The March 29th deadline for the UK and European parliaments to reach an agreement on Britain’s “deal or no deal” to leave the European Union is getting ever closer. There are many implications of Brexit, whether our politicians manage to strike a deal or not, and to be honest it’s giving me a headache! 

But, whatever our leaders decide in the coming weeks and months, there’s one thing that’s for sure: Brexit will not affect your ability to join a Go Cotswolds tour. We hope that our crazy UK politics will not deter you from visiting the UK and the Cotswolds! 

Deal…

According to the latest advice published by the UK Government, in the event that Britain manages to secure a deal with the EU, changes to entry requirements for EU citizens are likely, but nothing will change until at least 2021. In that case, it’s business as usual at least for the next 2 years!

Beyond 2021, EU citizens may require a visa to enter the UK, but at the moment, nobody knows…We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it!

…or no deal

If Britain leaves the EU without a deal, nothing will change in the short-term. Citizens of the EU and EEA will still be able to visit, live, work and study in the UK without a visa, as they can now. 

It is possible that, in the no deal scenario, the UK Government will cease the freedom of movement that EU citizens currently enjoy within the UK and Europe. If this happens – and it is an ‘if’ – EU citizens may have to obtain a visa to enter the UK for stays of 3 months or longer, or for business or study trips. This potential change will not affect the majority of our European Go Cotswolds customers. If you’re here for a vacation of 3 months or less, there will be no change. Hurray!

Non-EU citizens

For our customers travelling from outside the European Union, nothing will change, at least in the short term. If you needed a visa before Brexit, you will still need one afterwards, and any reciprocal visa waiver agreements will stay as they are now. You can check if you need a visa to enter the UK here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa. 

Join us on a tour! 

We hope that all of this political wrangling doesn’t put you off visiting the UK, and particularly the Cotswolds! If you have any other questions about what Brexit means or might mean for foreign visitors to the UK, you can check this UK Government website, or this VisitBritain information page. 

And of course, if you have any questions about a Go Cotswolds tour, please don’t hesitate to contact us! We hope to see you on a tour very soon!