Over the last year, there has been a lot of confusion and noise around travelling to Europe as Covid rules changed, and the UK’s departure from the EU caused further frustration for travellers with passport validity.
We have answered some of the most common questions to help ensure you have everything in place for your holiday to go as smoothly as possible!
This page was last updated on 9/1/23.
To travel within the EU at the time of writing your passport must:
No. You can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. If your visit exceeds 90 days within the Schengen area, you will need to apply for a visa. You can find more information on Gov.uk.
No. You can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. If your visit exceeds 90 days within the Schengen area, you will need to apply for a visa. You can find more information on Gov.uk.
You may be required to provide three documents upon arrival at border control. These are:
ETIAS is a new visa waiver system that the EU is aiming to bring into effect by the end of 2023. This will be similar to how the ESTA works for travel to the USA. Once this has been introduced all British passport holders will need to apply and pay for an ETIAS via an online system before travelling to the EU.
A GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) replaces the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card). Both are free of charge and can be obtained on the NHS Website. The card can be used to access medically necessary state-provided healthcare when visiting an EU Country. The healthcare provider in the country you’re visiting will decide whether treatment is deemed as necessary.
You can use your card to access medically necessary state-provided healthcare in an EU country. This includes things such as emergency treatment and visits to A&E and treatment for long-term or pre-existing medical condition. As the healthcare provider in your destination country deems what is classed as necessary treatment, we always recommend an adequate Travel Insurance policy to provide peace of mind. You can find more information on EHIC/GHIC cards on the NHS Website or get a Travel Insurance quote here.
It is digital proof that a person has either:
Any vaccination, recovery or negative test certificate issued within the UK, will be accepted. These can be found on the NHS app. More information on the EU Covid Digital Certificates can be found here.
All European countries have now removed the Covid entry requirements with the exception of those travelling from China. Click on the country to find out the most up to date travel advice from the FCDO.
As the UK is no longer part of the EU, majority of mobile phone providers now have roaming charges to use your phone abroad. Check with your network provider for further details including any additional costs involved.
We strongly advise to check the Foreign Travel Advice page for the latest travel advice before you commence your holiday.
