Nearly a week before the end of the Brexit transition period between Britain and the European Union, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen managed to reach a last-minute agreement. The horror scenario of a “hard” Brexit has been avoided, but things are changing. How will Brexit affect overseas travel?
Do Britons need a visa to Europe?
Even after Brexit, tourists from the UK do not need a visa to travel to Europe for short visits. As long as your stay in Europe does not exceed 90 days in any 180 day period, you do not need a visa to travel to any of the countries within the European Union, or to Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. If the journey lasts more than 90 days, a visa must be applied for.
However, this only applies to short sightseeing trips. Different rules may apply to business travel. While most countries also don’t require a visa for short business trips to the UK, there are exceptions. It is the traveler’s responsibility to check before departure what are the special requirements for providing services to EU countries after Brexit.
Do Dutch people need a visa to travel to the UK?
Dutch travelers can still travel to the UK without a visa. Citizens of EU member states only need to have a passport that is valid for the entire duration of their stay in the United Kingdom. One of the future changes will be that identity cards will no longer be accepted at airports in the United Kingdom from 1 October 2021. This means that passports will be the only accepted form of identification for foreign visitors.
Changes in EHIC
The European Health Insurance Card, or EHIC, gives travelers access to government-provided health care across Europe during their trip. In the UK, the EHIC has been replaced by the Global Health Insurance Card, or GHIC.
Traveling outside Europe
Brexit will have limited consequences for UK travelers when traveling to countries outside the European Union. Great Britain enjoys a number of privileges when it comes to traveling abroad. For example, UK residents do not need a visa if they are traveling to the United States or Canada. For trips to North America they can still use ESTA for USA if eTA CanadaTravelers from the United Kingdom can still travel to Vietnam without a visa for a maximum stay of 15 days. Neither of these agreements has been changed by Brexit.
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