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BRUSSELS: Starting January 1, 2021, British and EU citizens will face the reality of Brexit as the transition period ends and borders that were removed decades ago return.
Although an agreement has been reached to allow duty-free trade through the English Channel, from that date, the British will be treated by the EU as citizens of “third countries”.
They will no longer enjoy the freedom of movement to work, study or retire in the European Union and, in turn, Britain will process EU citizens at its borders as it does other non-UK passport holders .
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EU citizens who prove their residence in Great Britain, or Britons already living in a European Union country, will theoretically retain their rights under a Withdrawal Agreement reached at the end of 2019.
TOURISTS
Tourists will see some immediate changes in addition to fluctuating coronavirus restrictions already hampering travel, but both parties have agreed that travel will be visa-free, as long as the other party keeps it that way.
However, the EU will prevent British passports from being used at its automated electronic gates, which could mean longer queues at manned passport booths.
Brits must have passports valid for at least six months and will be limited to stays in the EU of 90 days in a 180-day period.
They will also need to show travel insurance coverage, sufficient funds, and a return ticket upon request.
Europeans entering Britain can use a national ID card until October, after which only passports will be accepted, for stays of up to six months.
EU passport holders will be able to continue to use UK electronic gates under current guidance.
Those with a criminal record may be prohibited and non-European relatives of a European may need a visa, depending on nationality.
BUSINESS TRAVELERS
The agreement between the EU and the UK reached on Thursday sets out visa requirements for business travelers, the details of which have not yet been made public.
In the EU, Britons attending conferences or meetings will likely be exempt from visas when they are not receiving payments or rendering services.
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However, for other UK business travelers, including posted workers and the self-employed, a visa and / or work permit may be imposed in accordance with the laws of each EU country.
There will also be tax and social security considerations.
Certain services or company property in those countries may be prohibited for non-EU citizens or residents or those without national licenses, and customs declarations may be required for incoming goods.
In Great Britain, EU citizens with a job offer will need to demonstrate English language skills and a minimum wage, depending on whether the position is qualified (£ 26,500, equivalent to € 29,600 or US $ 35,000) or an occupation shortage (£ 20,480, € 22,800).
STUDENTS AND UNIVERSITIES
Starting in January, EU students going to Britain will need a visa for courses longer than six months and will have to pay higher tuition fees, four times as much for degrees like medicine or MBA at prestigious universities.
That heavy burden may force many European students to choose EU institutions, some of which are free, rather than British ones, which UK universities fear will cause a huge financial hole.
According to research by the UK parliament, there were 143,000 EU students in British universities in the 2018-2019 school year.
International students have made Britain the second most popular educational destination after the US, and injected £ 25.8 billion (€ 29 billion or US $ 34 billion) into the UK economy in 2015.
Emigres
For the approximately 1.3 million Britons living in the EU and the more than four million EU citizens living in the UK before the end of the transition period, their rights to stay are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement of 2019.
Those who want to emigrate to other parts of the EU after January 1 will find a very different situation.
The British, for example, have long favored Spain, France, Germany and Italy to establish new roots as workers or retirees.
But the end of freedom of movement will put them through the same obstacles as other “third country” citizens, which often include health insurance, income and language requirements.
Britain, for its part, is introducing a points-based system from 2021 that will make it much more difficult for Europeans to move there.
Age, English language ability, funds and the requirement to pay a health surcharge will be assessed, with limits on some of the immigration channels.
