British holidaymakers will face EU accusations very soon | United Kingdom | News

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The news comes as free movement rules have changed since Britain left the EU after Brexit. Travelers leaving Britain to any EU state under the Schengen Agreement will now be treated like any other non-EU country, resulting in additional charges.

The European Commission has confirmed that travelers from the UK will be charged a visa fee of £ 5.88 (€ 7) from next year and will be required to pre-register their details before being allowed to enter EU Schengen countries.

The European Travel Information and Authorization Scheme (ETIAS) currently allows residents of 61 non-EU countries to enter the Schengen area with prior authorization.

Rather than needing a visa, the program levies a fee, which allows holders to stay and travel in EU member states that are Schengen signatories for up to 90 days.

From the end of 2022, as part of the post-Brexit agreements, the United Kingdom will be added to the ETIAS, covering all the countries of the Schengen area as well as a number of non-Schengen “micro-states” such as than Vatican City.

Brits will have to pay a new tax to travel to the EU this year (Image: Getty)

Vacationers in Greece

UK holidaymakers will need to complete the process before traveling (Image: Getty)

The ETIAS program was first unveiled by the EU in 2016, as part of an effort to bolster security by allowing immigration officers to track visitors through the bloc, without the need to ” impose a cumbersome visa program when traveling between Member States.

During its introduction, then-President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, hailed the program as improving the management of the EU’s borders, helping to reduce crime and terrorism and strengthening the liberalization policy. visas from the block.

Currently, citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland can travel to the UK for holidays or short trips without the need for a visa.

As visa-free nationals, they can visit the UK as a ‘standard visitor’ without needing to apply for a visa before travel and can apply for entry at the UK border.

Standard visitors can stay in the UK for up to six months.

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EU ready for overhaul of Schengen travel

Longer process

Additional bureaucracy will mean more planning for UK tourists (Image: Getty)

Entry refused

Entry may be refused by the EU border police if the visa is not obtained (Image: Getty)

The government has explained that there is no specified maximum period that an individual can spend in the UK over a period of time, for example six months every twelve months, as long as each individual visit does not exceed the maximum. for a single visit, normally six months.

In contrast, UK citizens making short trips to the EU, EEA or Switzerland can remain visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

However, the government has said visitors to the UK could be refused entry if it is clear from their travel history that they are seeking to stay in the UK for long periods of time or to do so from the UK. United their homes via repeated visits.

News articles from May 2021 highlighted several cases of EU nationals being refused entry to the UK and sent to removal centers.

In some cases, travelers from the EU have reportedly attempted to enter the UK to stay there while looking for work.

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British expats the best destinations to live in (Image: Daily Express)

Other reports also suggest that some travelers have been barred from entering the UK to attend a job interview, although this is allowed under visitor rules.

The European Commission has raised concerns about the treatment of EU citizens.

The government’s position is as follows: “People without the immigration clearance necessary for the activities they intend to undertake in the UK, or where border forces personnel do not believe they are working in the UK. meet the conditions for entry as a visitor, may be refused permission to enter the border, which makes them liable to detention ”.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual number of visits to Europe by travelers from the United Kingdom (UK) decreased significantly in 2020 compared to the previous year.

LHR arrivals

EU citizens do not need a visa to visit the UK (Image: Getty)

Overall, the number of visits by UK travelers to Europe reached around 18.7 million in 2020, up from over 72 million in 2019.

Meanwhile, the number of overseas visits from Europe to the UK also fell sharply in 2020, due to the pandemic.

Schengen Visa Info services indicate that the number of EU nationals in Britain has increased from 3.7 million registered in 2019 to 3.5 million registered in 2020.

According to experts, these numbers are mainly the result of Brexit and the coronavirus situation.

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