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TRAVELLING TO THE EU AFTER THE 29TH MARCH 2019

We have been closely monitoring the latest travel advice relating to BREXIT from both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and from our tour operator partners as well, and as such wanted to update you accordingly.

As we assume you are aware, there is still a great deal of uncertainty as to what will happen but we feel that there are currently a few steps you can take to avoid any disruption in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Passport validity

Currently your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you do not need any additional validity period on your passport beyond this. If we secure the proposed transition period, this won’t change.

However, if the UK leaves the European Union with NO DEAL the passport validity rules for travel to most countries in Europe will change from 29th March 2019. As a precaution, the UK government recommends that you have six months left on your passport on the date of return travel from an EU country. These six months should not include any extra months that may have been added to your passport’s expiry date at the time of renewal (i.e. if you renewed prior to the expiry date of your document). You can check whether your passport is/will be valid by visiting the below website:

https://www.passport.service.gov.uk/check-a-passport

Driving aboard on holiday

Currently you only need your Great Britain or Northern Ireland driving license to drive in Europe when on holiday. You can use a photo card license, or a valid paper-only license issued before 31 March 2000, if you still have one. This situation may change and so, if you are planning to hire a car whilst on holiday you might also consider purchasing an international driving permit (IDP).

Permits can be purchased from the Post Office for £5.50 and will be valid for 3 years from the date of issue. For further information on this visit the below website:

https://www.postoffice.co.uk/international-driving-permit

Please remember as always you need to make sure you have adequate travel insurance in place to cover all aspects of your trip.

Should you have any concerns or further questions please do no hesitate to contact the office.