Britain is set to leave the European Union at the end of this month – and with just days to go you might be starting to think about what exactly will change on January 31.

The simple answer is not a lot.

Now that prime minister Boris Johnson is pushing his Brexit deal through Parliament, the UK is set to enter a transition period which will last until at least the end of this year.

That means that your travel plans are unlikely to be disrupted – but what are the rules on new passports and visas?

Last year, when a possible no deal Brexit looked as though it could become reality, the government started to warn Brits that they would need a least six months left on their passport to make a trip.

But, the latest advice is that as long as your passport is valid for the whole duration of your trip, you’ll be able to travel.

Information on the government website reads: “Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you do not need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this.

“If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, the rules on travel will stay the same until 31 December 2020.”

So, if you’re travelling to Europe after January 31 and your passport is in date, you’ll be fine to travel.

When the transition period ends, the rules are likely to change – but we won’t know how until nearer the time.

And what about visas?

Currently, you don’t need a visa to travel to countries that are part of the European Union if you hold a British passport.

Those rules will stay the same until the transition period is up, so there’s no need to panic about visas if you’re travelling after January 31.

Source: Manchester Evening Standard

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