British travellers face being prevented from visiting the European Union from January 1 when Covid-19 safety curbs that allow free travel within the bloc stop applying to the UK.
Britons will only be able to travel to EU countries if the bloc relaxes its pandemic travel restrictions or individual member states choose to override the rules, according to the Financial Times.
The UK will be subject to a system that only allows non-essential travel from a handful of non-EU countries with low coronavirus infection rates from the end of the Brexit transition period, the European Commission reportedly said.
Only a handful of countries with low coronavirus rates are exempt from rules that prohibit non-essential visitors from outside the EU and European Economic Area (EEA) – with the UK included only until the end of the Brexit transition period.
EU member states agreed in October to adopt a European council proposal to allow non-essential travel from a small group of countries with lower levels of Covid cases including Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.
But they shied away from overriding a recommendation to stop the entry of travellers from countries such as the US, which are not on the list of ‘safe’ third nations.
Only eight of the countries with very low coronavirus infection rates are on the list. Eighteen EU countries have a higher rate of infection than the UK, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the Covid Tracking Project and national health ministries.
EU officials reportedly said there is currently no proposal to add the UK to the list of safe nations.
Some EU member states do not even allow in travellers from countries on the safe list as countries battle to control infection rates from the virus.
Only 12 of the European nations apply the list in full, while three – Hungary, Croatia and Norway – have not adopted it at all, the commission said.
Norway – which is part of the EU travel arrangement – has confirmed it will stop British citizens who do not live in the country entering from January 1.
Travellers from Britain could still visit the EU after December 31 under exemptions including for diplomats, “imperative family reasons” and some “highly qualified third-country workers”.
Nationals of the European countries who live in Britain will continue to be allowed in, as will Britons who reside in the EU.
The Foreign Office currently advises against all non-essential travel to most of Europe, with the exception of some holiday destinations such as certain Greek islands, but quarantine on return is required.
Responding to the media reports, a UK government spokesperson said: “We cannot comment on decisions that could be taken by other states on public health matters.
“We take a scientific, risk-based approach to health measures at the border, and it is of course in the interests of all countries to allow safe international travel as we emerge from the pandemic.”
Abby Penston, chief executive of business travel consortium Focus Travel Partnership, said: “As we know, a no deal scenario was always going to be a worse-case scenario for business – and therefore business travellers. Combined with COVID restrictions, that scenario is looking catastrophic.
“Common sense tells us that this issue should be sorted out for the good of us all, but right now common sense seems to have been thrown out the window. Even though the travel management community is equipped to service complex travel arrangements, this current lack of clarity with regards to the travel situation depresses confidence in travel.
“The EU is the number one international destination for business travellers – and while early January is low-season for leisure travellers, for business travellers it is a crucial time for recovery. The government needs to make a deal, and fast.”