British holiday makers will be banned European union The EU Commission has indicated that the UK will not be exempt from the current Covit-19 security restrictions from January 1.
Only a handful of countries with low corona virus rates are exempt from the rules barring essential visitors from outside the EU and the European Economic Area. (EEA) – The UK is included only until the end of the Brexit transition period.
EU member states agreed in October to accept a Council of Europe proposal to allow essential travel from a small group of low-profile Govt cases, including Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.
An EU Commission spokesman said last week that there were no plans to extend the move to the UK. “This is a decision the council will make,” he said.
The Financial Times reports that Norway has confirmed that the EEA, or Schengen-affiliated states, will ban UK visitors from January 1.
The immediate travel ban of British tourists to non-EU countries such as Albania and Turkey underscores the potential impact of an agreement Proxy. EU member states may in principle violate the recommendations of the Council of Europe, if they wish.
Leisure airlines, including EasyJet, have announced an increase in bookings for 2021 in recent weeks following the news of a vaccination, but many of those trips remain in doubt.
A UK government spokesman said: “We cannot comment on decisions that other states may make on public health matters.
“We take a scientific, risk-based approach to border health operations, and it is in the best interests of all nations to allow safe international travel when we emerge from an epidemic.”
Under European rules, individuals are, in some cases, primarily employed – including aid workers, maintenance workers, diplomats, health professionals, military personnel, seasonal farm workers and transport workers. Admission is also allowed for study, transportation and emergency family reasons.
The Foreign Office is currently advising against most essential travels in Europe, banning certain holiday destinations, such as some Greek islands, and requiring isolation for those who choose to travel.
Most insurance policies do not comply with FCO advice – and at the end of the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) Mutual Health Insurance Scheme on December 31 – bookings for winter sports holidays in 2021 are currently very low, according to UK travel sources.
