Brexit or the British withdrawal from the EU has been in the news for the last 4 years, since it was announced Britain would hold a referendum for the people to vote on whether we should remain in or leave the EU. The referendum in June 2016 confirmed, by a small majority, that the wish of the people was to leave. Since then there have been ongoing negotiations between the EU and UK Government to construct the rules for an orderly withdrawal for the UK from Europe. This has been long and protracted and in recent months the UK Prime Minister has been seeking to have her deal approved by the UK Parliament. To date this has not happened and the debate continues with a number of extensions to the date for leaving being granted by the EU until the UK Government can agree. At the time of writing the latest date for leaving is the 12 April.
People are already making their travel plans for 2019, and have questions about what might happen after the UK leaves the European Union. The political process is still ongoing and we don’t yet know the final outcome, however there have been some reassurances recently around flights and visas.
Will flights still operate?
Regardless of the Brexit outcome planes will still fly between the UK and the EU: if a deal is agreed then we will be in a transition period, meaning everything will stay the same until the end of December 2020 and flights will continue as normal. Even if we are in a no-deal scenario, the European Commission has said that UK airlines will still be able to operate flights between the UK and the EU. The UK Government has offered similar assurances for EU airlines.
Will ferries and cruise ships still sail?
Ferry services and cruises will still sail as the majority of the rules under which they operate are not based on EU rules, but are international.
Will my coach journey still operate?
Coaches will still be able to travel to and from the EU, and are expected to continue to take passengers to and around EU countries as usual.
Will trains from the UK to the EU still operate?
It is expected that trains from the UK to the EU will continue to operate.
As an EU resident will I need a visa to travel to the UK/EU after Brexit?
The European Parliament has confirmed that UK travellers won’t need a visa to travel to the EU after Brexit and vice versa, even if the UK leaves without a deal. UK/EU citizens will be able to visit the UK/EU for up to 90 days within a 180-day period without a visa.
Should I take out travel insurance to cover Brexit?
The best way to protect your travel is to have insurance anyway, regardless of Brexit. It is also worth checking the detail of the policy around travel disruption including delays or cancellations as policies do vary.
What happens between now and 31 October?
Even in a no deal, the earliest the UK will leave the EU is 31 October 2019, this means everything will stay the same until that point and you can continue to travel as you do now.
If the UK Government agrees a Brexit deal, the UK will enter a transition period which would keep things as they are during this period, and holidaymakers and business travellers will continue to travel as they do now.
Facts
British business travellers go to Europe more than anywhere else. In fact, business trips to Europe make up 78.3% of all trips, a proportion that has been steadily increasing.
Source: ONS Travel Trends
Europe represents around 45% of the total spending by UK business travellers abroad, a figure that has also increased year on year. It seems that while we may be no closer to finding out what the UK’s future trading relationship is with Europe, it is clear that in the world of business travel, Europe is critical.
As business travel is so closely linked to the health of the economy, policymakers need to ensure that whatever they decide, the UK’s business travel relationship with Europe should be protected.