NINETEEN POST-BREXIT PROBLEMS FOR THE TRAVELLER
DEAL OR NO DEAL

Barry and Margaret Williamson
March 2019

Here are nineteen unintended(?) consequences among the hundreds of others initiated by the 'Will of the British People' in the EU referendum. These are fundamental features taken for granted by British travellers by car, van or motorhome throughout Europe. But they are not natural or normal; they all stem from the shared values and regulations of European Union membership.

Which of them can continue in place and in what form is unknown at the time of writing. These are only a few of the many known unknowns which mingle with all the unknown unknowns awaiting the unwary British traveller down the road.

Putting on one side the as yet undetermined nature of any 'deal' or 'deals', there are at least 5 possible courses of future action, in decreasing order of good sense and sanity:  

(1) remain in the EU and continue to benefit from being fully accredited Europeans with many hundreds of existing 'deals';

(2) postpone the leaving date and have a fresh people's vote, on a proposed deal to leave versus simply remaining;

(3) leave with an exit deal and a transition period of at least 21 months leading to a good longer-term trade deal thereafter;

(4) as in (3) but with no deal at the end of transition;

(5) leave with no deal, when uncertainty and chaos will reign.

The effects on drivers of vehicles, particularly UK motorhomers who are accustomed to visa-free and border-free movement throughout all the mainland countries of Europe, could be as follows:

(1) no change;

(2) changes depend on the outcome of the people's vote;

(3) no change during the transition period and changes subject to negotiation thereafter;

(4) no change during the transition period and some or all of the changes listed below thereafter;

(5) all or most of the changes listed below, perhaps subject to UK negotiation with individual countries.  

We have compiled a list of 19 features which are central to the life of the driver when travelling in mainland Europe. Changes to some or all of these may apply with increasing negative effects in cases (2), (3), (4) and (5) above.

1) International Driving Permit (IDP). In the event of a no-deal Brexit, mutual recognition of driving licences between the UK and the EU may end after 29 March 2019. One or more of three International Driving Permits (1926, 1949, 1968) may be needed in addition to your UK driving licence.  Lichtenstein may need the 1926 version; Spain, Cyprus, Malta and Iceland the 1949 version; and the rest of the EU and Norway the 1968 version. Check out the Post Office website for more information.

2) Driving Licence. Drivers living in an EU country who presently use their UK driving licence may have to exchange it for a local licence. In some cases they may have to take the local driving test (which can involve a written test in the local language) to obtain a local licence.

3) Vehicle Insurance. The EU, EEA, Andorra, Serbia and Switzerland are currently part of a Green Card-free circulation area, meaning that you do not need a motor insurance Green Card to drive a UK registered vehicle in these countries. From 29 March 2019, in the event that there is no Brexit deal and the European Commission does not make a decision ensuring that UK registered vehicles will not be checked for proof of insurance, drivers of UK registered vehicles will need to carry a motor insurance Green Card when driving in the EU and EEA.

We have already obtained a Green Card by telephoning our own insurance company. It lists all the countries that the policy normally covers and is dated from 29 March 2019 through to the date of expiry of the insurance. The company makes no charge but it cannot be done on-line, since they insist on posting the card to the registered address of the owner of the vehicle because the card has to be green.

4) Breakdown Cover. Proof may be needed that any breakdown cover still operates in the countries to be visited.

5) Schengen. A Schengen Visa may be required and can be applied for on-line. This allows stays totalling no more than 90 days in Schengen countries in any 6 month period, which commences on the date of the first visit. The 26 Schengen countries are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The UK and Ireland remain outside Schengen; Cyprus and Bulgaria are in the process of joining. The Schengen website includes a format for keeping a record of dates of visits to each Schengen country, with a calculator which adds up the dates and lets you know how many are left out of 90.

6) Visa to visit EU. The European Commission announced in November 2018 that UK travellers would still be able to visit the EU for a short visit without a visa, providing the same privilege is offered to European citizens visiting the UK. This is still uncertain.

7) EHIC. The European Health Insurance Card (currently issued to 27 million British People) may not be valid for emergency health care in EU countries.

8) Private Health Insurance. This may be needed (or even compulsory) if the EHIC is no longer recognised. Its coverage is time-limited (often less than 90 days per trip, even for 'annual cover') and its cost is very much age-related, putting it beyond the reach of (say) travellers over the age of 70 or 80. In any case the cost of private insurance charges is likely to increase if EHIC is no longer valid.

9) Pet Passports. In their present form these may no longer be valid. Quarantine rules may change, requiring longer stays in isolation. The current Government advice suggests you contact your vet four months prior to travel to get the latest advice. Should the UK be classified as an unlisted country your pet will need to be microchipped, have an up-to-date rabies vaccination and a blood test (taken 30 days after the vaccination and a minimum of three months prior to travel) to verify sufficient rabies antibodies, and a health certificate from an Official Veterinarian issued no more than ten days before travel. This certificate allows four months of onward travel within the EU and re-entry to the UK within four months of the date of issue. On arrival in the EU, pet owners may be asked to provide proof of microchip, rabies vaccination and the blood test result alongside their pet's health certificate. Check out the Government's advice on european travel with pets post Brexit here.  

10) Blue Badge Parking. UK-issued blue badge parking permits may no longer be valid (this will make no difference to parking in Greece!).

11) Mobile Phone Roaming Charges.  At the time of writing, all but one of the UK mobile phone network operators refuse to rule out the return of roaming charges (only '3' has pledged not to increase them). Make sure you know how to turn off data roaming on your handset prior to travel. Visit the Government's website for details on mobile roaming if there's a no Brexit deal here.  

12) Getting Cash. Bank charges on ATM withdrawals abroad may increase – not to mention a further crash in the pound's exchange rate against the euro and other European currencies, many of which are tied to the euro.

13) UK Vehicle Excise Duty. 'Road Tax' paid in the UK excuses the driver from paying tax in another country (the French police in particular check on this). But this would not be the case if the UK VED was no longer recognised.

14) Vehicle Registration. Presently European countries allow foreign-registered vehicles to be used for 6 months without being required to re-register locally. This may no longer apply.

15) Internet Services. It may no longer be possible to use streaming internet services such as Spotify, Netflix, etc.

16) Passports. Most EU countries, including Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and Germany, could require there to be at least six months left on a passport on entering the country (this is the bandwidth of the Schengen visa). Renew passports early before travelling, if necessary, as demand will be high which will slow down the response time.

17) Number Plates. At present, British number plates incorporate the EU symbol and the country of origin (GB). British cars may have to replace the number plates, losing the EU symbol.

18) GB Sticker. In any case, a GB sticker would be required for driving in mainland Europe.

19) Confusion Reigns. Who among all the multitude of police, border guards, customs officials, doctors, dentists, etc in each of the EU's remaining 27 countries, will be clear about which regulation still applies or no longer applies to the British traveller, their vehicle or their animal?

Good Luck with all that then. If you voted to 'Leave', you deserve it – and more! Anyone thinking they could 'leave' Europe has probably never looked at a map to see where the UK is located (clue – it is already in 'Europe', half way up on the left-hand side), probably hasn't got a car and cannot afford to cross the Channel.

Click here for the latest UK Government advice on travel to the EU, though nothing is hard and fast (more like impossible and slow).