Travel News

Emirates customers can now plan their travels and fly with greater assurance and peace of mind, with the airline’s latest initiative to provide expanded, multi-risk travel cover on top of its current COVID-19 cover.

Provided by Emirates at no additional cost to its customers, in partnership with AIG Travel, the cover was designed to provide all Emirates passengers a truly unique offer for stress-free and hassle-free travel.

Emirates explained that the new multi-risk travel insurance and COVID-19 cover would automatically apply to all Emirates tickets purchased from 1 December, and extends to Emirates codeshare flights operated by partner airlines, as long as the ticket number starts with 176.

Emirates Chairman/Chief Executive, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said: “Emirates was the first airline to offer complimentary global COVID-19 cover for travelers back in July, and the response from our customers has been tremendously encouraging. “We’ve not rested on our laurels and instead continued to look at how we can offer our customers an even better proposition. We’re very pleased to be able to now provide this new multi-risk travel insurance and COVID-19 cover, which is another industry first, to all our customers.

“We see a strong appetite for travel around the world, especially heading into the winter holidays as people seek warmer climates and family destinations like Dubai. By launching this new multi-risk travel insurance and COVID-19 cover, we aim to give our customers even more confidence in making their travel plans this winter and moving into 2021.”

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Travel agencies in countries across the Middle East and Africa say the United Arab Emirates has temporarily halted issuing new visas to their citizens, a so-far unexplained ban on visitors amid both the coronavirus pandemic and the UAE’s normalization deal with Israel.

Confusion over the UAE visa ban targeting 11 Muslim-majority nations, in addition to Lebanon and Kenya, swirled after a leaked document from Dubai’s state-owned airport free zone surfaced this week, declaring restrictions against a range of nationalities.

Emirati authorities have not acknowledged the suspension that comes as the UAE welcomes Israeli tourists for the first time in history, the coronavirus pandemic surges across the region and those searching for work in the federation of seven sheikhdoms increasingly overstay their tourist visas amid a cascade of business shutdowns and lay-offs.

Citing an order from the country’s immigration authorities, the note to companies operating in Dubai’s airport free zone announced a pause in issuing all new employment, long and short-term visit visas “until further notice” from countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Iraq and Tunisia, without offering a reason. Those already holding visas would not be affected, it said.

The revelation has gripped social media feeds and news outlets worldwide, underscoring the UAE’s global status as magnet for expat workers and visitors who outnumber locals nearly nine to one in the country.

When asked by The Associated Press about the order, the country’s immigration department said it’s “not aware of any formal list of nationalities requiring visa suspension.” Dubai’s airport free zone confirmed the veracity of the document to the AP and said it was waiting for further clarification from officials.

Meanwhile, across the region, agencies and authorities say their citizens are forbidden from entering the UAE.

Travel agents in Pakistan said the UAE has barred single men under the age of 50 from the country, although those traveling with family can still obtain visas. Last week, Pakistan’s foreign office said it had “learnt that the UAE has temporarily suspended the issuance of new visit visas” in a move “believed to be related to the second wave of COVID-19.”

Bestways Travel company south of Islamabad was skeptical. “With such specific age and gender limits, obviously this has nothing to do with the coronavirus,” agent Jamchit Agha said. He said it was more likely tied to security concerns, or fears about young men overstaying visas to find jobs in Dubai, the region’s financial hub. Dubai relies on millions of low-paid expat workers from Southeast Asia.

Several travel companies across Afghanistan also claimed the UAE had stopped issuing visas to citizens, without offering any explanation.

In Kenya, speculation has spread that the country landed on the UAE’s blacklist over a spate of fake certificates showing negative results on coronavirus tests used to travel to the UAE, resulting in 21 arrests Thursday. Four travel agencies in the capital Nairobi said they were seeking clarification from Emirati authorities after dozens of tourist visas were rejected. Travel Shore Africa, one of the agencies, said 40 of its clients bound for Dubai had been blocked from boarding their flight last-minute on Thursday.

Two travel agents in Lebanon, a country that has sent legions of skilled workers to the UAE as its own economy plunged, confirmed visa applications were currently on hold except for those with a foreign passport or residency in a third country. Both companies have stopped issuing visas until they receive clear instructions.

Travel agents in Damascus have struggled over the past two weeks to understand why Syria had been removed from a list of countries eligible to apply for visas online. One agent assumed the omission was a technical glitch until a colleague told him that authorities had also stopped issuing visas to Syrians.

Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Sahaf said Iraq has not been officially informed of an Emirati travel ban against its citizens, but the country was aware of the reported blacklist and is following up through diplomatic channels. An employee at Dubai’s budget airline, FlyDubai, in Baghdad said the company was taking far fewer visa applications, pending instructions expected next week.

Saeed Mohammed, an agent at Arabian Nights Tours in Dubai, said he frequently faces difficulties obtaining UAE entry visas for Iranians, Turkish citizens and those from Yemen’s rebel-held capital due to simmering political tensions. The UAE’s recent normalization deal with Israel, which now allows Israelis to visit the emirate’s skyscraper-studded cities visa-free, has cast a spotlight on a changing Middle East. Gulf leaders have come to see Israel, a former enemy, as a key ally against the shared threats of Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Despite long-standing visa troubles, Mohammed said he’s never seen the 100% visa rejection rate of the past week, with some dozen visitor visas denied each day from Yemen, Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan and other countries.

“We can only assume that there has been some change in the law, but in reality, no one knows,” he said.

Mohammad Hosseini, Iran’s Chargé d’Affaires in the UAE, wrote on Twitter Thursday that he’s following up with the Emirati Foreign Ministry after hearing the visa ban applies to 13 countries “temporarily and until further notice.” A travel agent in Tehran said Iranians hadn’t received visas to enter the UAE since early August.

One travel agent in Istanbul said she wasn’t at all surprised by the ban, especially given the UAE’s growing trend of rejecting Turkish visas over the past few months — the result of a political rivalry, not the coronavirus, she added.

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By ISABEL DEBRE

BY Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja

The cost of air tickets along several routes have doubled due to the high demand for air travel in light of the rising insecurity in the country and cost of flight operations, findings by The PUNCH have shown.

Checks on several airline websites showed that even intending passengers who booked their flights days ahead of departure were also affected.

A check on Friday on the website of Max Air showed that a one-way ticket from Maiduguri to Lagos for Saturday was put at N100,000 while the same flight costs N70,000 for Monday.

A flight from Kano to Abuja on Azman Air on Friday was put at N85,000; the same route for Saturday was put at N61,000.

A flight from Lagos to Abuja via Max Air on Monday was put at N80,000 while the same flight on Aero was fixed at N107,000.

Travelling to Kano State from Lagos on Arik Air on Saturday, cost about N70,618 while the flight would cost N65,564 for the same route on Tuesday.

It was also observed that the Lagos-Port Harcourt route, which is one of the busiest in the country, had also been affected.

A check on Arik Air’s website on Friday showed that there were no available seats till Monday and the price for the four available seats was fixed at N52, 868 each for afternoon flight and at N57,045 for morning.

Overland Airways which travels less busy routes with its much smaller aircraft also hiked its ticket prices.

Ilorin to Abuja flight was put at N56,000 on Saturday and N61, 500 on Sunday; the same route was put at a cost of N56,000 on Tuesday and N52,500 on Wednesday.

 
The increase in the air tickets caused a debate on social media last week as several Nigerians lamented how they had to part with large sums of money to purchase tickets.

Confirming the increments on Friday, the Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi, told The Punch that airlines could not access foreign exchange at the official rate while the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria had increased its fees.

Sanusi said except airlines were given special concessions, the prices would continue to rise and could hit an average of N100,000 for even the Lagos/Abuja route.

He said, “We were buying dollars at N360 and it went to N380 but you can’t get it for less than N480.

“We are paying VAT at 7.5 per cent. We are paying 15 per cent duty on our spare parts. The boarding passes, we pay 15 per cent duty on it.

“The passenger service charge has increased by FAAN. So, don’t look at one component but look at the total reason for the increase.

“Yes, there is an increase in demand but it is caused by the lack of aircraft and this lack of aircraft is caused by unavailability of spare parts which is also caused by dollar scarcity.”

Also speaking, the General Secretary, Aviation Roundtable, Mr Olumide Ohunayo, said there was a connection between the rising airfares and the insecurity in the country.

Lagos based travel agent, Mr Ndudim Nwaoma, said, his encounter with several passengers showed that many were desperate to fly because of the high level of insecurity in the country.

Authorities in northeast Nigeria’s Borno state on Monday began returning around 3,000 people to their homes six years after they were displaced by jihadist violence, officials said.

The operation came after a weekend attack on farmworkers killed as many as 110 people in Nigeria’s northwest in what would be the deadliest assault this year blamed on Islamist militants. 

The returnees who fled their homes in Marte in Lake Chad region in 2014 were packed into dozens of trucks and buses from Bakassi camp for internally displaced (IDPs) in the regional capital Maiduguri. 

“All arrangements have been concluded today…for the return of first batch of IDPs from Marte,” the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said in a statement.

The returnees comprised 500 households numbering around 3,000 people were selected from four camps across the city, said Abdulkadir Ibrahim, NEMA spokesman in a statement. 

“I’m very happy to return to my roots which I left six years ago,” one returnee Bukar Kyarimi told AFP. â€œWe need to go back and tend our abandoned farms but we hope the government will give us adequate protection from the insurgents.” 

“We are eager to go back to our homes but what happened in Koshobe…is frightening,” said another returnee, referring to the weekend attack on local farmers blamed on Boko Haram jihadists.

UN humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria Edward Kallon had initially said in a statement on Sunday 110 farmers were killed in Koshobe but said later the figure was “unconfirmed”.

The decade-long jihadist conflict has forced around two million out of their homes, most of them from northern Borno, pushing them into squalid camps in Maiduguri where they rely on food handouts from international charities.

The authorities have been encouraging people displaced by the jihadist violence to go back to their homes, saying the camps were no longer sustainable, despite concern from aid agencies that it was not safe for them to return. 

The Sunday massacre of farm workers near Maiduguri underlines the security risk the displaced face on their return.

In the last two years, residents were returned to five major towns where they are confined under military protection, with trenches dug around the towns to fend off attacks by the jihadists.

Despite the security measures, the insurgents have continued to launch attacks on the fortified towns.

The IS-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) which split from the main Boko Haram faction in 2016, keeps camps in islands on Lake Chad —- where Nigeria,  Niger, Cameroon and Chad meet —- and the area is known to be the group’s bastion.

The group focusses on military targets, but it has increasingly been abducting and killing civilians at bogus checkpoints as well as raiding villages for supplies. 

In August, hundreds of residents in the town of Kukawa in the Lake Chad area were taken hostage by ISWAP fighters for days.

In September, thousands of residents of Baga on the shores of the lake returned to their homes they fled in 2014.

They have been restricted to its confines for fear of ISWAP fighters who have killed residents who went fishing, according to locals and security sources. 

At least 36,000 people have been killed in the jihadist conflict since 2009 and violence has spread into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition.

BY  Friday Olokor, Adelani Adepegba and Leke Baiyewu, Abuja

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has urged Nigerians to be weary of festivities such as Christmas carols as the year winds down.

It also warned against non-essential travels just as it asked Nigerians abroad to remain wherever they are or stand the risk of being stranded in the country in the event that the government takes a decision on international travels.

The call formed the theme of the speeches of the Chairman of the PTF, Boss Mustapha; the national coordinator, Sani Aliyu; the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire; and the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu, at the weekly briefing of the task force in Abuja on Monday.

Mustapaha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said the PTF was escalating its surveillance and testing drive to ensure that the spread of the virus was effectively contained as the nation approaches the festive season.

“We shall continue to remind Nigerians that all non-essential trips should be put off this December. This is for your safety and good health,” he said.

Speaking on vaccines, the PTF chairman said while it was a significant achievement, it was however, important for the citizens to continue to comply with the non-pharmaceutical interventions before the vaccines would become available.

“The PTF is already working on the strategy for gaining access to the vaccine as soon as they are available,” he added.

The SGF also said over the past weeks, discussions have been held about the safety issues pertaining to the National Sports Festival scheduled to hold in Benin, Edo State.

He said new dates have been agreed upon early in 2021, before which, measures would be put in place to minimize infections.

‘Don’t come home for Christmas’

 
Aliyu advised Nigerians in the Diaspora not to consider coming home, urging them to celebrate Christmas and New Year wherever they are.

He said, “Nigerians outside the country, hopefully they will stay where they are. And for Nigerians in-country, we will also stay where we are.

The national coordinator disclosed that for every 1,000 passengers coming into the country, the nation records 10 positive cases of COVID-19.

He added, “Please, for this period, if your travel is not essential, stay where you are. We are actively discouraging Nigerians abroad from coming home this Christmas because of COVID-19 and the number of infections we have outside the country.

“So, the message is; if you do not want to get stranded, if you do not want to bring COVID-19 to your elderly relatives in Nigeria, please stay where you are. There will be other holidays.”

Christmas carols, travels ‘supper spreaders’ of virus

At the press briefing, Ihekweazu said Christmas carols, travels and other gatherings during festivities were capable of turning out to be “super spreaders” of the virus, hence the need for Nigerians to avoid them as much as possible.

He said, “This is really to re-emphasise the call by the PTF that many of the traditional meetings that we engage in at this time of the year, whether they are Christmas carols or festivals, trips, family gatherings, each of those could end up being a super spreader event. So, we must take this into consideration as we make our choices.”

Ihekweazu said a travel advisory has been issued detailing why both local and international travels must be avoided unless they are absolutely necessary.

Meanwhile, the SGF said the national response to COVID-19 pandemic and security must be prioritised as security could not be relaxed even while tackling the virus in the country.

Mustapha also noted that the global number of COVID-19 infections crossed 63 million on Sunday, 29th November, 2020.

According to him, in Africa, Nigeria ranked 5th for both the highest cumulative cases and deaths.

By Yunus Yusuf

Arik Air has leased a Boeing 737-700 aircraft from Eznis Airways to boost its operations.

PM NEWS notes that Eznis Airways is a scheduled and charter airline based in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

The Chief Executive Officer of Arik Air, Capt. Roy Ilegbodu said in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday that the leased aircraft arrived in Nigeria on Nov. 21.

Ilegbodu said that the aircraft, which would be deployed into service from Dec. 2, would enable Arik Air to return to some routes which were suspended at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is expected that the aircraft will boost Arik Air’s fleet in readiness for the yuletide season.

“We are pleased to announce the additional aeroplane to boost our operations and ensure we provide seamless and efficient service to our customers in this season,” Ilegbodu said.

NAN

BY VARUN GODINHO

UAE national carrier Etihad Airways will begin a direct weekly flight from Beijing to Abu Dhabi from Monday, December 7.

EY 889 will depart Beijing at 12.30am every Monday and arrive Abu Dhabi at 5.30am local time. It will be serviced using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Etihad resumed flights between Abu Dhabi and Shanghai in July this year, initially with a weekly flight.

With the second weekly flight now added, Etihad has become the only airline in the MENA region to operate non-stop passenger flights departing from both Shanghai and Beijing.

“Being granted the rights to operate the second weekly flight by the Chinese government was huge recognition of the unrelenting joint efforts by the airline, testing institutions in the UAE, and the authorities in both countries, in the battle against Covid-19,” said Martin Drew, senior vice president sales and cargo, Etihad Aviation Group.

The airline added that all guests travelling from Abu Dhabi to China must meet Etihad’s testing requirements according to their UAE residency status.

Passengers must undergo a Covid-19 PCR test and IgM test before their flight.

Testing requirements differ for UAE residents and non-UAE residents departing from Abu Dhabi for China.

For UAE residents travelling from Abu Dhabi to China, they must:
• Show a copy of their residence visa at check-in.
• Conduct a Covid-19 PCR test and IgM test 48 hours before their departure at a G42 or SEHA facility in the UAE.
• Submit their negative test results to the Chinese embassy for a Health Code, which they will also be required to present at check-in.

For non-UAE residents travelling from Abu Dhabi to China, they must:
• Conduct a Covid-19 PCR test seven days before departure at a G42 or SEHA facility in the UAE.
• Conduct a PCR test and IgM test 48 hours before departure at a G42 or SEHA facility in the UAE – they must present their seven-day test result to be able to have their 48-hour test.
• Negative results should be submitted to the Chinese embassy for a Health Code, which they will also be required to present at check-in.
• Present a copy of their seven-day and 48-hour test results at check-in.

For guests travelling from China aboard Etihad flights, it is mandatory for them to have a Covid-19 PCR test no earlier than 96 hours before their flight.

Etihad will become the only airline in the MENA region to operate non-stop passenger flights departing from both Shanghai and Beijing

BY  Simon Calder

With less than a month before the end of the Brexit transition period, there are still many uncertainties about the UK’s future relationship with the European Union. But the rules on passports and visas now appear clear.

Will I need a visa to go to the EU after Brexit?

Not immediately. Until the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias) is finalised, likely to be in 2022, British travellers will be able to apply for admission to the European Union with a valid passport.

However, the definition of what constitutes a valid passport will change significantly.

At present, a British passport is valid for travel anywhere in the European Union up to and including the date of expiry.

But from 1 January 2021, much tighter rules will apply. On the day of travel to the EU, anyone whose passport has less than six months’ validity remaining – or which was issued more than nine years, six months ago – will be turned away.

This stipulation also applies to seven non-EU members: Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, plus the four smaller countries accessible only via an EU country: Andorra, Liechtenstein, San Marino and the Vatican City.

No restrictions are in place for the Republic of Ireland. Passport-free access is assured throughout the Common Travel Area (comprising the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man), though some transport providers insist on a passport as identification.

I still have a British passport with ‘European Union’ on the cover. Does that help?

No. Any British passport issued while the UK was part of the European Union loses its “EU power" from 2021.

If I meet the criteria, will I definitely be allowed in?

No. There is no guarantee of admission to nationals of third countries, which is what the UK has decided to become. For example, if the border official does not believe you have enough money to sustain your proposed stay, you will be turned away.

Were this to happen, the EU says: “Any carrier which brought them to the external borders by air, sea and land shall be obliged to immediately assume responsibility for them again."

Will I get a stamp in my passport?

It is not clear at this stage. But your arrival date in the Schengen Area â€“ which covers most EU countries except Ireland, Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania – will be recorded by the Schengen Information System (SIS). This database is intended to ensure you comply with the requirement that the UK has signed up for: a maximum of 90 days’ stay in any 180.

For example, if you spend all of January in Spain, then return to the UK for a month, you will be able to go back to Spain (or any other Schengen Area country) for all of March and most of April. But from 29 April you must stay out of the Schengen Area until almost the end of June.

The European Union has a useful online “short-stay visa calculator” to help third-country nationals compute their status.

What happens if I overstay?

In general travellers who have reached their 90-day allowance are given three days’ grace. Any longer than that and they are likely to be handed an entry ban for one year. This applies throughout the Schengen Area – not just the country you overstayed in.

When are ‘eurovisas’ coming in?

The Etias scheme, which the UK was initially involved in developing before the EU referendum, is likely to be introduced in 2022.

I should point out that officially the European Union says an “Etias authorisation is not a visa”. But I call it a “eurovisa" for shorthand because you must:

1. Apply in advance to visit a country/region and provide a large amount of personal information.

2. Pay money: €7 (£6.30), for three years or until your passport expires, whichever is the soonest; this is unlikely to apply for under-18s or over 70s.

3. Be issued with a permit.

That amounts to my understanding of a visa.

What information is demanded?

Name, address (physical and email), place and date of birth, gender, nationality, passport number and expiry date. Your data will be checked against European databases.

Details of your education, health (particularly any infectious diseases), occupation, any serious criminal convictions in the past 20 years and time spent in conflict zones.

Purpose of visit (holiday, business, visiting family, etc). You must specify the country you will first arrive in and provide the address of your first night’s stay; this will pose a problem for travellers who like to make plans as they go along.

How long will it take?

The intention is that the vast majority of online applications will be approved within a few minutes. But if an application is flagged — ie there is a “hit” with one of the databases — then a decision will take longer. It may result in a straight rejection of permission, or requiring the applicant to attend an interview at a consulate of the first country they intend to visit.

BY  Hazel Plush

Travellers who have previously tested positive for Covid-19 will be exempt from any quarantine or testing requirements when visiting Iceland, Government officials have confirmed.

The new rules, which come into effect on December 10, will enable visitors from selected destinations with a "certificate of prior Covid-19 infection" to enter the country freely – based on the assumption that those who have already had the virus are immune.  

"As of December 10, arriving passengers who have already recovered from a Covid-19 infection will [be] exempt from border measures if they can provide proof of prior infection," reads a statement from Iceland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The following certificates will be considered a "valid confirmation" of a previous infection:

• Positive PCR-test result for SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 that is older than 14 days.

• Presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 measured by ELISA serologic assay.

But while this is heartening news for travellers, Britons may only be able to take advantage of the rule relaxation until December 31. The Government website calls for "documented [Covid-positive] results from a laboratory within the EEA/EFTA-area". Telegraph Travel understands that until December 31, the rights and obligations contained in the EEA Agreement continue to apply for Britons – but post-Brexit, the UK will not be a EEA member state.

We have contacted the Iceland tourism board for clarification. 

Currently, all travellers must either take a free-of-charge coronavirus test on arrival in Iceland, or self-isolate for 14 days. Those returning to the UK do not currently need to quarantine when they arrive home, as Iceland has 'travel corridor' status.  

There will be further revision of entry requirements in the new year, Iceland Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir told local media, adding: “These measures are intended to limit the risk of infections getting into the country across the border. While we can never guarantee that all potential sources of future outbreaks can be stopped, it is prudent to aim to minimise this risk as much as possible.

“We are hopeful that the development of effective vaccines will allow us to review the border measures in the first weeks of the new year.” 

Until September 2018, the UK government appeared unaware of the problem. Once the issue was identified, the practice of giving up to nine months’ grace ended abruptly. But tens of millions of passports valid for longer than 10 years are believed to be in circulation.

Border formalities

EU fast-track lanes for passport control will no longer be open to British travellers, although countries that receive a large number of visitors from the UK, such as Spain and Portugal, may make special arrangements.

The process is likely to be slower, and with no guarantee of entry.

At present, all a border official can do is to check that the travel document is valid, and that it belongs to you.

From 1 January 2021, the official is required by EU law to conduct deeper checks. They may ask for the purpose of the visit, where you plan to travel and stay, how long you intend to remain in the EU, how you propose to fund your stay and whether you constitute a threat to public health.

Length of stay

From 1 January 2021, the EU’s long-standing “90/180 rule” takes effect for British travellers, as the UK chooses to become a third country.

For holidaymakers and business travellers who normally stay a long time in Europe, it has significant effects. You may stay only 90 days (about three months) in any 180 (six months) in the Schengen area – comprising almost all the EU countries except Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania. (Ireland is also non-Schengen, but is part of the Common Travel Area with freedom of movement to and from the UK and smaller islands.)

Example: if you spend January, February and March in the Schengen Area – totalling 90 days – you must leave the zone before 1 April and cannot return until 30 June.

You will then be able to spend the summer in Europe until 27 September, when you must leave again. You may not come back until Boxing Day.

Any time spent in the Schengen Area up to the end of 2020 does not count. So if you spend December in Spain, the clock does not start ticking until New Year’s Day.

The European Union has a useful online “short-stay visa calculator”.

The UK government says: “Different rules will apply to Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania. If you visit these countries, visits to other EU countries will not count towards the 90-day total.”

British citizens can stay as long as they like in the Republic of Ireland.

People who have a work or residential visa for a specific EU country will be treated differently.

What happens if I overstay?

In general travellers are given three days’ grace. Any longer than that and they are likely to be handed an entry ban for one year. This applies throughout the Schengen Area – not just the country in which you overstayed.

Can’t I just nip across a border and ‘re-set the clock’?

No. The 90/180 rule applies to the entire Schengen Zone. If you leave the zone (for example by returning to the UK or crossing from Slovenia into Croatia) that exit will be recorded on the central database.

When you return, the frontier officials will check to see how much of your allowance has been used and remains.

Visas

Initially British travellers will not need to apply in advance for permission to enter the EU. But from 2022 (or possibly later) British visitors will need to register online and pay in advance for an “Etias“ permit under the European Travel Information and Authorisation System. This is a relatively light-touch visa, akin to the Esta used by the US.

Returning to the UK

Previously there were no limits on the value of goods you could bring in from European Union nations. From the start of 2021, the European Union will be treated the same as the rest of the world – which means that there are now restrictions.

For alcohol, the limits are 4 litres of spirits or 9 litres of sparkling wine, 18 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer, which hopefully will see you through at least an evening. Arrivals to the UK will also qualify to bring in 200 duty-free cigarettes.

“Anything that increases the availability of tobacco is a negative step for public health,” the British Medical Association says.

If you exceed any of these limits, you will pay tax on the whole lot.

There is a limit of €430 – roughly £400 – for all other goods, from Camembert to clothing.

Health care

For more than 40 years, British travellers have benefited from free or very low-cost medical treatment in the EU and its predecessor organisations. The European Health Insurance Card (Ehic) and the document it replaced, the E111, have proved extremely valuable for many elderly travellers, and/or people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Since the EU referendum, the government has repeatedly said that it hopes to establish a reciprocal health treaty mirroring the European Health Insurance Card (Ehic).

For example, the then-health minister, Stephen Hammond, said: “The department recognises that people with some pre-existing conditions rely on the Ehic to be able to travel.”

The pretence has now been dropped, and the government now says: “You should always get appropriate travel insurance with healthcare cover before you go abroad.

“It’s particularly important you get travel insurance with the right cover if you have a pre-existing medical condition.”

The Association of British Insurers warns: “Claims costs within Europe are currently reduced due to the presence of the Ehic, which covers some or all state-provided medical costs.

“In the absence of the Ehic or similar reciprocal health agreement, insurers will inevitably see an increase in claims costs – this could have a direct impact on the prices charged to consumers.”

Travellers who are abroad at the turn of the year will continue to be covered: if you enter an EU country by 31 December 2020, your Ehic will remain valid until you leave that country.

EU nationals in the UK will be able to apply for a British Ehic card, as will UK students studying in the European Union – and some British pensioners who live in the EU, plus their families.

Driving licences

Your licence carries the EU symbol. As with passports, it will lose its European powers, but will still be valid as a UK document from 2021 until its expiry date.

The government says: “You may need extra documents from 1 January 2021. You might need an international driving permit (IDP) to drive in some countries.”

In fact, you may need two. A 1949 IDP (valid one year) is required for Spain, Cyprus and Malta, while the 1968 version (valid three years) is valid everywhere else in the EU.

The IDP is an antiquated document available at larger post offices. Take your driving licence plus a passport photo and £5.50 for each permit that you need.

Motor insurance

Under the European Union 2009 motor insurance directive, any vehicle legally insured in one EU country can be driven between other European nations on the same policy.

From 1 January you will need a “Green Card” – an official, multilingual translation of your car insurance that demonstrate you meet the minimum cover requirements for the country you're visiting.

Insurers will generally provide them free of charge, but require around two weeks’ notice.

Flights

At present, there is no legal agreement for any flights between the UK and the European Union from 1 January 2021.

The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, says: “The government’s priority is to ensure that flights can continue to operate safely, securely and punctually between the UK/EU at the end of transition period, regardless of the outcome of negotiations.

“Air travel is vital for both the UK and the EU in connecting people and facilitating trade and tourism, and we are confident measures will be in place to allow for continued air connectivity beyond the end of 2020.”

Some UK airport disruption caused by tough new passport rules may occur in the first few days if significant numbers of British travellers are denied boarding.

Ferries/Eurotunnel

Ships will continue to sail and trains will continue to run, but the National Audit Office (NAO) warns that motorists taking their cars to France on ferries from Dover or Eurotunnel from Folkestone face waits of up to two hours once the Brexit transition ends – and that queues could be “much longer” in summer.

Eurostar

Passenger trains linking London St Pancras with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam will continue to run – but because of travel restrictions applied in response to the coronavirus pandemic, services are currently extremely limited.

Mobile phones

From 1 January 2021, the EU-wide ban on roaming charges for phone calls and internet use no longer applies to people with UK mobile phones. Providers will be free to impose whatever fees they wish.

But all the big providers have told The Independent they do not intend to bring back roaming charges.

O2 says: “We’re committed to providing our customers with great connectivity and value when they travel outside the UK. We currently have no plans to change our roaming services across Europe, maintaining our ‘Roam Like At Home’ arrangements.”

3 says: “We’ll give you free EU roaming just the same.”

EE says: “Our customers enjoy inclusive roaming in Europe and beyond, and we don't have any plans to change this based on the Brexit outcome. So our customers going on holiday and travelling in the EU will continue to enjoy inclusive roaming.”

Vodafone says: “We have no plans to reintroduce roaming charges after Brexit.”

Should these or other providers introduce roaming charges, the government says it will cap the maximum for mobile data usage while abroad at £49 per month unless the user positively agrees to pay more.

Pets

For many years British travellers have been able to take a cat, a dog or even a ferret abroad with minimal formalities.

The government says it is “working with the European Commission to ensure a similar arrangement for pet travel between Great Britain and the EU from 1 January 2021.

“However, if an agreement is not reached there could be new requirements in place for those travelling with a pet from Great Britain to the EU from 1 January 2021.”

The hope is that the UK will become a “Part 1 listed country” under the Pet Travel Scheme. This would be the least bad option compared with what we have now.

But the issue is still not settled, so for now we have to assume the worst – that the UK will be “unlisted”. In that case, your pet must have a blood sample taken at least 30 days after its primary rabies vaccination. That sample will be sent to an EU-approved blood testing laboratory.

Then, you must “wait three months from the date the successful blood sample was taken before you can travel,” according to the government.

So if you start the process on 1 January 2021, you should be able to take a pet abroad from 1 May 2021.

One thing we do know: coming home will be no different. “There will be no change to the current health preparations for pets entering Great Britain from the EU from 1 January 2021,” says the government.