citizens.

• The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) will no longer be valid for British citizens, and therefore having a seperate travel insurance becomes more pertinent.
• UK passport holders will not need a visa for short trips to EU countries, indeed leisure travel is permitted for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Longer stays (eg. to work or study), and business travel may require visas or residency permit. Travel to Ireland is unaffected.
• For EU passport holders, travelling to the UK requires a passport for entry. ID cards for EU, EEA and Swiss Nationals will no longer be accepted. Again, travel for Irish citizens remains unaffected.

Post-Brexit seems fairly straight forward, so far. Just make sure to keep your passport handy and have a valid travel insurance!

Until 31st December, 2020 this information is provisional, and details are subject to change. For further information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/transition or contact us.