The UK has officially left the EU on 31 January 2021. Consequently, there are new rules for travel to Europe for business or holiday when the COVID restrictions lift. Be prepared, plan ahead and get ready for your trip.
Passport
You must make sure your passport has at least 6 months of validity left and must not be less than 10 years old. If your passport has less than 6 months, you can renew your British passport here. Generally, it takes 3 months to get your new passport if you apply online and it takes longer if you apply by post. Do plan your trip ahead.
Driving to Europe
Check in advance of the countries you are visiting in Europe. you may need to apply for International Driving Permit (IDP). You can obtain the IDP from a post office in the UK. You must already have either a valid UK driving license or a Northern Ireland driving license.
There are different types of IDP. Which IDP you need is dependent on which country or countries you are visiting and how long you are going to drive there.
Click here to see which IDP you need to apply.
Visa or work permit to enter a country
You may need a visa or work permit if you are planning to visit a country in Europe for more than 90 days in a 180-day period.
If you are doing the following then you would need a work permit or visa:
- Relocating from a UK company or a branch to a branch in a different country. This is called intra-corporate transfer. You would need a visa even for a short period of time.
- Providing a service according to contracts to your customer in another country in which your employer has no presence.
- Providing your services in another country as a self-employed person.
Click here for business travel tips to Europe.
Mobile roaming charges
Contact your mobile network provider to enquire about the roaming charges as you do not want to end up with a huge bill. Sometimes, It may be cheaper to use local mobile network in the country you are visiting for a long period of time rather than using a roaming service.
Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)
Consider applying for the Global Health Insurance Card, especially if your European Health Insurance Card has expired. It is free of charge. You can apply online or by post and it will take 10 days to arrive.
Click here to apply your GHIC.
British embassies in Europe
If you require help while you are in Europe, contact the country’s British Embassy.
Get information about a UK company from EUROPE
You can get information about a UK company from EUROPE through the Companies House website. Ordinarily, you can get the following UK company information for FREE from Companies House.
- Company’s names
- Company registration numbers
- Current registered office address
- Date of incorporation
- The company directors and secretaries
- Registered current mortgage charges
- Company accounts filed
- Submitted yearly confirmation statement
- previous company names
- Insolvency information if applicable
If you have any questions on how to get information about a UK company while you are in EUROPE, our accountants can help you.
Countries in Europe
Europe include the following countries:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Republic of Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Norway
- Iceland
- Liechtenstein
Visit the gov.uk/visit-europe-2021 for further information.
