On 18 September, the newly merged Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office launched a public information campaign for post-Brexit travellers to Europe – Going to Europe next year? The campaign is designed to “help British travellers prepare for changes when visiting Europe from 1 January 2021”.

Any new government campaign usually warrants a catchy new slogan, but this time an earlier one was recycled – “Check, Change, Go”. To translate that from government-speak, it’s fair to assume it’ll mean more checks before you go and handing over a lot more change for the privilege.

If you’re intending to travel to Europe for pleasure, the government website is recommending that you:

~Check your passport
~Get travel insurance that covers your healthcare
~Check you have the right driving documents
~Organise pet travel
~Ensuring you have six months left to travel on your passport is not new in many countries, and will make little difference in the grand scheme of things. More problematic will be other newly required travel documentation.

On arrival in an EU country, you will need to prove you have enough money to cover the cost of your visit. You will be asked to produce a return ticket to prove you intend not to outstay your welcome. It will only be possible to stay 90 days in any 180 day period – that’s 90 days in Europe in total, not 90 days in any one EU country. So, those with second homes in Europe will no longer be able to spend half the year in their favourite destination without forfeiting the opportunity of visits to other EU destinations the same year. This will also rule out the “swallows” who like to fly into Spain and France for the winter months. They will have to limit their winter visit to just 90 days, not the more usual four months.

Additional costs will also come in the form of health insurance and driving permits. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is only valid until the end of this year. Over the course of the Brexit negotiations, there have been government assurances, not least from the ex-Brexit Secretary, David Davis, that the government was “looking to see if we can get a continuation of the EHIC scheme as it now exists”. There was even talk of the government providing a similar scheme “unilaterally”. This close to the Brexit negotiating deadline, the EHIC card is hardly likely to be a top government priority, so private medical insurance here we come. That’s fine and dandy if you’re relatively young, fit and healthy, but prohibitively expensive for older travellers with pre-existing medical conditions.

Driving will also present additional challenges for those travelling across the continent, particularly if you’re planning to visit more than one country. The current government advice on this is full of ambiguity – you “may” need extra documents, you “might” need an international driving permit, a green card or a GB sticker. Not to worry – “Check, Change, Go!”

Many European tourists who choose to go by car do so to facilitate travelling with pets. The new process will replace the EU pet passport scheme and applies to dogs, cats and, for some bizarre reason unknown to me, ferrets. The final details will not be known until Brexit negotiations are concluded, when we will discover which category of ‘third country’ the UK becomes. Suffice to say that the process will certainly include a rabies blood test, a vaccination and the insertion of a data chip, and will take several months. At least your pet’s journey will not include having to quarantine (though your journey still might)!

For those of us who are never far from our mobile phones, even on holiday, beware of the cost of mobile roaming charges. You are going to be spending your European holidays searching for free WiFi when our current EU arrangements for free mobile data come to an end. A new law will provide some protection from the risk of being charged more than £45 without your knowledge, but it’s easy to see how the coming changes are all adding pounds, and inconvenience, to your European travel experience.

And what about business travel to the EU? Well, your checklist will be even longer. Additional hurdles will include checking the following:

Will your professional qualifications be recognised if you are offering services?
Do you have the right documentation to take goods with you?
There used to be further blurb for business travellers on the government website, regarding a potential increase in social security payments, but the page “has been withdrawn because it’s out of date”. No rush, nothing to see here, plenty of time left – “Check, Change, Go”.

Travel to Europe has been drastically reduced in 2020 due to the pandemic and the measures put in place to prevent its spread. Whether it’s due to restrictions placed on the hospitality industry, the fear of crowds and infection, or the inconvenience of quarantine measures, 2020 has been the year of the UK staycation. While the British tourism industry may have benefited in some small way in some areas, countries like Spain and France have suffered considerably as a result.

It’s safe to assume that travel to Europe is about to become even more complicated, more time-consuming and more expensive. Like the British economy, European tourism is about to suffer the double whammy of Covid and Brexit damage.

Of course, not all Brits will suffer this fate. Those with the wherewithal to buy EU citizenship, or with access to a private jet and minions to do all the necessary paperwork for them, will barely notice.

Us mere mortals will have to “check” all the boxes, “change” a lot more pounds for euros, and perhaps “go” somewhere cheaper on holiday in future.

Sue Wilson, Chair Bremain in Spain

Even before the latest threats to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Act 2020 were made public, Britons living in Europe were becoming increasingly nervous about their futures. For those relying on protections afforded us by this ‘deal’, those concerns were heightened this week by the introduction of the UK internal market bill.

British citizens, both in the UK and abroad, will lose many of their current rights – those associated with EU membership – when the Brexit transition period comes to an end on 31 December. For the 1.2 million Brits already living in the EU, the withdrawal agreement has provided an element of comfort that at least some of our basic rights would be protected. The biggest fear among this group has been that the British government would somehow undermine the withdrawal agreement, and that those rights we believed secure would again be put at risk.

Brexit-supporting MPs have long criticised the withdrawal agreement. Without a hint of irony, they have complained about the content, despite having pushed parliament to vote for it in a hurry. Whether they failed to understand it, failed to read the small print, or just didn’t care, we may never know. According to some European Research Group members, the only reason they signed up to the withdrawal agreement was on the understanding from Boris Johnson there would be an opportunity to revisit it further down the road. On Wednesday, that ‘opportunity’ was brought to parliament with the first reading of the internal market bill.

Nothing to worry about, ministers assured parliament. Just a bit of housekeeping to tidy up a few loose ends regarding the Northern Ireland protocol. No need to be concerned that the government was planning to break international law – they would only do so in a “limited way”. That argument failed to convince parliamentarians, with outrage being expressed even by senior, and in some cases Brexit-supporting, Conservatives.

Needless to say, the EU was not impressed either, stressing that the protocol the UK parliament had ratified was a “legal obligation”. President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, warned Johnson not to break international law and said:

“I trust the British government to implement the withdrawal agreement, an obligation under international law and prerequisite for any future partnership.”

An interesting choice of words considering the efforts the UK government seems to have made to undermine that trust.

Belgian MEP Philippe Lamberts said the UK risked turning into “a rogue state” if it reneged on its legal commitments. Chief Brussels negotiator Michel Barnier commented, “Everything that has been signed must be respected.” Likewise, leaders from across the world have been quick to emphasise the importance of international law, and in particular the impact any breach would have on the Good Friday Agreement and likelihood of any future trade deals with the UK.

Thankfully, under the terms of the withdrawal agreement, the rights of British citizens in Europe are not the direct responsibility of the British government. In fact, the protection of our withdrawal agreement rights as legal EU residents are the responsibility of the relevant EU member state. Where I live in Spain, the authorities have been incredibly supportive. I have felt secure in the knowledge that my rights – to my British pension and free healthcare – are in the safe hands of the Spanish, not the British, government.

However, the latest UK government plans to renege on international treaty commitments has sent shockwaves throughout British migrant communities. Questions arise as to the full consequences of its actions.

This week, just two days before the reading of the bill, Barnier himself provided some reassurance for Britons resident in Europe. When he spoke on a French radio programme, he said that, “the rights of citizens including pensions are guaranteed under the withdrawal agreement, which has been signed and come into force”. Signed, yes, but clearly there are those busy searching for an eraser.

The last four and a half years have been a rollercoaster ride, though without any of the thrills. The anxiety, anger and despair felt by those with rights at risk has been hard to handle. Nothing, apart from continued membership of the EU and retention of all existing rights, would be enough for many of us. The withdrawal agreement has, or should I say had, provided some relief that all was not lost. But just when we thought the British government could no longer threaten our sanity and security, it has lobbed a hand grenade into the negotiations.

As a Spanish resident and European, I have put my faith in the Spanish government and the EU. Both have promised to protect me and have done nothing to undermine that trust – quite the opposite, in fact. As a British citizen though, trust in my own, potentially rogue, government has been completely eroded.

I believe the EU will do everything in their power to ensure withdrawal agreement commitments are met by all parties – the UK included. They have taken their responsibilities to all EU citizens – including us Brits – very seriously throughout the Brexit process. That responsibility will not end when Brexit is finally ‘done’. If this latest Johnson threat cannot be resolved to the EU’s satisfaction, then the UK government could find themselves in the European Court of Justice.

If the protection of British citizens in Europe rests with our European hosts, then spare a thought for EU citizens living in the UK and ask yourself if you would feel safe in their shoes. It’s going to take more than a dose of Johnson optimism to make them, and us, feel completely safe – especially if the prime minister’s signature turns out not to be worth the paper it’s written on.

Unless, of course, it’s on his resignation.

Sue Wilson, Chair Bremain in Spain