Official government advice can be found online. However, to sum it up, your passport must have at least six months left before it expires. It must also be less than 10 years old, even if it does have six months or more left until the expiry date. However, this rule is only applicable when travelling to Schengen countries, such as Switzerland or Norway. These rules do not apply when travelling to Ireland.
UK travellers will not need to worry about having a Visa to enter a European country, as long as the visit is less than 90 days. This will change in 2021 when British Citizens will need to apply for an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) before travelling away.
In regards to the use of EHIC cards, this is dependent on whether the UK government manages to make a deal with the EU to still allow the use of them. Regardless of this, it is always important to get appropriate travel insurance to cover your health care.
Flights, Eurostar, ferries and other modes of travel should, according to ABTA (The Association of British Travel Agents) and the Government website, operate like before. However, you should be prepared to queue in the non-EU line and may have to wait longer at border control. It has also been announced that consumer rights will not change. So, if there are delays or cancellations then passengers are still entitled to compensation from the company they are travelling with.
Something that is not guaranteed is the, ‘roam just like home’ concept. Extra charges will now be applicable when roaming in the EU. It is advised that you check with your mobile phone operator before travelling to find out how much these charges will be.
The value of the pound has fluctuated since the referendum due to the lack of confidence in Britain’s economy. Therefore, in regards to exchange rates and uncertainties, the safest thing to do is get your travel money sorted now. If a no-deal Brexit is the case then UK bank cards will incur a charge when being used in EU countries and may be subject to more expensive cross border transaction fees.
Featured image- Flickr