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The British Parliament approves the brexit 1:54
(CNN) - Britain's departure from the European Union finally arrived, but after all the chaos warnings for incoming tourists and problems for UK travelers heading to the mainland, what situations will travelers really face after from January 31?
The arrival of brexit comes three and a half years after the country held a referendum that launched it and a series of deadlines, each with the threat that the United Kingdom would leave without "agreement", a scenario he set out the prospect of a shortage of medical supplies and food, as well as long border lines.
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What will change?
Travel between the United Kingdom and the European Union will maintain the same rules in the 11 month transition period. (Credit: Tolga Akmen / AFP via Getty Images)
Although the United Kingdom left the European Union on January 31, it will remain part of the single market and the customs union under the terms of the implementation or transition period.
This lasts until December 31, 2020, when a new trade agreement, security agreements and immigration laws are expected to be promulgated.
The impossibility of reaching an agreement could lead to a "non-agreement" becoming a prospect once again. For now, this is still a problem for another day.
In April 2019, the European Parliament confirmed that it had reached an agreement for citizens of the United Kingdom to travel without a visa for a short stay (90 days in 180 days) within the Schengen Area without borders covering most of Western Europe .
"The transition period, which begins on February 1, will mean that travel between the United Kingdom and Europe will remain exactly the same until December 31, 2020." According to the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office), citizens of the United Kingdom can continue traveling to the European Union exactly as they do now, ”says Tom Jenkins, executive director of the European Tourism Association. "They will not need a visa or six months remaining in their passport or evidence of a return ticket."
Frank Marr, president of Travel and Tourism at PRCA and MD at AM + A, a travel marketing company based in the United Kingdom, agrees.
"Under current agreements, we expect a large part of things to remain the same: access to European Union countries should not change for visitors who wish to stay in Europe for less than a month," he says.
However, as the United Kingdom and the European Union cannot initiate legal negotiations on their future relationship until February, it is unclear how travelers will be treated in 2021.
Priti Patel, UK Interior Minister, has said that whatever happens, the freedom of movement and the ability to work in the United Kingdom without a visa for citizens of the European Union will end.
There are currently plans for the United Kingdom to be part of the new European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) from next year (although there is still the possibility that ETIAS is not working at that time).
Similar to the ESTA visa exemption used by United Kingdom tourists traveling to the United States, ETIAS will allow United Kingdom citizens to travel to the Schengen Area without a visa, provided they pay 7 euros.
The exemption will last three years and can be purchased online. However, UK participation in ETIAS depends on the UK Parliament ensuring that citizens of the European Union can travel on vacation without a visa to the United Kingdom using a similar electronic system.
Jonathan Smith of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) says that people were receptive to the idea when the travel association conducted an investigation into what was known about ETIAS.
"Most of the people we talked to were quite happy with him, as long as it wasn't too expensive or it wouldn't take them long to do it," says Smith.
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An exception to ETIAS will be the Republic of Ireland. Since 1923, the Common Travel Area has meant that people from the United Kingdom and Ireland have been able to travel between the two countries without a visa.
"Brexit does not change the ease of arriving in Ireland or the warmth of the welcome," says Niall Gibbons, executive president of Tourism Ireland.
However, the very real possibility that the United Kingdom and the European Union will not reach an agreement by the end of 2020 means that frictionless travel through the English Channel could definitely end in 11 months.
"It could well be that we get back to communicating about the issues we were talking about in previous terms," adds Smith.
"Like the need for passports to have additional validity, which would happen with changes in the driving rules and the validity of the European Health Insurance Cards."
What will airports and ferry terminals be like?
Travelers must use different lines when they arrive at airports and ferry terminals. (Credit: Oli Scarff / Getty Images)
“In the initial transition period, visitors traveling in the United Kingdom and the south-east of England are unlikely to see a big change, as flights continue to run smoothly, European visitors continue to travel with identification cards and doors Electronic passports will still be allowed for all international visitors, ”explains Fran Downton, executive director of Tourism South East, which promotes the English region that is geographically closer to continental Europe.
However, even if an agreement is reached on the future relationship by the end of the year, there is a possibility that travelers will have to use different lines upon arrival at airports and ferry terminals, with additional controls in place.
This could cause significant delays, especially in already clogged airports such as Heathrow, with major concerns about traffic in busy ports such as Dover in the United Kingdom and Calais in France. Problems could arise around citizens of the European Union traveling to the United Kingdom with identification cards instead of passports, something they can do now, but that could be banned next year.
"The difficulty lies in the fact that European Union countries have a binding obligation to treat non-EU / EEA visitors differently," adds Tom Jenkins of the European Tourism Association.
"This could lead to delays at the borders, since no country has developed sufficient immigration capacity to cope with the complete scrutiny of large volumes of arrivals."
Kelly Cooke, leisure director at Advantage Travel Partnership, the UK's largest independent travel agent consortium, expresses a similar concern.
“The government must also clarify, as agreements are finalized, that the process of entering the European Union from the end of December 2020 will not lead to long lines on arrival as this will deter travelers "
Can they drive in the European Union?
Travelers driving from the United Kingdom to the European Union through the Canal tunnel must have an international driving license. (Credit: Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay)
While taking a car from the United Kingdom to the European Union through the canal tunnel or a ferry service will remain so simple after January 31, it is likely that by 2021 things have changed.
The official advice of the UK government is that those who drive from the UK may need an international driver's license, with different documents required depending on the country they travel to.
Drivers may also need a special “green card” from their insurance company and a GB sticker on their bumper.
This problem can be solved during the next negotiation, with an easier set of rules throughout the European Union that may be established for UK drivers.
Will you need travel insurance?
Holidays in the European Union could become more expensive for those with pre-existing diseases. (Credit: Savo Prelevic / AFP / Getty Images)
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which guarantees carriers access to free medical care, will remain valid during the transition. As with many other things related to brexit, but the real enigma will occur in 2021.
According to official UK guidelines: "After brexit, your European medical insurance card (EHIC) may not be valid."
It is doubtful that the United Kingdom will continue to be part of the EHIC system, which means that UK travelers will need a comprehensive insurance policy to ensure they receive medical care in case of an emergency.
As the EHIC covers pre-existing conditions, this could make vacations in the European Union more expensive for people with long-term illness. ABTA, however, says that its orientation remains the same as always.
"ABTA has always advised tourists and business travelers to ensure they have appropriate travel insurance, whether they have an EHIC card or not, as there are limitations to EHIC," he says on his website.
Will mobile phone bills skyrocket?
Roaming costs are likely to increase for British travelers going to Europe. (Credit: Sean Gallup / Getty Images)
The agreements, which entered into force in 2017, banned punitive roaming charges for European citizens when using their mobile phone within the European Union.
However, while these will remain during the implementation period, the lack of clarity about the future relationship of the United Kingdom means that they could be back for British travelers in 2021.
"It is likely that mobile roaming charges will reappear in Europe, therefore, we would advise travelers to check carefully with their suppliers, to avoid the possibility of large unexpected bills," says James Lynn of Currensea, a card provider of travel payment.
While no network in the United Kingdom has said it will reinstate roaming charges, the lack of regulation of the European Union from 2021 means that the divergence could lead to higher prices for travelers.
"After brexit, the free mobile roaming guarantee throughout the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway will end," says the official website of the UK government.
Will it be a cheap bet for American travelers?
The weakness of the pound against the dollar will benefit American visitors going to the United Kingdom. (Credit: Shutterstock)
Since the vote on brexit, the value of the pound has plummeted considerably against the euro and the US dollar.
The re-election of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, in December 2019, and the prospect of a stable government, saw a brief rebound, but as 2020 progresses and uncertainty grows over an agreement, this weakness is likely to continue Being a subject.
"In the short term, we expect to see a continuous recovery of the pound, but we predict the continued volatility of the exchange rate until the final withdrawal agreement is established," adds Lynn.
"Upon entering 2021, we see a much greater uncertainty about the pound at this stage." A compromised withdrawal agreement could lead to a much weaker pound, which would result in a strong focus on cheaper destinations for tourists. ”
However, a weak pound means that inbound tourism to the United Kingdom from outside the European Union could increase.
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Figures from the International Passenger Survey, compiled by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that tourists from the United States spent only £ 3,400 million (US $ 4,400 million) in the United Kingdom between January and September 2019, with a total of 3.5 million visits of the country at that time.
Visit Britain forecasts that the expenditure of incoming tourists will have grown by 9.1% in 2020, to £ 25,000 million (US $ 32,000 million), with incoming visits exceeding 38 million.
It seems that while Brexit will have a very real effect on travel from the United Kingdom, the weakening of the pound sterling has had a positive effect on the domestic tourism industry.
"The United States remains the main country ranking for incoming visitors to the United Kingdom and the southeast in terms of visits and spending, although it is difficult to predict the long-term strength of the pound," says Downton.
"It is unlikely to affect the position of incoming visitors from the United States."
However, for UK travelers, higher prices for trips to the European Union, especially after the end of the transition period, are a growing concern.
"The need for clarification on the transboundary movement will become a priority when companies launch their vacations by 2021," explains Cooke.
"We currently know there will be changes, but not how they will look and this could affect prices."
- Joe Minihane is a freelance travel writer and editor. His most recent book is called "Floating: A Life Regained", memories of open water swimming and anxiety.
Brexit England United Kingdom