Here's what Brexit means for European travel

If you are travelling to the EU, you may already have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), if so, that will remain valid until its expiration date. 

As of the 1st January 2021 the requirements have changed for the new EHIC which means that most of us will now not qualify to be able to apply now or renew our old cards. The only clear exceptions to this are if you are a UK student studying in the EU, a British State Pensioner who lives in the EU or an EU national that resides in the UK. These people can apply for the new UK EHIC that they can use from January 2021 throughout the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Those who do not fall in any of these brackets should instead look now to apply for a free Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) instead. The GHIC will grant you access to emergency state-provided healthcare while you are travelling. 

If you are going to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland you cannot use either the GHIC or the old EHIC to get medical treatment, so make sure you have comprehensive travel insurance that covers any pre-existing conditions.

Please remember also that these cards do not work as an alternative for travel insurance and you must make sure you have appropriate travel insurance for you needs, including cover for emergency medical treatment and associated costs. 

Tourists are currently able to stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. For most EU countries that will be a 90-day total of travel across all countries in the EU. So, for example, you can enjoy a 4-week trip in Spain and then travel for a further 4-week holiday in France straight after without needing to apply for a visa. This means that for most short tourist trips to EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, there will be no need to apply for a visa ahead of travelling.

There are slightly different rules when travelling to Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, or Romania. These destinations do keep to the 90 days in a 180-day period, however, will not count periods of travel in other EU countries towards that total. Instead, these four countries allow you to stay up to 90 days in one destination, regardless of other EU travel you have done within that 180-day duration.  

For business travel you may need to apply for a visa, work permit or other documentation if you are planning to stay longer than the 90 days. Work permits will also be needed if you are transferring from a UK branch of a company to a different country (even for a short period), providing a service to a client in another country or providing services in another country as a self-employed person. You can learn detailed foreign travel advice to individual destinations.

Starting in the year 2023 British visitors will need to register online and pay ahead of travel for an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System). This is a similar system to the ESTA visa that is required for entry into the US, improving security by tracking individuals' travel in and out of the country. 
 

If you are planning on taking your own vehicle with you abroad, you will need a Green Card and a GB sticker. This is simply so your car can be easily identified and so that you have proof your vehicle is insured while you are away. A Green Card can take up to six weeks to be issued from your insurer, so it is worthwhile making sure you do this well ahead of time. Note, you should also always carry your driving licence, logbook, and valid insurance documents with you when you are taking your own car overseas.

The good news is that most UK motorists will not need an International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein. You may need to apply for a permit for some other European countries however if you only have a paper licence (not a photocard) or if your licence was issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man. There is much more information on IDPs to learn.

 

The old EU pet passport scheme now no longer applies, and instead you will need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for your pet. These rules will apply throughout most European countries including when travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
AHCs will be issued by a vet and are valid for up to four months. From one certificate you may take a single trip into the EU, onward travel within the EU and re-entry to Great Britain.
Travellers taking their pets are advised to allow at least one month to arrange an AHC and the relevant procedures, as all pets must be microchipped and have a rabies vaccination among other inoculations ahead of travel.