Managing your business travel post Brexit

Passports and visa documentation

Before travelling anywhere, it's important to check that your passport is still in date. Most of us wouldn’t have made any use of our passports in almost two years, but Gov.uk recommends you have a minimum of six months on your passport before travelling.

You can use the Government’s passport checker as a guide to see if you need to renew. The passport office is currently advising that it may take up to 10 weeks for applications to be processed, so make sure you apply early before travelling.

If travelling on a UK passport, UK citizens can visit most EU countries, plus the four European Free Trade Association states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland), for a combined total of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This will be tracked through passport stamping on entry to, and exit from, all countries. EU passport holders can visit the UK for up to six months at a time.

At Clarity, we use CIBT visas as our preferred partner due to their in-depth industry knowledge and expertise. They are also great at working to short deadlines due to their considerable global relationships.

As a business traveller, it is possible that you will require a visa or permit for entry to work in certain EU countries, which you can check here, from whichever country you are a citizen.
The UK Gov site is accessible here.

Border control & travelling between the UK and EU

The way you interact with border control has changed. You must now travel with a return/onward ticket, have enough funds for the duration of your stay, and any UK citizens travelling into the EU will need to use the non-EU/EEA/Swiss Citizens lanes on arrival.

Please be aware that there may be significant delays at border control due to global travel restrictions. Plan your journey accordingly, and look for Fast Track services, like Clarity’s FastTrack VIP service, which can cut waiting times in the airport significantly.

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Contact your Clarity team or Account Manager for further details.

There will be no changes to airport security screening because of Brexit.

Any passengers flying from the UK will continue to transfer to onward flights at EU airports without extra security screening. This will also be the case at airports in Switzerland, Norway and Iceland. There will also be no impact on direct flights to non-EU countries.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can continue using automatic eGates at dedicated airports so long as a biometric symbol is on the cover of their passport and aged 12 or over. Please be aware, that UK nationals can no longer use eGates.

If your flight departs from UK, existing air passenger rights remain. For EU registered airlines, EU law will continue to apply for flights to and from the EU

As some travellers choose a more sustainable way to journey across Europe, such as rail, passengers crossing the border will be protected by UK law. Read more about guidance on UK domestic and cross-border rail operations here.

Don’t forget – if you carry more than GBP10,000 in cash with you, this will need to be declared.

Insurance

Clarity strongly recommends travellers to take out comprehensive travel insurance with sufficient healthcare cover, including cover for existing medical conditions and any activities you plan to do. Check with your travel manager as your organisation may have this already

If you have a European Health Insurance Card it will be valid up to its expiry date. This will be replaced with a new UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). You can find further details on getting healthcare cover abroad with a UK GHIC or UK EHIC here.

Driving licences

It’s worth checking you have all the documents you need to drive in Europe, including the use of an international driving permit (IDP) to drive in some countries

If you’re taking your own vehicle, you may also need a ‘green card’ or valid proof of insurance and a GB sticker.

Everything you need to know about driving abroad can be found here link

Mobile data roaming

Please check your mobile phone company’s policy on data roaming.

You should check with your phone operator for clarity on their roaming charges as rules have recently changed.

Other tips

• You may not be able to use the EU or EEA lanes when going through passport control.

• You may need to show a return ticket and that you have enough funds for the duration of your stay at border control.

• If you’re travelling for leisure purposes, you won’t need a visa for short trips to Europe.

• If you’re considering carrying meat or milk items, there may be restrictions around transporting products containing these items into the EU. There are exceptions for powdered baby milk, baby food, or pet food required for medical reasons.

Further support & advice

Clarity and our specialist partner CIBT visas is pleased to announce the release of its Post-Brexit Travel Assessment, a one-of-a-kind solution that supports clients in navigating the complexities of post-Brexit business travel.
It is a web-based tool accessible 24/7, and is easy to use in 10 languages and quick to complete.

To learn how the Post-Brexit Travel Assessment can help your organisation’s needs, review the new technology here.

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