Published on The Times digital on 5th November 2021
little under four years after the referendum, the UK finally left the EU at 11pm on January 31, 2020 and entered a transition period, during which the final details of Brexit were negotiated. The transition period ended on December 31, 2020, and the UK officially left the EU single market and customs union at 11pm that day.
From that point the UK became what’s known as a “Third Country”, one that’s defined by the EU as “a country that is not a member of the European Union as well as a country or territory whose citizens do not enjoy the European Union right to free movement”.
There have been wide-ranging implications for travellers as a result of these changes, including updates on passport validity, increased roaming charges and of course how long you can stay in an EU country without a visa.