France’s Junior Minister for European Affairs Clement Beaune has warned British citizens that they could need visas for post-Brexit trips to Europe that last longer than three months.
Beaune made the statement during a visit to the Gare du Nord station in Paris, as he examined the new border facilities that have been put in place in preparation for Britain’s departure from the EU.
Speaking to reporters, Beaune said “For stays of more than three months, there may be visa applications, professional or other, and this is a point that is still under discussion.”
While he admitted that the specific arrangements are still being negotiated, Beaune made clear that “whatever happens on January 1, we will be in a different universe.”
It is currently expected that, without an overriding agreement, the UK will be subject to the EU’s 90/180 rule that only allows tourists to stay for up to 90 days in a six-month period in the Schengen zone.
Holidaymakers from the UK are also currently facing a temporary ban from EU nations in the event of a no-deal Brexit, as the European bloc only allows non-essential travel from countries that have low infection rates. Given the current scale of the outbreak in the UK, the EU currently has no plans to add the nation to its list of safe countries.
The French minister’s comments came as the EU and UK are in tense final negotiations, having failed repeatedly to reach a compromise, risking the collapse of Brexit trade talks.
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has revealed that it is unlikely the negotiations will continue beyond Sunday, leaving only a few days to prevent the UK crashing out of the Single Market and Customs Union on December 31.
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