{"showCoverPage":true,"bookCover":{"coverImage":{"path":"images\/coverImage-6093f9db521ce.png","mime":"image\/png","copyright":{"license":"U"},"width":1920,"height":480},"coverDescription":""},"chapters":[{"params":{"content":[{"content":{"params":{"text":"

Section 1: travelling in Europe<\/h2>\n\n
The UK\u2019s exit from the EU affects UK travellers in the EU. These will be some of the key changes:<\/p>\n\n
\n\t
travellers will need their driving licence and vehicle log book<\/li>\n\t
travellers may need an international driving permit (IDP), depending on where they\u2019re going (see below)<\/li>\n\t
a GB sticker is required for UK vehicles<\/li>\n\t
travellers will need a \u2018green card\u2019 to prove they have the right travel insurance (see below)<\/li>\n\t
if a driving licence is about to run out, the driver will need to renew it at least a week before they travel<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
The AA\u2019s website has useful further information: https:\/\/www.theaa.com\/european-breakdown-cover\/driving-in-europe\/country-by-country <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"15a52f20-f03d-4abb-915d-d166391d924d"},"useSeparator":"auto"},{"content":{"params":{"text":"
Click the icons below for further information:<\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"f4832b22-0d01-40b4-9118-55741ce56b17"},"useSeparator":"auto"},{"content":{"params":{"iconType":"icon","icon":"plus","color":"#19d01f","hotspots":[{"position":{"x":16.421376412271254,"y":23.802697760893675},"alwaysFullscreen":false,"content":[{"params":{"text":"
An international driving permit (IDP) is required to drive in some countries. Information on driving in the EU<\/a> is available on the GOV.UK website.<\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.Text 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"af5e5616-f5ac-48be-9bc9-abe6ee84fb73"}],"header":"International driving permit"},{"position":{"x":49.84025071604184,"y":24.13459697710035},"alwaysFullscreen":false,"content":[{"params":{"text":"
UK travellers must obtain a green card if taking their vehicle to travel around Europe. A green card proves its bearer has the necessary motor insurance. This includes motorists travelling between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.<\/p>\n\n
Travellers may be fined or required to buy additional insurance if they do not travel with a green card. Motor insurance providers should provide their customers with a green card free of charge.<\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.Text 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"a0d303bb-72c7-4420-b1da-68ae73188386"}],"header":"Green cards"},{"position":{"x":83.7859376170003,"y":24.601369922330804},"alwaysFullscreen":false,"content":[{"params":{"text":"
Businesses should explain to travellers that a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) will no longer be valid past the stated expiry date. EHICs were issued free of charge by the Government, allowing people to access state-provided healthcare when visiting another EU country.<\/p>\n\n
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is being phased out for UK holidaymakers heading to the EU in favour of a new, free Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).<\/p>\n\n
Like an EHIC, a GHIC is not a replacement for travel insurance; it does not cover everything, such as mountain rescue or being flown back to the UK for treatment.<\/p>\n\n
Travellers should also be informed that unlike EHICs, travel insurance probably won\u2019t cover them for illnesses they already have.<\/p>\n\n
Travellers should be told that it\u2019s important that they tell their insurer about any health problems. If the insurer can\u2019t cover them, they should recommend a specialist insurance company that can.<\/p>\n\n
Travellers should always get appropriate travel insurance with healthcare cover before they go abroad. It is particularly important they get travel insurance with the right cover if they have a pre-existing medical condition. This is because the EHIC covers pre-existing medical conditions, while many travel insurance policies do not<\/p>\n\n
Travellers should apply for the free GHIC card<\/a> through the NHS website.<\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.Text 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"d85e766a-30a8-4c31-8057-d8054a7c3b81"}],"header":"Travel insurance and the EHIC \/ GHIC"},{"position":{"x":15.894563815083366,"y":65.32470988003209},"alwaysFullscreen":false,"content":[{"params":{"text":"
Since the UK left the European Union, passports need to fulfil two criteria when travellers visit Europe's Schengen Area:
\n\u2022 the 10-year rule.<\/strong> The passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the day that a traveller enters the Schengen Area
\n\u2022 the three-month rule.<\/strong> The passport must be valid for at least three months after the day that a traveller plans to leave
\n
\n[Schengen Area countries are Austria, Bulgaria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland (all EU Member States except Cyprus and Ireland, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).]
\n
\nFor example, if a traveller is entering Spain on 5 September 2025 and returning to the UK on 8 September 2025, their passport needs to have been issued after 5 September 2015 and be valid until at least 8 December 2025.
\n
\nAlthough these rules aren't new, people are still getting caught out by it, preventing them from boarding flights.
\n
\nSince Brexit, UK passport holders are considered 'third-country nationals' by EU Member States and Schengen countries, with the exception of Ireland. This means that travellers can only stay for a maximum of 90 days within a six-month period in Schengen countries.
\n
\nWhy is the 10-year passport rule important for UK passport holders?<\/strong>
\nSome UK passports have more than 10 years of validity because, until September 2018, the UK Passport Office would add any existing validity on current passports to their replacements when the passport was renewed. Therefore, if an old passport was still valid for nine months when someone applied for a new passport, that new passport would be valid for 10 years and nine months. However, since Brexit, EU countries no longer accept the additional validity.
\n
\nGovernment guidance<\/strong>
\nMore information on travelling to the EU and the Schengen<\/a> Area can be found on the GOV.UK website.
\n
\nPets<\/strong>
\nUK travellers should still be able to take their pets abroad, but the rules could become very complex.
\n
\nTravellers will need to be told that they are going to have to take their pet to the vet to get a rabies vaccination. They will then have to return a month later to get a blood test and send that blood test to an EU laboratory.
\n
\nThe traveller's vet will have to confirm the results, and the traveller will then have to wait another three months before they can take their pet out of the country.<\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.Text 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"081db167-92be-454f-b549-42ddd17a8170"}],"header":"Passports"},{"position":{"x":49.84025071604184,"y":65.30519572272462},"alwaysFullscreen":false,"content":[{"params":{"text":"
Charges for making calls abroad have been a problem for mobile phone users since the devices were invented. These so-called roaming charges were often very expensive but an EU initiative changing telecoms rules meant they were abolished and travellers could effectively \u2018roam like at home\u2019.<\/p>\n\n
Such provisions have become very important for UK holidaymakers. The UK Government has set an ambitious target of \u2018no less protection\u2019 for travellers as the UK leaves the EU. Nevertheless, the ambition to leave the EU digital single market and questions over regulations requiring reciprocal agreement with the remaining EU 27 member states seem to provide significant barriers in reaching that goal. It remains unclear whether the current charging regime can be retained.<\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.Text 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"7a27fbc1-4a8b-4587-8cbd-b0e0e566088c"}],"header":"Data roaming"},{"position":{"x":83.84511891078053,"y":64.97079818920699},"alwaysFullscreen":false,"content":[{"params":{"text":"
UK citizens will need a visa for stays in the EU of longer than 90 days in a 180-day period.<\/p>\n\n
Travellers don't currently need a visa for short visits to the Schengen Area. They can stay for up to 90 days within a 180-day period as a British passport holder. This means that travellers can visit as many Schengen countries as they like, as long as they don't exceed 90 days in total within 180 days.<\/p>\n\n
There is a new system called the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS)<\/a>, which is due to be introduced in 2026. It is only for travellers who can currently travel to Europe without a visa; it will therefore not be available to UK citizens. <\/p>\n\n
<\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.Text 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"b2149957-30bb-4c0f-adfc-750b766175f5"}],"header":"Visas"}],"hotspotNumberLabel":"Hotspot #num","closeButtonLabel":"Close","image":{"path":"images\/image-609bc194ad8d6.png","mime":"image\/png","copyright":{"license":"U"},"width":1200,"height":800}},"library":"H5P.ImageHotspots 1.8","metadata":{"contentType":"Image Hotspots","license":"U","title":"Travelling in Europe"},"subContentId":"c11a29be-9d15-4a12-b9da-338509a417e5"},"useSeparator":"disabled"}]},"library":"H5P.Column 1.13","subContentId":"36667a09-07fd-401d-8626-fca372bc1597","metadata":{"contentType":"Column","license":"U","title":"Section 1: travelling in Europe"}}],"behaviour":{"defaultTableOfContents":true,"progressIndicators":true,"progressAuto":true,"displaySummary":true},"read":"Read","displayTOC":"Display 'Table of contents'","hideTOC":"Hide 'Table of contents'","nextPage":"Next page","previousPage":"Previous page","chapterCompleted":"Page completed!","partCompleted":"@pages of @total completed","incompleteChapter":"Incomplete page","navigateToTop":"Navigate to the top","markAsFinished":"I have finished this page","fullscreen":"Fullscreen","exitFullscreen":"Exit fullscreen","bookProgressSubtext":"@count of @total pages","interactionsProgressSubtext":"@count of @total interactions","submitReport":"Submit Report","restartLabel":"Restart","summaryHeader":"Summary","allInteractions":"All interactions","unansweredInteractions":"Unanswered interactions","scoreText":"@score \/ @maxscore","leftOutOfTotalCompleted":"@left of @max interactions completed","noInteractions":"No interactions","score":"Score","summaryAndSubmit":"Summary & submit","noChapterInteractionBoldText":"You have not interacted with any pages.","noChapterInteractionText":"You have to interact with at least one page before you can see the summary.","yourAnswersAreSubmittedForReview":"Your answers are submitted for review!","bookProgress":"Book progress","interactionsProgress":"Interactions progress","totalScoreLabel":"Total score","a11y":{"progress":"Page @page of @total.","menu":"Toggle navigation menu"}}

Module 5. Travelling in Europe