Brits could be banned from entering the EU when the Brexit transition period ends in January, according to latest reports.
The end of the Brexit transition period means that 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, the European Commission said on Thursday.
Currently, Brits are still allowed to travel to large chunks of Europe under freedom of movement rules.
But from January 1, when the United Kingdom leaves the European Union either with or without a deal, that will change.
According to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the Covid Tracking Project and national health ministries, only Eighteen EU countries have a higher rate of infection than the UK.
EU officials said there was no proposal to add the UK to that list of safe nations, which includes Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
In another sign of the looming concrete impacts of Brexit, 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.
Norway, whose biggest export country is the UK, this week signed deals with the UK on healthcare and social security arrangements, as well as a continuity trade deal ahead of a potential full-blown trade agreement.
Travelers from Britain could still visit the bloc after December 31 under exemptions including for diplomats, “imperative family reasons” and some “highly qualified third-country workers”.
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