EU (Future Relationship) Bill approved

The EU (Future Relationship) Bill has been approved by Parliament and received Royal Assent. Further details about the bill are available here.

The Department for Health and Social Care has updated guidance on healthcare for visitors. The key message for EU nationals from 1 January 2021 is:

• If you are visiting the UK from an EU country and you fall ill or have a medical emergency during your temporary stay in England, you can use a valid EHIC issued by your home country to access healthcare.
• Your EHIC also covers you for the treatment of pre-existing medical conditions and for routine maternity care, providing the reason for your visit is not specifically to give birth or receive treatment.
• The EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance as it will not cover any private medical healthcare, being flown back home, or lost or stolen property. You should still get travel insurance.

If you are visiting the UK from Norway, you will be entitled to medically necessary healthcare. You will need to show a valid Norwegian passport.

MPs approve the UK’s post-Brexit trade deal

Today the European Union (Future Relationship) Bill was laid before Parliament. It has been debated and voted on in the Commons with 521 who backed the bill against 73 votes.

The Bill is currently being debated in the House of Lords – with the vote taking place at around 10.30pm tonight. Once it has completed the process it will be passed to the Queen for Royal Assent at around 11pm. 

Other guidance updates

• The ‘Travel to the EU’ section of the Foreign travel insurance page has been updated to reflect that UK-issued European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) will still be accepted in EU countries, with different guidance for people travelling to Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland from 1 January 2021.

On 24 December, the European Commission and the UK Government announced that a trade agreement had been reached. You can read the agreement on the Gov.UK website here, which includes a summary explainer.

The European Commission held a press conference on 24 December hosted by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier, you can read the press release here. At the conference: 

• Von Der Leyen said it was a fair and balanced deal and said they were well prepared for Brexit, with €5bn budgeted to help business affected.
• The EU rules and standards will be protected as well effective tools to respond to changing regulations if necessary. They will continue to work with the UK on issues such as climate change, energy, security, and transport.
• Barnier mentioned that there would be real changes as of the 1 January for many people and businesses, but that this new agreement founded a new relationship.
• He said that the level of mobility between the UK and EU states would not be what it had been. He mentioned the UK had decided not to participate in ERASMUS, the European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students allowing free movement and education exchange between registered universities and institutions for eligible students.

The Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a UK press conference on 24 December after the European Commission’s and you can read his statement here. At the conference:

• The PM described the deal as being a Canada style free trade deal worth £660bn a year. It will allow UK goods to be sold without tariffs and quotas in the EU.
• From 1 January we will be outside the customs union and single market. He highlighted the end of the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, and the ability to set our own standards.
• The PM said the deal means certainty for the aviation industry, border force, business, and security services. He noted this would allow the UK to become leaders in science and allow for collaboration around the world. He described it as allowing for a ‘giant free trade zone’ of which we will be a member but also allow us to make independent free trade agreements (there are over 60 deals so far including this one).
• Johnson was further asked about ERASMUS, he said that they are producing a UK scheme (named the Turing Scheme) to allow students to travel and study at universities around the world.

What happens next:

• Ambassadors from the 27 EU member states have provisionally approved the EU-UK post-Brexit trade deal, paving the way for it to take effect. The EU Parliament will vote on it in the New Year.
• MPs will be recalled to Parliament tomorrow, Wednesday 30 December, to vote on the legislation to ratify the deal.

Reciprocal Healthcare

The Secretary of State for DHSC has notified the House about arrangements the Government has made to support people who require ongoing, routine healthcare treatment in order to be able to travel to the European Economic Area or Switzerland after the end of the Transition Period, should there be no further negotiated outcome with the EU. These arrangements would commence from 1 January 2021. 

Negotiations on future arrangements with the EU are ongoing and include necessary healthcare provisions. If agreed, such provisions would provide effectively the same healthcare cover as the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The Government continues to work hard to secure these arrangements.  See more here.

2025 UK Border strategy published

The government has published the 2025 UK Border strategy setting out its vision for when the UK takes back control of its borders on 31 December.

The strategy will look at improving passenger journeys through ports and increased use of eGates to speed passenger journeys.

Brexit transition update

Updated guidance for EU, EEA or Swiss citizens on crossing the UK border and visiting the UK from 1 January 2021.

Guidance has been updated on the ‘Visiting the UK from 1 January 2021’ section on gov.uk. Irish citizens will continue to be able to enter and live in the UK as they do now. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens will continue to be able to travel to the UK for holidays or short trips without needing a visa. They will be able to cross the UK border using a valid passport which should be valid for the whole time you are in the UK. They will not be able to use an EU, EEA or Swiss national ID card to enter the UK from 1 October 2021 unless they:

• have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
• have an EU Settlement Scheme family permit
• have a frontier worker permit
• are an S2 Healthcare Visitor
• are a Swiss Service Provider

UK and US sign Customs agreement

The UK and US governments agreed a deal to continue Customs cooperation following EU Exit. Further details are available on gov.uk.