June 23, 2016 is a date that future schoolchildren will remember in history lessons as the dayEurope divided. Indeed, to the surprise of all, the British people decided to disassociate themselves from the European project by 51.9%. Negotiations between London and Brussels for an exit agreement have been protracted, with the formalization of Brexit and the UK’s exit set for December 31, 2020. Negotiations between the United Kingdom and the 27 European countries culminated on December 24, 2020 in an agreement that determines the rules applicable to relations between the United Kingdom and the Union in a number of areas. This agreement, which was unanimously accepted by the 27 member countries, came into force provisionally on January 1, 2021.
Return of customs duties
European companies are confronted with the problem of customs duties and cumbersome customs formalities. The consequences of such an increase are of course obvious for British companies, but they also exist on the French and European sides, both in B2B (higher prices charged by suppliers across the Channel, with potential repercussions on profitability, difficulties exporting French products) and B2C (customs duties to be added to shipping costs).
Electronic travel authorization for the United Kingdom
Après avoir déjà instauré une obligation de passeport, entré en vigueur en octobre 2021, le Royaume-Uni s’apprête à mettre en place un système d’autorisation de voyage électronique (ETA) d’ici à 2023.
Similaire au ESTA pour se rendre aux USA, cette autorisation sera d’abord testé en mars 2023 pour les ressortissants du Qatar, des Émirats arabes unis, de l’Arabie Saoudite, du Koweit, de Bahreïn et d’Oman. Par la suite, le reste du monde pourrait rejoindre ce système à la fin de l’année 2023.
La demande de cette autorisation devrait coûter 18 £ soit 21 euros.
What about health cover in the UK?
La réponse est variable selon votre statut et la durée de votre séjour au Royaume Uni. Si vous partez moins de 90 jours, vous pourrez utiliser votre carte européenne d’assurance maladie jusqu’à son expiration mais il est vivement recommandé de prendre une assurance voyage santé complémentaire compte tenu du coût médical en Angleterre. Pour les étudiants au Royaume-Uni ou les expatriés et travailleurs étrangers au Royaume Uni, il faudra prendre une assurance santé internationale privée pour vous éviter des frais médicaux pouvant rapidement être très élevés.
What are the consequences for European tourists, students and expatriates in the UK?
Whatever your reasons for traveling to the UK, it goes without saying that the cost of living, already very high in the capital, will be even higher. As a result, the travel budget or daily living budget will necessarily have to be revised upwards. The Erasmus program has been discontinued by the UK and replaced by the Turing program, the details of which have yet to be worked out. If you want to learn English, destinations such as Ireland, Malta or Scandinavia are now emerging as real alternatives for European students.
Brexit: a challenge above all for the English themselves
Indeed, the Brexit is rekindling the various independence aspirations of the rather pro-European Ireland and Scotland. In addition, many are concerned about the impact of Brexit on the country’s attractiveness particularly with regard to potential investors. There is also the question of creating a new financial center in Europe. Amsterdam seems to be taking advantage of this opportunity to become the location for the creation of a new European financial center. The British must hurry to make the Brexit viable by creating a real battery of agreements on the themes of free trade, immigration, EU funding programs…
