UK Travel requirements

[tiggertom]

We leave the UK on 18/3 to fly to Rio to join Pursuit for the transatlantic to Lisbon. On 20/3 the UK leaves the European Union. Do you think we will need to get travel documents for disembarkation at Lisbon or for flying back to the UK? Will Our British passport give us the same worldwide access that we have become used to over the years e.g Cape Verde and Morocco? Any thoughts...?

 

[excitedofharpenden]

My thoughts are that no documentation will be required.  Just a UK passport with at least six months to expiry.  That is all I’m planning to have for the trip.

 

Phil

[excitedofharpenden]

I just found this:

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/passport-rules-for-travel-to-europe-after-brexit

 

Phil

[upwarduk]

Surely if we have a current passport there should be no problem, as the cover at least is European purple.

I understood that laws won't change instantly on 29.03.19, there will be a lengthy transition period.

Nothing is settled yet, as nothing has been signed.

Edited November 19, 2018 by upwarduk

[Riocca]

19 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

Surely if we have a current passport there should be no problem, as the cover at least is European purple.

I understood that laws won't change instantly on 29.03.19, there will be a lengthy transition period.

Nothing is settled yet, as nothing has been signed.

I think a lot depends on whether there’s a deal or not, as Phil’s link states should there not be a deal there’s a potential problem with some passports which were changed early and had extra months added. Schengen rules state that passports for countries outside the EU must must not be valid over 10 years and must be valid for 3-6 months (varies by country) from date of entry.

Passport renewal rules changed on the 10th September 2018 so if you change your passports early now you lose any unexpired period, Martin Lewis explains it quite well https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2018/09/passport-applicants-hit-out-after-being-given-shorter-than-

We will fall foul of this as in June 2019 when we travel to Barcelona our passports will be valid until July 2020 but will be 10 years old in October 2019, giving only 4 months validity in June.

 

 

 

 

 

[tiggertom]

Thanks. Our passports are valid for a few years yet so we don’t fall into that 10 + years trap. Hopefully we will get plenty of notice of any changes to travel arrangements.

[crazyman3]

Wow! Amazing! I am shocked (not really!) that our beloved government should do this!

[excitedofharpenden]

Do what?

 

Phil

[crazyman3]

On 11/20/2018 at 9:16 AM, excitedofharpenden said:

Do what?

 

Phil

 

Exactly!

[RJHNorthyorks]

We are having the same concerns as we are due to fly to Japan to join Azamara Quest in early April. We have had an interview with our MP who tells us that we may/ will have problems if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. We are considering cancelling our cruise if the position is still uncertain when we are due to pay the full amount for the cruise as our insurance company will not cover any Brexit related losses. 

[excitedofharpenden]

Your MP?  I would not trust them to give me any travel advice. Did you read the official government link in my post above?

 

Phil 

[tiggertom]

1 hour ago, RJHNorthyorks said:

We are having the same concerns as we are due to fly to Japan to join Azamara Quest in early April. We have had an interview with our MP who tells us that we may/ will have problems if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. We are considering cancelling our cruise if the position is still uncertain when we are due to pay the full amount for the cruise as our insurance company will not cover any Brexit related losses. 

Wow, has your insurance company actually told you that you are not covered for “any Brexit related losses”? Did they explain what they were? 

[uktog]

As far as I am aware no insurance company has formed a view on this and given that so many might be affected I would expect a wider perspective possibly driven by the Financial Conduct Authority to be taken IF it was needed. 

MPs cannot give advice as they don’t know the outcome of the December vote. 

Personally I believe from all I have read from informed official sources like Phil posted it will be business as usual. 

 

So I would be sticking with any plans I had made. Ok there might be a delay at a border but actually you already have got this. 

 

 

[SteveH2508]

I really do not get what all of the scaremongering is about.

 

UK are not in Schengen - we are UK passport holders. Why should/would any non-EU country change the rules re visas and passports on March 29 2019? As far as they are concerned, a UK persons status is un-changed. They want our tourist pounds after all. 

 

Most country's visa requirements are caused by a tit-for-tat situation where one side imposes a rule so the other imposes a similar rule. (The USA has a few situations like that - Brazil being a classic example).

 

Travel rules into the EU states may change on 29 March 2019 (depending on whether there is a deal or no deal). There is something about the 6 months passport validity requirement on the UK.gov website in case of a no-deal scenario. (Link in a post above)

 

Cancelling a cruise from Japan based on some MP's speculation is madness.

 

We Brits travelled around the world (and into Europe) quite easily before we ever joined the Common Market/EEC/EU/European Super State - why should it suddenly change overnight?

 

<politics on>

I predict that virtually nothing will change overnight from 29 to 30 March 2019, irrespective of the final deal (if any)

<politics off>

[SteveH2508]

I’ve just realised a good example of irony with this whole passport validity/Brexit thing.

 

I am going on a battlefield tour of the Normandy beaches with my Regimental Association in June 2019. My passport expires in Dec 2019 but it was issued in March 2019, so it will not have the Schengen required 6 months left on it. I will need to renew it before I go (probably).

 

Had I gone to the Normandy beaches on 6 June 1944 I would not have even needed a passport!

[upwarduk]

10 hours ago, SteveH2508 said:

I am going on a battlefield tour of the Normandy beaches with my Regimental Association in June 2019. My passport expires in Dec 2019 but it was issued in March 2019, so it will not have the Schengen required 6 months left on it. I will need to renew it before I go (probably).

I am confused, do you mean your passport was issued in March 2009, as we have not reached March 2019 yet.

I suppose the date that it expires in December may be critical, maybe just out of 6 month cut of by just a few days.

[SteveH2508]

4 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

I am confused, do you mean your passport was issued in March 2009, as we have not reached March 2019 yet.

I suppose the date that it expires in December may be critical, maybe just out of 6 month cut of by just a few days.

 

According to the .gov website, my passport (issued March 2009 (sorry for previous typo)) will be deemed to expire in March 2019 - not December 2019 as it currently shows.

[Riocca]

1 hour ago, SteveH2508 said:

 

According to the .gov website, my passport (issued March 2009 (sorry for previous typo)) will be deemed to expire in March 2019 - not December 2019 as it currently shows.

That would apply in the Schengen area if there’ no deal, but Government advice is that you will need 6 months validity at point of entry so would have needed to replace your passport in September 2018.

Effectivly all new passports will only have a life of nine and a half years, as apparently there are other countries that have similar requirements so we are basically coming into line with international requirements.

Other than the potential time related validity problems I don’t see why we should encounter any problems especially if traveling outside the EU. As always it will be important to check the entry requirements for any countries you will be visiting as they constantly change. For example for Chinese visas you now need a face to face interview as they require all 10 fingerprints.

[travelberlin]

Until now nationals of EU members are able to travel within the EU without a visa. If nationals of the UK after leaving the European Union will need a visa or not to enter countries which are members of the EU, we do not know at this moment. We do not also know if nationals of countries who are EU members will need a visa to enter the UK.

 

To the OP, your question will most probably not be answered within this forum. We can only speculate here. 

[RJHNorthyorks]

Some good news. Today’s Times is reporting some progress on flights post Brexit. Deals have been made with the USA and 9 other countries. The EU have published guidance saying that flights will continue between the U.K. and Europe. Deals are yet to be made with China, Japan and India - we are due to fly to Japan.

Thanks to those posting links to Govt websites for information. I had already read these. I also watch House of Commons Select Committee presentations ( sad I know)  which are far more enlightening but also stressful. 

 

[BBMacLaird]

From my sources there is currently no indication that travel plans would be adversely affected. As a precaution though, we would advise that guests follow the Foreign Office advice and ensure their passports meet the criteria for travel, such has having 6 months validity before expiry date. 

While we have corporate members in both the US and UK monitoring the situation, should you have specific questions regarding your booking, please email our UK Managing Director, Richard Twynam. Rtwynam@azamara.com

Here are a couple links...

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/passport-rules-for-travel-to-europe-after-brexit

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/travelling-to-the-eu-with-a-uk-passport-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/travelling-to-the-eu-with-a-uk-passport-if-theres-no-brexit-deal

[Belfastman]

All non EU citizens will require a ETIAS to enter any EU country from 2021. This is applied for online and is like the American ESTA process. It will cost €6 and lasts 3 years. If the UK leaves the EU with no deal then this may be introduced from 2019. Not sure if this will apply to people from USA, Australia and Canada but everyone  will require the document from 2021.

 

[Grandma Cruising]

I saw today that those under 16 & over 70 will not have to pay for the ETIAS.

[upwarduk]

21 hours ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

I saw today that those under 16 & over 70 will not have to pay for the ETIAS.

One more thing to sort out, but very glad that over 70’s won’t have to pay. Will it be government funded? 

[Grandma Cruising]

57 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

One more thing to sort out, but very glad that over 70’s won’t have to pay. Will it be government funded? 

Don’t know, just saw an article in the Times that mentioned there would be free ETIAS. for.under 16 & 70+.