Travelling from the UK to Europe after BREXIT with a motorhome, campervan or caravan? Want to know what paperwork you want and what adjustments will have an effect on your street journeys? Unsure about driving within the EU after BREXIT? Here’s every part you have to know
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Driving in Europe after BREXIT- issues you have to know
Whether you prefer it or not, the BREXIT transition interval has now completed and the UK has left the EU.
Which implies that the principles for journey from the UK to Europe have modified, and there are some adjustments for driving within the EU after BREXIT.
Here’s a information on what the adjustments are, and which of them have an effect on you.
There are a few large issues you have to 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 gotten the correct driving paperwork
- organise pet journey paperwork
More on every part is beneath, in addition to some smaller ideas you would possibly discover helpful
Travelling to Europe after BREXIT?
If you’d choose to look at a video as an alternative of learn, right here you go (simply click on the picture to look at)
NOTE: This video was filmed earlier than the GB stickers modified to UK and numerous different small adjustments. Read beneath for all of the updated information.
We hope you discovered the video helpful. If you probably did, why not observe us on Youtube. We share new movies with ideas for motorhoming and campervanning within the UK and Europe weekly, plus street journey concepts and epic locations.
Travel from UK to Europe after BREXIT- Check 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 situation, not longer.
This is de facto important- many passports over the past 10+ years have been issued with an additional 9 months on them- however this won’t 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 will need to have 6 months left earlier than THAT date. (Ireland is the exception for this- you possibly can journey to Ireland for the size of your present passport). Get extra ideas for motorhoming or campervanning in Ireland.
Also, any passport older than 10 years must be renewed asap. You can do that on-line or at your native Post Office.
YOU DO NOT NEED A BLUE PASSPORT- maintain utilizing your purple one till you have to renew it, even when it says EU on the quilt. However, you gained’t be capable to use the EU citizen entry lanes at border management.
Insurance and Medical remedy in Europe after BREXIT
If you at the moment have an EHIC card for healthcare remedy within the EU, that may stay legitimate till it expires.
There is a more moderen model of this, referred to as the Global Health Insurance card (GHIC), which is nowhere close to as far-reaching.
In some international locations, sufferers are anticipated to instantly contribute a proportion in the direction of the price of their state-provided remedy. This is called a affected person co-payment. If you obtain remedy beneath this kind of 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 won’t cowl any non-public medical healthcare or prices, comparable 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, count on to pay for healthcare- or no less than purchase a good journey insurance coverage coverage earlier than you go.
Driving within the EU after BREXIT- Documents you want
If you’re going to be driving a motorhome or camper or automotive within the EU or Europe after BREXIT, you will need to carry:
- Your UK card driving licence (verify it’s in date!)
- Your insurance coverage paperwork
- Vehicle V5 logbook (which should present your right handle)
- Vehicle should be legally taxed and MOT’d
- Trailer certification (if required)
- Green card (not wanted for many UK registered automobiles, however nonetheless seemingly wanted for trailers- verify along with your insurer)
- A UK sticker on your car. If you’re going to Spain you MUST have the white oval on the again, even you probably have it on the reg plate too.
- IDP if required
There are different objects you have to for driving in Europe– see all of them right here and seize your FREE guidelines
Green Card
You do NOT want a inexperienced card when taking your car to any international locations within the EU, together with motorhoming in Ireland, Andorra, Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland. You clearly nonetheless want legitimate car insurance coverage.
You may have 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 actually want to hold a inexperienced card for the trailer, even when one just isn’t wanted for the primary car.
If one IS wanted for the primary car, you have to a separate inexperienced card for the trailer or any further automobiles you may be towing (like a automotive.
Check along with your insurer what you want earlier than you journey.
Apply no less than one month earlier than you might be attributable to journey and ensure the main points on the cardboard are correct- we’ve heard a number of cases of one thing being fallacious 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 you probably have a card driving licence issued within the UK.
You would possibly you probably have:
- a paper driving licence
- a licence issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man
(If you do want an IDP, right here’s an in-depth information on the way to get an International Driving Permit and which one(s) you want from a UK put up 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. Obviously, it must be in date and you will need to have a licence for the car you might be driving.
Driving in Europe after BREXIT- get a UK sticker in your car
You MUST have a UK sticker or reg plate on the again of your car- the GB sticker or EU emblem will not be acceptable.
If you’re going motorhoming in Spain, you will need to have the white sticker with black letters, even you probably have the UK sticker in your reg plate.
Talking of France, you would possibly discover these posts helpful on your journey:
Hiring a motorhome or automotive in Europe after BREXIT
Yes, you possibly can nonetheless lease a motorhome or automotive in Europe after BREXIT. You will want:
- a sound driving licence (appropriate for the car you may be driving)
- Possibly an IDP code from the DVLA- verify with the rent firm in advance.
- If you might be travelling with a rent car exterior of the UK, you have to proof that you’re allowed to cross borders with it (typically a VE103 certificates)
How lengthy are you able to keep within the EU after BREXIT?
Ah, the large one.
UK residents are actually restricted on how a lot time you possibly can spend within the Schengen space. This contains the entire of the EU besides Cyprus and Ireland, however DOES embody Iceland, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
You are allowed to remain within the Schengen space for 90 days in any rolling 180 day interval. This contains the day you arrive and the day you depart.
You can keep for one lengthy journey, or a collection of smaller journeys, so long as you don’t exceed 90 days in any 180.
And yes- your passport might be stamped. Make positive it will get stamped whenever you depart too.
At the entry border, you will have to point out:
- a return or onward ticket
- you have the funds for on your keep
- proof of medical insurance coverage
UPDATE: If you’re travelling with a motorhome, caravan or campervan, we don’t know anybody who has been requested to supply any of those bits of data.
You will most likely want to make use of separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss residents when queueing on the border. It must be properly signposted.
Countries that are exempt from the 90-day rule
These international locations will not be within the ’90-day’ rule, and subsequently you possibly can go to every for 90 days on prime of your 90 days within the Schengen space:
- Cyprus & Ireland are the one EU member states NOT within the Schengen space. (Cyprus goals to turn into a part of the Schengen Area by the tip of 2025)
- Non-EU Countries in Europe: Albania, Andorra. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine
- Morocco
- Ireland permits limitless visits for UK nationals- no stamps required!
You can use this short-stay calculator to assist (though personally I don’t discover it that simple to make use of)
Want to go to Europe along with your motorhome?
Grab your FREE (printable) guidelines and uncover 25 belongings you NEED to take with you whenever you journey in Europe. Make your life simpler immediately.
Will I want a VISA to go to Europe after BREXIT?
Not on the moment- however it’s coming.
Very quickly, all British Citizens might want to apply for a European Travel Information and Authorisation Scheme (ETIAS) visa prematurely. These will work equally to the USA ESTAs and are proposed to be energetic later in 2025.
It is aimed toward decreasing the “migration, security or public-health risk” from nationals of visa-exempt third international locations
At the second, estimated prices are at 7€ and the ETIAS might be legitimate for 3 years (though that doesn’t imply you possibly can 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 instances 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, comparable to fingerprints or a photograph, when arriving at a Schengen border. EES registration will exchange 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 adjustments concerning 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: How to take a canine to Europe after BREXIT (and get an AHC)
Don’t neglect, if you’re going campervanning in Norway with a canine, you have to to get a tapeworm pill administered by a vet 1-5 days earlier than you enter Norway. And then you have to ANOTHER one administered 1-5 days earlier than returning to the UK.
Duty 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 adjustments):
- beer – 42 litres
- wine (not glowing) – 18 litres
You may also herald 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 can cut up this final allowance, for instance you can carry 4.5 litres of fortified wine and a couple of litres of spirits (each half of your allowance).
Tobacco allowance
You can herald one from the next:
- 200 cigarettes
- 100 cigarillos
- 50 cigars
- 250g tobacco
- 200 sticks of tobacco for digital heated tobacco gadgets
You can cut up this allowance – so you can herald 100 cigarettes and 25 cigars (each half of your allowance).
You might must pay VAT, customs or excise responsibility on alcohol or tobacco you declare.
Taking Meat, Milk and different merchandise to/ from Europe
You won’t be allowed to usher in meat, milk or their merchandise (until you’ve gotten lower than 10kg and are coming from the Faeroe Islands or Greenland)
There can also be 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 offered that:
- such merchandise don’t require refrigeration earlier than opening
- that they’re packaged proprietary model merchandise for direct sale to the ultimate shopper, and
- the packaging is unbroken until in present use
You can journey with as much as 20kg of fish and sure shellfish comparable to prawns, lobsters, useless mussels and useless oysters, or the load of 1 fish if that is greater. There isn’t any such weight restriction for travellers coming from the Faeroe Islands or Greenland
For different animal merchandise, comparable to honey, stay oysters, stay mussels and snails for instance, travellers are allowed to usher in 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 could 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 adjustments
In 2025, the UK Government 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 at the moment affecting some international locations in Europe).
- Cattle, sheep, goat, and pig meat
- dairy merchandise
“This includes bringing items like sandwiches, cheese, cured meats, raw meats or milk into Great Britain – regardless of whether it is packed or packaged or whether it has been bought at duty free.”
It’s unclear how lengthy this ban will final for- updated data could be discovered on Gov.UK right here.
Driving in Europe after BREXIT- Phone Roaming Charges
The UK authorities handed some laws which imposes:
- A £45-a-month restrict on the quantity that clients could possibly be charged for utilizing cell knowledge overseas earlier than having to opt-in for additional use
- Rules stating clients should be knowledgeable after they have reached 80% and 100% of their knowledge allowance
- “reasonable steps” have to be taken to keep away from clients being charged for unintentional roaming in Northern Ireland, which might occur if a cellphone in Northern Ireland locked onto the cell sign coming from the Republic of Ireland.
Data roaming fees in Europe are actually relevant again- please do verify along with your community to see what they may cost you for utilizing your cellphone/ knowledge overseas.
Will my UK financial institution card be legitimate?
Yes, you possibly can nonetheless be capable to use your UK financial institution playing cards in Europe, simply as you probably did earlier than. Make positive you might be conscious of any fees 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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