Travelling from the UK to Europe after BREXIT with a motorhome, campervan or caravan? Wish to know what paperwork you want and what modifications will have an effect on your highway journeys? Uncertain about driving within the EU after BREXIT? Right here’s all the pieces you could know
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Driving in Europe after BREXIT- issues you could know
Whether or not you prefer it or not, the BREXIT transition interval has now completed and the UK has left the EU.
Which implies that the foundations for journey from the UK to Europe have modified, and there are some modifications for driving within the EU after BREXIT.
Right here’s a information on what the modifications are, and which of them have an effect on you.
There are a few large issues you could verify earlier than you journey from the UK to the EU after BREXIT:
- verify your passport
- verify your healthcare/ journey insurance coverage
- verify you’ve got the precise driving paperwork
- organise pet journey paperwork
Extra on every part is beneath, in addition to some smaller ideas you may discover helpful
Travelling to Europe after BREXIT?
For those who’d favor to observe a video as an alternative of learn, right here you go (simply click on the picture to observe)
NOTE: This video was filmed earlier than the GB stickers modified to UK and numerous different small modifications. Learn beneath for all of the updated information.
We hope you discovered the video helpful. For those who did, why not comply with us on Youtube. We share new movies with ideas for motorhoming and campervanning within the UK and Europe weekly, plus highway journey concepts and epic locations.
Journey from UK to Europe after BREXIT- Examine your Passport
British passports MUST have no less than 6 months left on them earlier than you enter the European Union. You MUST verify that the expiry date is ONLY 10 years from the date of challenge, not longer.
That is actually important- many passports over the past 10+ years have been issued with an additional 9 months on them- however this is not going to be acknowledged by the EU. So in case your passport was issued on 01 September 2015, it’ll expire (within the EU’s eyes) on 01 September 2025, whatever the precise expiry date.
So you need to have 6 months left earlier than THAT date. (Eire is the exception for this- you’ll be able to journey to Eire for the size of your present passport). Get extra ideas for motorhoming or campervanning in Eire.
Additionally, any passport older than 10 years must be renewed asap. You are able to do this on-line or at your native Publish Workplace.
YOU DO NOT NEED A BLUE PASSPORT- hold utilizing your crimson one till you could renew it, even when it says EU on the duvet. Nonetheless, you gained’t have the ability to use the EU citizen entry lanes at border management.
Insurance coverage and Medical remedy in Europe after BREXIT
For those who presently have an EHIC card for healthcare remedy within the EU, that may stay legitimate till it expires.
There’s a newer model of this, referred to as the World Well being Insurance coverage card (GHIC), which is nowhere close to as far-reaching.
In some international locations, sufferers are anticipated to straight contribute a share in direction of the price of their state-provided remedy. This is named a affected person co-payment. For those who obtain remedy underneath one of these healthcare system, you’re anticipated to pay the identical co-payment cost as a affected person from that nation.
The EHIC/ GHIC just isn’t a substitute for journey insurance coverage. It is not going to cowl any personal medical healthcare or prices, akin to mountain rescue in ski resorts or being flown again to the UK. The EHIC/ GHIC just isn’t legitimate on cruises.
NOTE: The GHIC is FREE for eligible UK residents. Do NOT pay for it, use the NHS web site right here.
The brief reply is, anticipate to pay for healthcare- or no less than purchase an honest journey insurance coverage coverage earlier than you go.
Driving within the EU after BREXIT- Paperwork you want
For those who’re going to be driving a motorhome or camper or automobile within the EU or Europe after BREXIT, you need to carry:
- Your UK card driving licence (verify it’s in date!)
- Your insurance coverage paperwork
- Automobile V5 logbook (which should present your right handle)
- Automobile should be legally taxed and MOT’d
- Trailer certification (if required)
- Inexperienced card (not wanted for many UK registered autos, however nonetheless seemingly wanted for trailers- verify along with your insurer)
- A UK sticker on your automobile. For those who’re going to Spain you MUST have the white oval on the again, even when you’ve got it on the reg plate too.
- IDP if required
There are different objects you could for driving in Europe– see all of them right here and seize your FREE guidelines
Inexperienced Card
You do NOT want a inexperienced card when taking your automobile to any international locations within the EU, together with motorhoming in Eire, Andorra, Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland. You clearly nonetheless want legitimate automobile insurance coverage.
You might want a inexperienced card to go to different international locations in Europe, together with Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Albania, Azerbaijan and Russia. Please verify along with your insurer, which is who you get the inexperienced playing cards issued from.
If towing a trailer with a motorhome, you’ll nearly definitely want to hold a inexperienced card for the trailer, even when one just isn’t wanted for the principle automobile.
If one IS wanted for the principle automobile, you will have a separate inexperienced card for the trailer or any further autos you is perhaps towing (like a automobile.
Examine along with your insurer what you want earlier than you journey.
Apply no less than one month earlier than you’re on account of journey and ensure the small print on the cardboard are correct- we’ve heard a number of cases of one thing being mistaken and a brand new one needed to be posted out.
Do you want an IDP?
No. Most individuals don’t want an IDP to drive within the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein when you’ve got a card driving licence issued within the UK.
You may when you’ve got:
- a paper driving licence
- a licence issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man
(For those who do want an IDP, right here’s an in-depth information on the best way to get an Worldwide Driving Allow and which one(s) you want from a UK publish workplace.
Will my UK driving licence be legitimate within the EU after BREXIT?
Your present driving licence will proceed to be legitimate for driving in Europe, even when it has the EU image. Clearly, it must be in date and you need to have a licence for the automobile you’re driving.
Driving in Europe after BREXIT- get a UK sticker in your automobile
You MUST have a UK sticker or reg plate on the again of your car- the GB sticker or EU brand will now not be acceptable.
In case you are going motorhoming in Spain, you need to have the white sticker with black letters, even when you’ve got the UK sticker in your reg plate.
Speaking of France, you may discover these posts helpful on your journey:
Hiring a motorhome or automobile in Europe after BREXIT
Sure, you’ll be able to nonetheless lease a motorhome or automobile in Europe after BREXIT. You’ll need:
- a legitimate driving licence (appropriate for the automobile you may be driving)
- Probably an IDP code from the DVLA- verify with the rent firm in advance.
- In case you are travelling with a rent automobile outdoors of the UK, you will have proof that you’re allowed to cross borders with it (usually a VE103 certificates)
How lengthy are you able to keep within the EU after BREXIT?
Ah, the large one.
UK residents at the moment are restricted on how a lot time you’ll be able to spend within the Schengen space. This consists of the entire of the EU besides Cyprus and Eire, however DOES embrace Iceland, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
You might be allowed to remain within the Schengen space for 90 days in any rolling 180 day interval. This consists of the day you arrive and the day you depart.
You may keep for one lengthy journey, or a sequence of smaller journeys, so long as you don’t exceed 90 days in any 180.
And yes- your passport will likely be stamped. Be sure it will get stamped while you go away too.
On the entry border, you might have to indicate:
- a return or onward ticket
- you find the money for on your keep
- proof of medical insurance coverage
UPDATE: For those who’re travelling with a motorhome, caravan or campervan, we don’t know anybody who has been requested to offer any of those bits of knowledge.
You’ll most likely want to make use of separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss residents when queueing on the border. It ought to be properly signposted.
International locations that are exempt from the 90-day rule
These international locations should not within the ’90-day’ rule, and subsequently you’ll be able to go to every for 90 days on high of your 90 days within the Schengen space:
- Cyprus & Eire are the one EU member states NOT within the Schengen space. (Cyprus goals to develop into a part of the Schengen Space by the tip of 2025)
- Non-EU International locations in Europe: Albania, Andorra. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine
- Morocco
- Eire permits limitless visits for UK nationals- no stamps required!
You should use this short-stay calculator to assist (though personally I don’t discover it that straightforward to make use of)
Wish to head to Europe along with your motorhome?
Seize your FREE (printable) guidelines and uncover 25 belongings you NEED to take with you while you journey in Europe. Make your life simpler right this moment.
Will I want a VISA to go to Europe after BREXIT?
Not on the moment- but it surely’s coming.
Very quickly, all British Residents might want to apply for a European Journey Data and Authorisation Scheme (ETIAS) visa upfront. These will work equally to the USA ESTAs and are proposed to be lively later in 2025.
It’s geared toward lowering the “migration, safety or public-health threat” from nationals of visa-exempt third international locations
In the mean time, estimated prices are at 7€ and the ETIAS will likely be legitimate for 3 years (though that doesn’t imply you’ll be able to spend 3 years exploring Europe continuous).
There may also be an EES (EU Entry/ Exit System), which is because of be operational in October 2025 (however has been delayed a number of occasions already!)
The EES is a brand new digital border system that may require British nationals travelling to the Schengen space to register their biometric particulars, akin to fingerprints or a photograph, when arriving at a Schengen border. EES registration will change the present system of manually stamping passports when guests arrive within the EU.
Taking your canine to Europe after BREXIT
There have been some large modifications relating to taking a pet from the UK to Europe. The UK Pet passport scheme is now out of date, and you’ll require an animal well being certificates as an alternative.
For a step-by-step information, please learn: Methods to take a canine to Europe after BREXIT (and get an AHC)
Don’t overlook, if you’re going campervanning in Norway with a canine, you will have to get a tapeworm pill administered by a vet 1-5 days earlier than you enter Norway. After which you will have ANOTHER one administered 1-5 days earlier than returning to the UK.
Obligation Free limits for alcohol?
When travelling from the EU to the UK, anybody aged 17+ can carry (taken from the Gov.Uk website- please verify for any modifications):
- beer – 42 litres
- wine (not glowing) – 18 litres
You may also usher in both:
- spirits and different liquors over 22% alcohol – 4 litres
- fortified wine (for instance port, sherry), glowing wine and alcoholic drinks as much as 22% alcohol – 9 litres
You may break up this final allowance, for instance you possibly can deliver 4.5 litres of fortified wine and a couple of litres of spirits (each half of your allowance).
Tobacco allowance
You may usher in one from the next:
- 200 cigarettes
- 100 cigarillos
- 50 cigars
- 250g tobacco
- 200 sticks of tobacco for digital heated tobacco units
You may break up this allowance – so you possibly can usher in 100 cigarettes and 25 cigars (each half of your allowance).
You could have to pay VAT, customs or excise obligation on alcohol or tobacco you declare.
Taking Meat, Milk and different merchandise to/ from Europe
You’ll not be allowed to herald meat, milk or their merchandise (except you’ve got lower than 10kg and are coming from the Faeroe Islands or Greenland)
There may be additionally an exemption for powdered toddler milk, toddler meals, and particular meals or particular pet feed required for medical causes, if weighing lower than 2 kilograms and supplied that:
- such merchandise don’t require refrigeration earlier than opening
- that they’re packaged proprietary model merchandise for direct sale to the ultimate client, and
- the packaging is unbroken except in present use
You may journey with as much as 20kg of fish and sure shellfish akin to prawns, lobsters, lifeless mussels and lifeless oysters, or the burden of 1 fish if that is increased. There isn’t any such weight restriction for travellers coming from the Faeroe Islands or Greenland
For different animal merchandise, akin to honey, stay oysters, stay mussels and snails for instance, travellers are allowed to herald as much as 2 kilograms
These guidelines don’t apply to animal merchandise transported between the EU Member States, or for animal merchandise coming from Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino or Switzerland. Full particulars will be discovered on the EU web site right here
You’ll want a certificates to take sure crops and plant merchandise into EU international locations.
2025 Import modifications
In 2025, the UK Authorities has banned bringing any of the next INTO the UK from the EU, to attempt to cease the unfold of foot and mouth (which is presently affecting some international locations in Europe).
- Cattle, sheep, goat, and pig meat
- dairy merchandise
“This consists of bringing objects like sandwiches, cheese, cured meats, uncooked meats or milk into Nice Britain – no matter whether or not it’s packed or packaged or whether or not it has been purchased at obligation free.”
It’s unclear how lengthy this ban will final for- updated data will be discovered on Gov.UK right here.
Driving in Europe after BREXIT- Telephone Roaming Costs
The UK authorities handed some laws which imposes:
- A £45-a-month restrict on the quantity that prospects might be charged for utilizing cellular information overseas earlier than having to opt-in for additional use
- Guidelines stating prospects should be knowledgeable once they have reached 80% and 100% of their information allowance
- “cheap steps” should be taken to keep away from prospects being charged for unintentional roaming in Northern Eire, which might occur if a cellphone in Northern Eire locked onto the cellular sign coming from the Republic of Eire.
Information roaming prices in Europe at the moment are relevant again- please do verify along with your community to see what they are going to cost you for utilizing your cellphone/ information overseas.
Will my UK financial institution card be legitimate?
Sure, you’ll be able to nonetheless have the ability to use your UK financial institution playing cards in Europe, simply as you probably did earlier than. Be sure you are conscious of any prices your financial institution might impose.
I hope you now really feel somewhat extra ready or educated about travelling to Europe after BREXIT and driving within the EU.
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