Brits will have to pay for travel permits to EU and Switzerland
The European Union announced on Friday that British travellers will have to pay €7 (CHF7.90) for a three-year pre-travel authorisation to visit the European Union – and Switzerland – after Brexit, provided London seals a divorce agreement with the bloc.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/Reuters/ts
The EU is preparing a new electronic visa waiver system, to be ready by 2021, to beef up security. The bloc’s executive proposed to include Britain in the scheme, provided that the sides agree on a Brexit deal before Britain leaves.
The new EU system, ETIASExternal link, would be similar to the ESTA scheme used by the United States and would apply to countries outside the bloc whose citizens can travel to Europe visa-free. There are currently 61 such countries from Monaco to Australia.
ETIAS would begin applying to Britain after its status-quo transition from Brexit runs its course, which is now due at the end of 2020.
The fee would be waived for travellers under 18 and those over 70 years old.
It would also cover countries associated with the EU’s zone of control-free travel, meaning Britons would also have to pay to travel to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein since they are part of the Schengen zone despite being outside the EU.
If Britain crashes out of the bloc with no agreement in place to mitigate ensuing disruptions, Britons could require full visas to travel to the EU in the future, a spokeswoman for the European Commission said on Friday.
British Prime Minister Theresa May was again under pressure on Friday over her Brexit deal, after her pleas to EU leaders for more assurances over their tentative divorce deal fell flat.
British-Swiss relations
At present, relations between Switzerland and Britain are largely based on the bilateral agreements that exist between Switzerland and the EU, particularly on an economic and commercial level.
In 2017, Britain was Switzerland’s sixth-largest export market (CHF11.4 billion or $11.43 billion) and its eighth-largest supplier (CHF6.1 billion of imports).
In October 2016, the government adopted its “Mind the GapExternal link” strategy aimed at guaranteeing as far as possible the mutual rights and obligations of citizens in all areas that currently link Switzerland and Britain.
More
More
Swiss government approves trade agreement with Britain
This content was published on
The Federal Council has approved the text of a trade agreement with Britain, aiming to maintain existing economic and trade relations after Brexit.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss offer a hand to friendless Brexit Britain
This content was published on
Just when British Prime Minister Theresa May thought things couldn’t get any worse, Britain is being openly mocked by the Swiss.
This content was published on
The Brexit deal appears likely to fail in the British parliament and what happens next is unclear. What would direct democracy veteran Switzerland do?
Let the British people decide the outcome of Brexit
This content was published on
London and the EU have finally agreed draft terms for their divorce. To settle this messy period of British politics there is only one real option.
Switzerland wants to intensify relations with UK after Brexit
This content was published on
What will happen to British-Swiss relations after Brexit? This was the focus of bilateral talks between the countries' respective foreign ministers.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.