Brexit: New campaign to help Brits with travel advice

The government is launching a new initiative to help UK travellers heading to the EU after the Brexit transition period ends in December.

Anyone booking a European trip for 2021 will be urged to check a dedicated web page beforehand.

From January, the UK will no longer be following EU rules and travellers may need to take extra measures.

These may include having health insurance or an international drivers licence.

Crucially, it warns people that they may be unable to travel unless their passports are valid for at least another six months from their date of travel.

And passports must be less than 10 years old.

Ads will appear in print, reminding people of the changing rules around EU travel

The campaign will also include advertising in online and print publications, as well as on social media.

The advice says people may need to buy health insurance as European Health Insurance Cards - which used to guarantee UK travellers free or reduced-cost healthcare during a temporary stay across the EU, Norway and Switzerland - will no longer be valid.

Pets and data

Some countries may not recognise UK driving licences so travellers who want to drive will need to apply for an international driving permit.

The new process for getting permission to take pets into the EU will take four months to complete, and UK phone users will no longer enjoy automatic toll-free data roaming.

The information will be available on a page of the government website.

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Wendy Morton, the minister for the European neighbourhood, said the campaign would help travellers "by bringing together all the information they need to know in one place so they can plan in advance and get on with their trip."

Figures from the ONS show that UK residents made 67m visits to EU countries in 2019.

Mark Tanzer, chief executive of the travel industry body Abta, said: "Europe is home to some of the most popular destinations for British holidaymakers.

"Many people will be making plans for travelling to Europe next year, so Abta and its members are keen to work with the UK government to make customers aware of any changes that will affect their travel arrangements."