Travel restrictions for UK resident but EU/Non-UK passport holders in 2021

A snowHead

I thought it might be useful to have a separate thread on this, for those of us interested. There’s some information and speculation across other threads, but I’m finding it a little hard to follow. And we’re probably in the minority on Snowheads, so thought it might be nice not to bother unaffected people Smile

A lot of what is in the UK press at the minute does not differentiate between UK residents and UK citizens (understandably - writers have word limits, and UK resident/EU passport holder is a minority audience for them).

There are 4 main areas I can think of:

1. Border restrictions:
I’m struggling to find anything concrete on this - probably because certain negotiations are still ongoing, and so it may all change in the coming days/weeks.
Personally I think EU passport holders will be allowed entry to the EU - but restrictions may be in place e.g. prove you are travelling to a residency in an EU country/repatriating.
This appears in a Guardian article, but no source or regulations are cited:

A snowHead

On 3, I was in France (Chamonix) last winter. I was planning to remain there in March until I got a notification from Easyjet on a Friday saying their schedule would be drastically cut from the following Tuesday (due to covid/travel being restricted). There were no flights to/from Birmingham beyond that, and only a couple per week into London, so I hopped on a flight that weekend while I could.
This winter (even if I can cross borders, not quarantine etc) if I have to travel to e.g. London with ski luggage to get on a plane, that would severely curtail my travel.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Here is a link to Austria
https://goverdrive.portal.at/index.php/s/cfTxEwg5TNxCJWF/download

exemptions apply to (persons are allowed to enter Austria, but are required to provide a health certificate not older than 72 hours which confirms that a negative molecular biological SARS-CoV-2-test is given or are required to start a 10-days quarantine as per 2) or 5)):
a. nationals of Austria, EU, United Kingdom, Switzerland as well as persons living in the same household

My interpretation is
IF UK is removed from this list, then UK Citizens will have to provide a negative within 2 days after arrival in Austria & self isolate until the result (same as USA for example).
However EU Citizens arriving from the UK can provide a negative test upon Entry taken within 72 hours before arrival in Austria or isolate.

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@fixx, it frustrates me too when the press refer to UK citizens when they mean UK residents. I am part of the the third category – UK citizen resident in EU, but I don’t think we need another thread! The main crossover here is 3. flights. I won’t be restricted travelling to the UK (no more than anyone else, anyway), but if there aren’t any flights, that will make it difficult. My destination of choice is Manchester, and like for you, London is a bit out of the way. Having to (likely) start from Munich also throws up another transit border crossing, and potentially extra complications. It will certainly be interesting.

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Switzerland - persons travelling from a high risk country can enter Switzerland as long as they have right to Freedom of Movement:

https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home/sem/aktuell/faq-einreiseverweigerung.html#2004672293

Who is not affected by the ban on entry to Switzerland?

Persons, even those arriving from a high-risk country, can still enter Switzerland if they meet at least one of the following requirements:

They also have Swiss citizenship.
They hold a travel document (e.g. a passport or identity card) and
• a residence permit, i.e. a Swiss residence permit (L / B / C / Ci permits);
• a cross-border permit (G permit),
• an FDFA legitimation card;
• a D visa issued by Switzerland;
• a C visa issued by Switzerland after 16 March 2020 in a valid exceptional case or in order to work on a short-term contract;
• an assurance of a residence permit from a cantonal migration authority or an entry permit with a visa issued by Switzerland.

They hold a refugee’s or stateless person’s travel document issued by Switzerland, a passport for foreign nationals issued by Switzerland, a valid residence or permanent residence permit or an F-Permit.

They have rights of free movement.

——

Therefore if Switzerland classifies UK as a high risk country, UK passport holders are ok to enter until Dec 31, after which they will not be allowed to enter Switzerland for holiday reasons as the Brexit transition period which grants UK citizens Freedom of Movement ends.

EU/EEA passport holders travelling from UK will be allowed to enter Switzerland after that date, even if UK itself is classified as a high risk country.

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Thanks @fixx, for starting this separate thread; as you say it's a little niche and the subtleties may be lost somewhat in the main thread. I will focus on France as that is where my interest lies as regards possible travel... My assumption in replying here is that the main question people have is whether, post 1st Jan, travel for tourism/holidays will be allowed if you are resident in (and therefore travelling from) the UK but hold an EU passport. The current advice is here:

https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coronavirus-advice-for-foreign-nationals-in-france/

If you scroll down to the section (fairly near the top) entitled "Can I enter France?" the current situation is covered by paragraph 1, ie no problem. If the UK becomes a 3rd country, as everyone fears the way things are going, then paragraph 2 will apply. Here is the first part of it:

2. If you are in another country, you are recommended to limit international travel as much as possible. If you however must travel, you can only enter France if your journey meets one of the following criteria for exceptions:

> If you are a French national (you may be accompanied by your spouse and children);
> If you are a European Union citizen or a national of Andorra, the Holy See, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland [XXXorXtheXUnitedXKingdomXXX], and your main residence is in France or you are crossing France to reach your country of nationality or residence (you may be accompanied by your spouse and children);
> If you hold a valid French or European residence permit or long-stay visa and your main residence is in France or you are crossing France to reach your residence in the European space;
> If you are transiting for less than 24 hours in an international zone;
> If you hold an official passport;
> etc, etc (ie loads more exceptions largely not relevant to this audience)

I've put big Xes around the UK bit as that would drop out post 1st Jan and marked in bold the bit that I think matters, namely, France does not permit you to enter from a 3rd country in order to go skiing, but in order to head to your country of EU citizenship.

I guess once you have reached your country of citizenship, there may be nothing to stop you from doing a U turn and heading anywhere else you please...

But if anyone has a different spin on things, do holler.

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@bobski62, Very helpful, thank you. Possibly splitting hairs, but I think you are OK to enter France to go skiing - in a country other than France - under the transiting for less than 24 hours but tbh I do not know what "in an international zone" means in this example.

After all it is free

@Scarlet, there have been long debates with regard to the situation of UK citizens resident in the EU, say in Austria. The Austrian residency does not translate into freedom of movement to other countries if you are not a EU citizen, though in normal circumstances no one checks so not an issue. More problematic for work etc. I believe (though not been following in any detail as does not affect me personally) that the commission made a proposal that UK citizens in this position should get a photo id card which would prove their entitlement to freedom of movement but not sure if this was ever followed through. Not sure what documentation Austria issues as proof of residency, all I have is a now rather faded 20 year old paper form. It has sat in the back of a drawer for years never needed but pretty vital at the moment if I want to travel anywhere.

Thanks @Snowsartre, that's actually a fair point - I have been focused on heading into France and staying there to ski. As you point out, 'in and out again the other side' to ski elsewhere may be fine, so long as elsewhere is happy to let you in! Let's see if others can shed light on whether this is correct and what 'international zone' might mean precisely ...

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@munich_irish, the embassy in Vienna has been advising British citizens in Austria to take the Anmeldebescheunigung or Daueraufenthalt certificates if leaving Austria at any time before acquiring the Article 50 EUV card. That proves residency in Austria but of course we have lost freedom of movement in terms of being able to live and work in another EU country.

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@bobski62, I believe the France has relaxed (or is intending to do so) its regulations a bit and the restrictions on travel have now been lifted, so should not be an issue if you hold an EU passport (or UK one until 31.12) entering France. Given the general situation not sure how long any such relaxation will remain (here in Germany it has just been announced that shops will close from Wednesday and that Christmas and New Year are pretty much cancelled). Health regulations are changing all the time and will continue to do so until the level of vaccinations reaches a point which impacts significantly on virus transmission.

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@munich_irish, I’m well aware of all that. My interest in the thread comes from the restrictions on UK travellers – as fixx points out, if British residents cannot travel, there will be a reduction in available transport, which means that should I want to go to the UK, my options are also reduced. As a citizen, I cannot be prevented from entering the UK, and as a resident, I am allowed back into Austria – that is clear, but may be complicated by transit through Germany if Germany has COVID restrictions on either UK travellers or Austrian residents.

@queenie pretty please, my understanding was that the commission proposed that UK citizens granted residency rights by their countries prior to 31.12.20 would continue to have freedom of movement rights (this was completely separate from any negotiations with the UK government, it was a result of lobbying by groups like "British in Europe"). I dont know if that was ever followed through. Practically all the Brits I know in Germany have either got or applied for German citizenship, which is relatively straight forward to get (seven years residency, less if spouse of a German citizen).

You know it makes sense.

@munich_irish, no we lose freedom of movement rights. Applying for EU citizenship would reinstate those rights, but not many of us qualify for that.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Hi @munich_irish, yes indeed, I will be tuning in to any Macron - Castex announcements in the next few days, hoping they ease restrictions to allow inter-regional travel. I think the main purpose of the thread though is to discuss and debate the potential "what ifs" post 1st Jan should the UK become a 3rd country and be subject to much tighter Covid EU-entry restrictions. I think to a great degree it's looking into a crystal ball, but it might help us at least plan for a range of scenarios and make informed decisions.

I can't say that I'm completely desperate to head out; even if it's feasible, I (indeed we all) also have to assess whether it's sensible!

Great to see this thread staying on track, and not suffering the 'thread drift' you often get...

A snowHead

@Scarlet, that's true, though as far as I am aware there are no restrictions (or any planned) travelling for transit purposes in Germany. There are also no restrictions on EU citizens entering Germany (everyone including Markus Söder has said no return to the closed borders of the spring) though if you enter from a "high risk" area and plan to stay there is a quarantine requirement (mainly to discourage holiday travel from Germany so exceptions for border workers etc). I can see it does make things even more painful if you have to get to Munich from Innsbruck just to get on a plane (not that are many planes even from Munich at the moment)

A snowHead

Thanks for the links @Mr.Egg, @Android2000, @bobski62 - more reading for me to do!

On France (as that's my main area of interest), the only being able to enter to get to your residence if what I had feared - but hoped wouldn't be the case, as I do want to ski in France this winter. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that France might but an exception in for the UK early next year, not least because of the large numbers of French living in the UK.

Interesting wording on Switzerland though - I could possibly keep my Geneva flights and just catch up with friends there, and pop to Verbier skiing! OR change to Austria, I've always wanted to check out their skiing Toofy Grin

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Scarlet, I hadn't considered people living abroad travelling back to the UK! I hope something is worked out and there are plenty of travel options for you! (and us all...)

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@bobski62, Wrote "..If you scroll down to the section (fairly near the top) entitled "Can I enter France?" the current situation is covered by paragraph 1, ie no problem. If the UK becomes a 3rd country, as everyone fears the way things are going, then paragraph 2 will apply...."

I'm not so sure about that -- Given that countries like Rwanda and Thailand are included in that list i.e. 'Third countries', I believe the UK will remain in the Paragraph 1 list and therefore 'No problem'... ??!

Covid problems allowing of course..

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Hi @albob, when you say

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I've been looking into Germany because my wife is a dual national. As far as we can work out, she can enter the country as a German citizen- but the problem is where you go from there. You can't book a hotel unless it is for work, and she doesn't have an address there. So especially under the new rules coming in on Wednesday, she can't stay with anyone but nor can she book anywhere. There are further rules in each Land.

So long story short, it seems that you can enter Germany on an EU passport, but unless you've got your own place there, you might be in for a lot of bother.

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@PrimroseAndBlue, that is pretty much the case. The regulations as currently understood mean that whilst there is no issue for EU citizens and their family members entering the country there is no possibility of getting somewhere to stay unless it is an emergency or business reasons (in a hotel) or in an otherwise unoccupied private property. We worked on an event (basically the hub for a virtual multinational company conference) last week, the producer came from the UK. He got permission to come for "pressing business reasons" on the basis he had a negative test and did not stay for more than five days. Anyone outside of the various exceptions will have to quarantine for a minimum of five days (assuming negative test). In reality there is little point in coming as everything is pretty much closed until January 10th. You could go ski touring / cross country skiing as long as you do it on your own. You can transit on to another country but most of those (I think only exception is Switzerland but might be wrong) would have similar regulations

After all it is free

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Some very useful links, thanks OP and contributors.

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So I have an apartment booked in Val Cenis. The question is, will they insist on a 5 day quarantine, or can you pay for a Covid test on arrival, or is there any chance they will accept a UK Covid test.

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What date; where are you travelling from; what's the purpose of your visit?

Val Cenis (Maurienne?) being in France, if the answers are: after 1st Jan; from the UK; for a skiing holiday, and UK becomes a Covid 3rd country then you won't be allowed in, surely? Test or no test. Unless you have French citizenship?

@bobski62, I think it might be EU citizenship that’s required?

You know it makes sense.

@snowball, are you an EU national?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

From Switzerland for domestic tourism only? thread:

A snowHead

Thanks (again) @SkiingQuinHat!

This is what the "Who is not allowed to enter Switzerland?" section goes on to say:

A snowHead

@jebroni3_16, Yes I think so. The link above also has this text:

Who has rights of free movement?
EU/EFTA and UK citizens and their family members, irrespective of their nationality, have rights of free movement. Family members are defined as

spouses or registered partners of an EU/EFTA/UK citizen;
relatives in descending line who are under the age of 21 years or who are dependent. This includes the relatives of EU/EFTA/UK citizens and the relatives of their spouse or registered partner;
relatives in ascending line who are dependent. This includes the relatives of EU/EFTA/UK citizens and the relatives of their spouse or registered partner;
in the case of EU/EFTA/UK citizens living as students in Switzerland: spouses or registered partners and their dependent children.

Of course as a result of Brexit UK citizens lose their right to free movement on January 1st.

So if the UK is classed as a high risk country by Switzerland, those of us fortunate enough to be based in UK but with EU/EEA citizenship (and our families) will still be allowed to enter Switzerland even after the Brexit transition period ends. Those with UK passports only will not be allowed.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I think that is right that you can go - but if you travel from the UK to Switzerland using an EU/EEA passport you will then have you quarantine for 14 days in Switzerland as UK will be a high risk country. So better but not by that much.

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Exactly. Thanks again (again) @SkiingQuinHat because you've resolved my indecision about changing my flights for the first week of January.

Now to see whether the missus minds me spending New Year over there on my own and leaving her back here on her own... Laughing

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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No, upon further reading, it does seem as though you're right @Android2000

Question is, what's the UK's 14-day incidence, what's Switzerland, and what are they likely to be on 28th December when the list is next due to be updated?! Puzzled

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@jebroni3_16, this is updated daily with 14 day incidence rates for all countries in the WHO "European" region (many more than EU) https://npgeo-corona-npgeo-de.hub.arcgis.com/app/e6acbf22cc4f4b85949f59734244ba71 . Currently Switzerland = 681 / 100,000 and UK = 376 / 100,000. As to the rates in 10 days time, best consult Mystic Meg's crystal ball Very Happy

After all it is free

Which is the best French/Swiss border to cross where you won't get questioned, will be driving a car with UK plates with an Irish passport !!

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Thunderer, with an Irish passport you will not need to avoid any questions at the Swiss border.

Help!!

Travel restrictions for UK resident but EU/Non-UK passport holders in 2021

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