The repercussions of Brexit so far largely remain to be seen. Article 50 has not yet been triggered and with suggestions that it won’t be until at least the new year Britain looks set to remain in the midst of uncertainty about what the future outside of the EU holds. With Theresa May declaring that Brexit will indeed mean Brexit attentions have turned from the nature of the referendum and the political fallout it caused to how Britain moves forward and what its relationship with the EU will look like in the future. One of the big talking points centres around the freedom of movement afforded to EU citizens. In future will British passports require EU visas for a trip across the channel or a family holiday to Spain?
In a recent interview on BBC 1’s Andrew Marr Show the British Home Secretary Amber Rudd stated that Britons may need to apply in advance for permission to travel to the EU. Whether this be in the form of tourist visas, specially negotiated British visas or under a visa waiver scheme currently being considered by the European commission remains to be seen. She did however state that the latter was not the preferred option but could not be discounted. For EU migrants wanting to enter the UK Rudd said the idea that it would be a necessity to have work permits “certainly has value”.
The news might come as a shock to many Britons who may now have to factor in visa costs into their holiday budgets. The Guardian recently reported that France and Germany, two of the EU’s biggest hitters, have backed a draft European commission legislation based on the US Esta scheme that requires visitors from some countries to apply for permission to travel online at a cost of 11GBP. With the pound having been hit hard as a result of Brexit, and therefore the cost of a European holiday rising in general, for a family of four having to add a further 50GBP on to their budget may not be welcome news.
Ms Rudd did state that British passports requiring EU visas is not a desirable outcome of the Brexit negotiations but it was something that cannot be ruled out. Whilst it is acknowledged the Britain will attempt to get the best deal from the EU, there is an understanding that it will be a two-way negotiation that may see the rest of the EU seek to punish Britain for its decision to leave the European Union.
To answer the question posed at the start of article, will Britain’s require EU visas when travelling to Europe, well, as with most of the repercussions of Brexit, no one knows. On nearly every issue and question Brexit has thrown up, the country and its citizens largely have no answers. It seems an unsatisfactory answer, especially on issues so important and pertinent to people’s lives, but it would appear that on matters concerning Brexit, the only answer one can give is that truly only time will tell.
