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What happens now that the UK has left the European Union?
The UK left the European Union (EU) on January 31, 2020, but the major changes in the lives of ordinary European and British citizens will not be noticeable until now in 2021.
This January 1 ends the so-called “transition period”, in which London and Brussels upheld most of the block’s laws, while negotiating how their new relationship would be.
On December 24, after several months of intense negotiations and four years of political turmoil sparked by the Brexit referendum, both parties sealed the agreement that will define their future relations for decades.
Although this has prevented the so-called “hard Brexit”, a way out of the bloc deal, Europeans and British no longer have the same freedoms as before.
Brexit foresees, among other changes, the end of the free movement of people, the imposition of customs controls and the limitation of services that used to flow from one place to another without great restrictions.
The new rules are in a document of more than a thousand pages that also addresses other points, such as climate cooperation, security and transportation.
It is not ruled out, however, that some facilities lost with Brexit will be restored in the future.
BBC News Mundo, the BBC’s Spanish language service, summarizes some of the main changes for ordinary people since January 1.
1. Limited stays
For years, the British and Europeans traveled up and down the English Channel and were free to choose where to live and work.
That advantage has come to an end: a long-term visa and a work permit will now be required.
However, for tourist trips, British and Europeans still need a visa and will be able to use their driver’s license to drive in each country.
In the case of the British, they can only stay in the territory of the European Union for a maximum of 90 days in a period of 180 consecutive days. For visits to Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania, other rules apply: it is possible to make a 90-day trip to any of them and still not use the 90-day quota for other countries of the European Union.
Britons will also need to ensure that their passports are valid for at least six months (and that the date of issue is not more than 10 years old) and may be asked to declare issues such as the reason for travel and who present the ticket. back from the block.
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The United Kingdom and the European Union reached an agreement to define their new relationship on December 24, a week before the deadline.
Brits will most likely need to register with the European Travel Information and Authorization System (Etias) before traveling, an electronically processed authorization for visa-free travelers.
In addition, when going through immigration controls, at first they will no longer be able to use the quick queue reserved for citizens of the European Union and the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and Switzerland, which can increase waiting times borders and at airports.
Europeans, on the other hand, can stay up to six months in the UK.
If the trip is for private medical treatment, the permit can be extended. The same applies to academics who meet certain requirements. In such cases, the stay can be extended up to 11 and 12 months, respectively.
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The British will have to enter another line when they land on European territory from now on
In addition, they will no longer be able to enter the United Kingdom with their ID from October 2021, unless they have formalized their resident status, in this case there will be no changes until 2025. The rest must present their passport.
On the other hand, Europeans and the British continue to depend on emergency medical assistance during tourist trips in both the UK and the European Union.
Currently, this medical assistance is provided through a common health card, which is available to both Europeans and the British. The UK plans to issue a new card to its citizens, but in principle it will have coverage very similar to that of its European counterpart.
However, the British government advises purchasing travel insurance with medical coverage before going on vacation, even for the European Union.
In addition, limits will also be imposed on the items that each citizen can take with them from one place to another, and “European passports” for pets will no longer be valid in the UK.
2. Special work visas
Europeans wishing to work in the UK will need to apply online for a visa, and will be asked to submit a job offer, a sufficient level of English and a salary of at least £ 25,600 a year, among other requirements that make up a system. based on points.
And British citizens who want to live and work in a European bloc country must comply with the requirements of the immigration system in which they intend to settle.
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Working in the UK will no longer be as simple as it used to be for Europeans, who will need to apply for a visa that meets various requirements.
In addition, some professions will automatically cease to be homologated as before, for example, architecture, medicine or nursing.
However, citizens who were already living in the UK and the European Union before the end of 2020 have their rights guaranteed and only need to formalize their resident status.
The new regulations do not apply to the case of Ireland, which in the field of travel and migration has a series of agreements with the United Kingdom prior to its entry into the European Union, the so-called Common Travel Area (CTA). .
Main consequences of Brexit, in four points:
– End of free movement: it will be possible to continue traveling without a visa, but only for short stays.
– Work visas: the United Kingdom will implement a new points-based system and the European Union will apply the rules for countries outside the bloc.
– Exit from the common market: there will be no additional tariffs between exports and imports, but security controls will be imposed at customs that may delay the smooth exchange of goods.
– Exceptions: The above considerations do not apply to Northern Ireland or to Europeans and British with official and regular residence in the United Kingdom and the European Union.
End of the Erasmus program
The new free trade agreement between London and Brussels did not prevent the collapse of the Erasmus program for university students.
The UK will no longer participate in this exchange program, which encourages European university students to study for a semester or year outside their home countries in another bloc member state.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that another alternative for British students will take effect, but not enough details have been revealed yet.
However, students from Northern Ireland will continue to participate in the program as part of an agreement with the Government of the Republic of Ireland.
3. Goods and services
In this sense, reaching an agreement saved many people from a considerable increase in the prices of various products that the United Kingdom imports from the European Union and vice versa.
The fact is that both parties have agreed not to impose tariffs or additional costs on the flow of goods, which, in principle, benefits both exporters and importers on both sides of the English Channel.
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Despite the free trade agreement between London and Brussels, immigration and customs controls will be introduced that hinder the flow of before
However, new border controls and bureaucratic procedures will be required that did not exist before, which can lead to delays and disruptions in supply chains.
However, these controls will not be imposed in Northern Ireland. This is because the country shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland, a member of the European Union, and will effectively remain within the European common market.
On the other hand, British service providers will have to adapt to the regulations of each member state of the bloc or move to the European Union if they want to continue operating as they do today.
Another aspect that Europeans and British should take into account is the possible change in rates for roaming for mobile.
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Citizens should pay attention to the rules of telephone companies regarding roaming.
Before, a British or European could enjoy the same rate contracted in their country of origin in any member state of the European Union.
The UK and the European bloc have said they will cooperate on “fair and transparent international roaming rates”, but nothing prevents British and European travelers from being charged for using their phones in one territory or another.
In any case, the service provider companies will be in charge of maintaining the same conditions or setting new rates.
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