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Visit Europe after Brexit
Checks for all types of travel Stay up to date The UK is leaving the EU. This page tells you how to prepare for Brexit and will be updated if anything changes.
Travel to the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein will change if the UK leaves the EU with no deal.
Things you may need to do before you go include:
- check your passport
- get travel insurance that covers your healthcare
- check you have the right driving documents
- organise pet travel - contact your vet at least 4 months before you go
There are more things to do if you’re travelling for business. For example, going to meetings and conferences, providing services (even with a charity), and touring art or music.
Passports: check if you need to renew
You may need to renew your British passport earlier if you’re travelling after Brexit.
On the day you travel, you’ll need your passport to both:
- have at least 6 months left
- be less than 10 years old (even if it has 6 months or more left)
If you do not renew it, you may not be able to travel to most EU countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
You can use a tool to check whether your passport is valid for the country you’re visiting.
It usually takes 3 weeks if you need to renew your passport. There’s a premium service if you need it sooner.
These rules do not apply to travel to Ireland. You can continue to use your passport as long as it’s valid for the length of your stay.
Healthcare: check you’re covered
You should always get appropriate travel insurance with healthcare cover before you go abroad.
After Brexit your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) card may not be valid.
It’s particularly important you get travel insurance with the right cover if you have a pre-existing medical condition. This is because the EHIC scheme covers pre-existing conditions, while many travel insurance policies do not.