Travelling from the UK to Europe after BREXIT with a motorhome, campervan or caravan? Need to know what paperwork you want and what modifications will have an effect on your street journeys? Not sure about driving within the EU after BREXIT? Right here’s all the things you’ll want to know
*We work onerous to make this one of the best motorhome journey weblog and street journey web site attainable, filled with useful content material for you. The web site is supported by our readers, so in case you purchase via hyperlinks on this website we might earn a commission- at no additional price to you. All opinions stay our personal.
Should you discover this submit helpful, you possibly can additionally deal with us to a espresso – we promise to take pleasure in it whereas creating extra helpful content material like this- we’d even bask in a biscuit (or two!)
Driving in Europe after BREXIT- issues you’ll want to know
Whether or not you prefer it or not, the BREXIT transition interval has now completed and the UK has left the EU.
Which signifies that the foundations for journey from the UK to Europe have modified, and there are some modifications for driving within the EU after BREXIT.
Right here’s a information on what the modifications are, and which of them have an effect on you.
There are a few massive issues you’ll want to test earlier than you journey from the UK to the EU after BREXIT:
- test your passport
- test your healthcare/ journey insurance coverage
- test you have got the fitting driving paperwork
- organise pet journey paperwork
Extra on every part is under, in addition to some smaller suggestions you would possibly discover helpful
Travelling to Europe after BREXIT?
Should you’d favor to observe a video as a substitute of learn, right here you go (simply click on the picture to observe)
NOTE: This video was filmed earlier than the GB stickers modified to UK and varied different small modifications. Learn under for all of the updated information.
We hope you discovered the video helpful. Should you did, why not comply with us on Youtube. We share new movies with suggestions for motorhoming and campervanning within the UK and Europe weekly, plus street journey concepts and epic locations.
Journey from UK to Europe after BREXIT- Examine your Passport
British passports MUST have at the very least 6 months left on them earlier than you enter the European Union. You MUST test that the expiry date is ONLY 10 years from the date of challenge, not longer.
That is actually important- many passports over the past 10+ years have been issued with an additional 9 months on them- however this is not going to be acknowledged by the EU. So in case your passport was issued on 01 September 2015, it would expire (within the EU’s eyes) on 01 September 2025, whatever the precise expiry date.
So you could have 6 months left earlier than THAT date. (Eire is the exception for this- you possibly can journey to Eire for the size of your present passport). Get extra suggestions for motorhoming or campervanning in Eire.
Additionally, any passport older than 10 years must be renewed asap. You are able to do this on-line or at your native Submit Workplace.
YOU DO NOT NEED A BLUE PASSPORT- preserve utilizing your crimson one till you’ll want to renew it, even when it says EU on the duvet. Nonetheless, you gained’t be capable of use the EU citizen entry lanes at border management.
Insurance coverage and Medical therapy in Europe after BREXIT
Should you at the moment have an EHIC card for healthcare therapy within the EU, that may stay legitimate till it expires.
There’s a newer model of this, known as the World Well being Insurance coverage card (GHIC), which is nowhere close to as far-reaching.
In some international locations, sufferers are anticipated to straight contribute a share in direction of the price of their state-provided therapy. This is called a affected person co-payment. Should you obtain therapy beneath this kind of healthcare system, you’re anticipated to pay the identical co-payment cost as a affected person from that nation.
The EHIC/ GHIC is just not an alternative choice to journey insurance coverage. It is not going to cowl any personal medical healthcare or prices, resembling mountain rescue in ski resorts or being flown again to the UK. The EHIC/ GHIC is just not legitimate on cruises.
NOTE: The GHIC is FREE for eligible UK residents. Do NOT pay for it, use the NHS web site right here.
The quick reply is, count on to pay for healthcare- or at the very least purchase a good journey insurance coverage coverage earlier than you go.
Driving within the EU after BREXIT- Paperwork you want
Should you’re going to be driving a motorhome or camper or automobile within the EU or Europe after BREXIT, you could carry:
- Your UK card driving licence (test it’s in date!)
- Your insurance coverage paperwork
- Automobile V5 logbook (which should present your right deal with)
- Automobile have to be legally taxed and MOT’d
- Trailer certification (if required)
- Inexperienced card (not wanted for many UK registered autos, however nonetheless seemingly wanted for trailers- test together with your insurer)
- A UK sticker on your automobile. Should you’re going to Spain you MUST have the white oval on the again, even if in case you have it on the reg plate too.
- IDP if required
There are different objects you’ll want to for driving in Europe– see all of them right here and seize your FREE guidelines
Inexperienced Card
You do NOT want a inexperienced card when taking your automobile to any international locations within the EU, together with motorhoming in Eire, Andorra, Iceland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland. You clearly nonetheless want legitimate automobile insurance coverage.
You might want a inexperienced card to go to different international locations in Europe, together with Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Albania, Azerbaijan and Russia. Please test together with your insurer, which is who you get the inexperienced playing cards issued from.
If towing a trailer with a motorhome, you’ll nearly definitely want to hold a inexperienced card for the trailer, even when one is just not wanted for the primary automobile.
If one IS wanted for the primary automobile, you’ll need a separate inexperienced card for the trailer or any further autos you could be towing (like a automobile.
Examine together with your insurer what you want earlier than you journey.
Apply at the very least one month earlier than you might be resulting from journey and ensure the main points on the cardboard are correct- we’ve heard a number of situations of one thing being incorrect and a brand new one needed to be posted out.
Do you want an IDP?
No. Most individuals don’t want an IDP to drive within the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein if in case you have a card driving licence issued within the UK.
You would possibly if in case you have:
- a paper driving licence
- a licence issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man
(Should you do want an IDP, right here’s an in-depth information on how one can get an Worldwide Driving Allow and which one(s) you want from a UK submit workplace.
Will my UK driving licence be legitimate within the EU after BREXIT?
Your present driving licence will proceed to be legitimate for driving in Europe, even when it has the EU image. Clearly, it must be in date and you could have a licence for the automobile you might be driving.
Driving in Europe after BREXIT- get a UK sticker in your automobile
You MUST have a UK sticker or reg plate on the again of your car- the GB sticker or EU brand will not be acceptable.
If you’re going motorhoming in Spain, you could have the white sticker with black letters, even if in case you have the UK sticker in your reg plate.
Speaking of France, you would possibly discover these posts helpful on your journey:
Hiring a motorhome or automobile in Europe after BREXIT
Sure, you possibly can nonetheless hire a motorhome or automobile in Europe after BREXIT. You will want:
- a legitimate driving licence (appropriate for the automobile you can be driving)
- Probably an IDP code from the DVLA- test with the rent firm in advance.
- If you’re travelling with a rent automobile outdoors of the UK, you’ll need proof that you’re allowed to cross borders with it (usually a VE103 certificates)
How lengthy are you able to keep within the EU after BREXIT?
Ah, the large one.
UK residents are actually restricted on how a lot time you possibly can spend within the Schengen space. This contains the entire of the EU besides Cyprus and Eire, however DOES embody Iceland, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
You might be allowed to remain within the Schengen space for 90 days in any rolling 180 day interval. This contains the day you arrive and the day you depart.
You’ll be able to keep for one lengthy journey, or a sequence of smaller journeys, so long as you don’t exceed 90 days in any 180.
And yes- your passport can be stamped. Ensure it will get stamped once you depart too.
On the entry border, you could have to point out:
- a return or onward ticket
- you find the money for on your keep
- proof of medical insurance coverage
UPDATE: Should you’re travelling with a motorhome, caravan or campervan, we don’t know anybody who has been requested to offer any of those bits of data.
You’ll in all probability want to make use of separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss residents when queueing on the border. It must be effectively signposted.
Nations that are exempt from the 90-day rule
These international locations will not be within the ’90-day’ rule, and subsequently you possibly can go to every for 90 days on prime of your 90 days within the Schengen space:
- Cyprus & Eire are the one EU member states NOT within the Schengen space. (Cyprus goals to turn out to be a part of the Schengen Space by the tip of 2025)
- Non-EU Nations in Europe: Albania, Andorra. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine
- Morocco
- Eire permits limitless visits for UK nationals- no stamps required!
You need to use this short-stay calculator to assist (though personally I don’t discover it that simple to make use of)
Need to head to Europe together with your motorhome?
Seize your FREE (printable) guidelines and uncover 25 belongings you NEED to take with you once you journey in Europe. Make your life simpler right this moment.
Will I would like a VISA to go to Europe after BREXIT?
Not on the moment- but it surely’s coming.
Very quickly, all British Residents might want to apply for a European Journey Info and Authorisation Scheme (ETIAS) visa prematurely. These will work equally to the USA ESTAs and are proposed to be lively later in 2025.
It’s aimed toward decreasing the “migration, safety or public-health threat” from nationals of visa-exempt third international locations
For the time being, estimated prices are at 7€ and the ETIAS can be legitimate for 3 years (though that doesn’t imply you possibly can spend 3 years exploring Europe continuous).
There may also be an EES (EU Entry/ Exit System), which is because of be operational in October 2025 (however has been delayed a number of instances already!)
The EES is a brand new digital border system that may require British nationals travelling to the Schengen space to register their biometric particulars, resembling fingerprints or a photograph, when arriving at a Schengen border. EES registration will exchange the present system of manually stamping passports when guests arrive within the EU.
Taking your canine to Europe after BREXIT
There have been some massive modifications concerning taking a pet from the UK to Europe. The UK Pet passport scheme is now out of date, and you’ll require an animal well being certificates as a substitute.
For a step-by-step information, please learn: Tips on how to take a canine to Europe after BREXIT (and get an AHC)
Don’t overlook, in case you are going campervanning in Norway with a canine, you’ll need to get a tapeworm pill administered by a vet 1-5 days earlier than you enter Norway. After which you’ll need ANOTHER one administered 1-5 days earlier than returning to the UK.
Responsibility Free limits for alcohol?
When travelling from the EU to the UK, anybody aged 17+ can carry (taken from the Gov.Uk website- please test for any modifications):
- beer – 42 litres
- wine (not glowing) – 18 litres
It’s also possible to herald both:
- spirits and different liquors over 22% alcohol – 4 litres
- fortified wine (for instance port, sherry), glowing wine and alcoholic drinks as much as 22% alcohol – 9 litres
You’ll be able to cut up this final allowance, for instance you may deliver 4.5 litres of fortified wine and a pair of litres of spirits (each half of your allowance).
Tobacco allowance
You’ll be able to herald one from the next:
- 200 cigarettes
- 100 cigarillos
- 50 cigars
- 250g tobacco
- 200 sticks of tobacco for digital heated tobacco units
You’ll be able to cut up this allowance – so you may herald 100 cigarettes and 25 cigars (each half of your allowance).
You will have to pay VAT, customs or excise responsibility on alcohol or tobacco you declare.
Taking Meat, Milk and different merchandise to/ from Europe
You’ll not be allowed to usher in meat, milk or their merchandise (except you have got lower than 10kg and are coming from the Faeroe Islands or Greenland)
There’s additionally an exemption for powdered toddler milk, toddler meals, and particular meals or particular pet feed required for medical causes, if weighing lower than 2 kilograms and offered that:
- such merchandise don’t require refrigeration earlier than opening
- that they’re packaged proprietary model merchandise for direct sale to the ultimate client, and
- the packaging is unbroken except in present use
You’ll be able to journey with as much as 20kg of fish and sure shellfish resembling prawns, lobsters, lifeless mussels and lifeless oysters, or the burden of 1 fish if that is larger. There isn’t any such weight restriction for travellers coming from the Faeroe Islands or Greenland
For different animal merchandise, resembling honey, dwell oysters, dwell mussels and snails for instance, travellers are allowed to usher in as much as 2 kilograms
These guidelines don’t apply to animal merchandise transported between the EU Member States, or for animal merchandise coming from Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino or Switzerland. Full particulars may be discovered on the EU web site right here
You’ll want a certificates to take sure vegetation and plant merchandise into EU international locations.
2025 Import modifications
In 2025, the UK Authorities has banned bringing any of the next INTO the UK from the EU, to attempt to cease the unfold of foot and mouth (which is at the moment affecting some international locations in Europe).
- Cattle, sheep, goat, and pig meat
- dairy merchandise
“This contains bringing objects like sandwiches, cheese, cured meats, uncooked meats or milk into Nice Britain – no matter whether or not it’s packed or packaged or whether or not it has been purchased at responsibility free.”
It’s unclear how lengthy this ban will final for- updated info may be discovered on Gov.UK right here.
Driving in Europe after BREXIT- Cellphone Roaming Prices
The UK authorities handed some laws which imposes:
- A £45-a-month restrict on the quantity that clients could possibly be charged for utilizing cell information overseas earlier than having to opt-in for additional use
- Guidelines stating clients have to be knowledgeable after they have reached 80% and 100% of their information allowance
- “cheap steps” have to be taken to keep away from clients being charged for unintentional roaming in Northern Eire, which might occur if a cellphone in Northern Eire locked onto the cell sign coming from the Republic of Eire.
Knowledge roaming fees in Europe are actually relevant again- please do test together with your community to see what they’ll cost you for utilizing your cellphone/ information overseas.
Will my UK financial institution card be legitimate?
Sure, you possibly can nonetheless be capable of use your UK financial institution playing cards in Europe, simply as you probably did earlier than. Be sure to are conscious of any fees your financial institution might impose.
I hope you now really feel a little bit extra ready or educated about travelling to Europe after BREXIT and driving within the EU.
Discovered this submit helpful? Put it aside for later:
