Unless you’ve been avoiding all news outlets or human interaction entirely for the past 2 years, you will have likely heard about ‘Brexit’: the not-so-cute nickname referring to Britain’s exit from the European Union.
Clouded by uncertainty, the huge political development has caused some fraught emotions across the globe and has raised far more questions than it has answered. The deeper you dig, the more confused you’ll probably become, honestly.
With laws changing, EU borders hardening and Britain’s position on free movement currently under intense scrutiny, we thought it was about time to give you answers to your most pressing travel questions that may be floating around in your brain right now.
1. Will there be flight disruptions
Despite fears, the UK government has assured travellers that there will be no disruption to flights and they will continue to run as normal. This is the same for the Eurostar – the high-speed train connecting London to Paris and beyond, and the Eurotunnel – the undersea tunnel that connects the UK with France.
2. Will my passport still be valid?
Unless you’re from the UK or travelling specifically to the UK, Brexit won’t affect your travel documentation. If you are from the UK, however, you’ll need to renew your passport if on the day of travel you have 6 months left before it expires, or your passport is more than 9 years and 6 months old.
3. Will I require a visa to enter the UK?
Great question. If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, normal entry requirements for each country will apply, so nothing will change until 2021. And if they leave without a deal? Well, your guess is as good as ours.
4. Will this change what I can bring into the UK?
Nope! There won’t be any changes to what you can bring in your hand luggage or what food you bring into the UK (because snacks are important and the UK understands that).
5. Will I have to wait longer at passport control?
The question haunting every traveller. If you’re an Aussie, American, Canadian or Non-Eu citizen, nothing will change for you at passport control. However, if you hold an EU passport and you’re travelling to the UK, or are a UK citizen travelling to an EU destination, the details are still a little fuzzy on which line you’ll need to go in, but extra waiting time means more time for making new friends, right?
If you’d like more information on visiting Europe after Brexit (or entering the UK following Brexit), you can find that here and here.