10

The UK is scheduled to leave the EU bloc on 31st Jan 2020. As a British passport holder, will I be entitled/able to continue to use the EU passport lanes in other EU countries after that date whilst the transition period of 21 months lasts? (I fully understand that it is impossible to say what will happen after that period).

Note: I'm aware that Brexit is a controversial topic, and I'm deliberately asking to avoid any debates on the rights, wrongs, merits, fairness, unfairness, etc. of the situation, I'm just seeking practical advice.

Other note: I realise the same question also applies in reverse to EU passport holders travelling to the UK. Feel free to cover that too!

Correction: As pointed out in the comments below, the transition period is 11 months, not 21 months.

Improve this question
4
  • 4
    The transition period is currently scheduled to last 11 months (until the end of 2020) not 21 months. Bets are open to see if it will be extended :-) It was scheduled to last 21 months back when Brexit was supposed to happen in March 2019.
    – jcaron
    Jan 30, 2020 at 16:23
  • @jcaron BoJo doesn't want to extend it, but he's been screwed over in the past by Remainer MPs in parliament, so...
    – Crazydre
    Jan 30, 2020 at 17:03
  • 4
    @Crazydre BoJo has nobody to blame but himself when, as a consequence of making unrealistic commitments, his commitments cannot be kept.
    – phoog
    Jan 31, 2020 at 7:05
  • @Crazydre Conservative Party Remainers have been thrown out of the party and are no longer a “problem”.
    – gerrit
    Jan 31, 2020 at 9:14

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
3

Nothing will change during the transition period; as such you'll be able to enter the Schengen Area indefinitely, without your passport being stamped and using the EEA lanes.

The nature of the transition period is negotiating future rules; the rules, therefore, remain unchanged in the meantime.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/visit-europe-1-january-2021

Improve this answer
6
  • Thanks. I’ve seen some statements to other effect elsewhere (may well be out of date/rumour of course) - do you have a source you can link to?
    – Andrew Ferrier
    Jan 30, 2020 at 17:08
  • 1
    @AndrewFerrier Remainer propaganda, the same suggesting Brits will need a visa for short-term Schengen visits and vice-versa (LOL!) Anyway, gov.uk/visit-europe-1-january-2021
    – Crazydre
    Jan 30, 2020 at 17:14
  • 2
    @AndrewFerrier Even that page is incorrect on one point: it says that, after the transition period, your passport will need to have 6 months. That's bull; it's 3 months beyond the intended stay
    – Crazydre
    Jan 30, 2020 at 17:15
  • 6
    @AndrewFerrier it's not remainer propaganda; it's confusion: some sources discuss a prospective no-deal exit, which isn't materializing. Those sources will say that citizens of the UK will have to go to the non-EU queue, because that's what would have happened had there been no withdrawal agreement. But there is a withdrawal agreement. It's important to identify which kind of brexit the various descriptions of post-brexit circumstances are covering, and to disregard the ones that concern the so-called "hard" brexit.
    – phoog
    Jan 31, 2020 at 7:14
  • @phoog What's propaganda is that Brits would need to join the non-EU queue even during the transition period, and that they will at any point whatsoever need a visa for short-term visits. After the transition period, yes, Brits will need to join the non-EU queue unless otheriwe agreed. Also, there is still a chance of no deal, if no concerete deal is agreed on by the end of the transition period. Because the withdrawal deal was just that, a withdrawal deal stipulating a transition period for talks, whereby anything can change.
    – Crazydre
    Feb 2, 2020 at 17:04
2

When it comes to passport control, during the transition period, UK nationals will still be allowed to queue in the areas reserved for EU arrivals only.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-51194363

Nothing changes until December 31st 2020.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .