The freedom of movement rules changed after Britain left the EU following Brexit. Travellers leaving Britain to any EU state will now be treated as any other non-EU nation, and hence the extra charge.
The European Commission has confirmed travellers from the UK will be charged a 5.88 €7 visa fee next year and must pre-register their details before being allowed to enter Schengen EU nations. The European Travel and Information and Authorization Scheme ETIAS allows residents of 61 non-EU countries to enter the Schengen zone with pre-authorization. Rather than needing a visa, the scheme charges a levy which allows holders to stay in and travel around, the Schengen-signatory EU states for up to 90 days. As part of post-Brexit arrangements, the UK will be added to the ETIAS, covering all Schengen area nations as well as a number of non-Schengen micro-states, such as the Vatican City.
The EU unveiled the ETIAS scheme in 2016 as part of an effort to bolster security by allowing immigration officials to track visitors through the bloc, while not having to impose a laborious visa scheme when travelling between member states. When it was introduced, then-President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker praised the scheme as improving the management of EU borders, helping to decrease crime and terrorism, and strengthening the bloc's visa liberalization policy. Currently, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can travel without a visa to the UK for holidays or short trips. As non-visa nationals, they can visit the UK as a standard visitor without having to apply for a visa in advance of travel and can seek entry at the UK border. Standard visitors can stay up to six months in the UK.
The Government has stated that there is no specific maximum period for an individual to spend in the UK over a period, such as six months in every twelve months, as long as each individual visit does not exceed the maximum for a single visit, usually six months. In any 180 day period, UK citizens who are making short trips to the EU, EEA or Switzerland can stay without visa for up to 90 days. The Government has said that visitors to the UK may be denied entry if it is clear from their travel history that they are trying to stay in the UK for extended periods or making the UK their home via repeated visits. Press reports in May 2021 highlighted several cases of EU nationals being denied entry to the UK and sent to immigration removal centres. In some cases, EU travellers were trying to stay in the UK while looking for work. Scientists suggest that alien life forms could live in clouds of Venus SCIENCE Leading group of girls schools says no transgenders REPORT Big Cat Warning: Predators are on the loose in Britain REVEAL Other reports suggested that some travellers had been stopped from entering the UK to attend a job interview, although this is allowed under the visitor rules. The European Commission raised concerns about the treatment of EU citizens. The Government argues that individuals without the necessary immigration permission for the activities they intend to undertake in the UK or where Border Force staff do not believe they meet the requirements for entry as a visitor can be denied entry, which makes them liable for detention due to the COVID 19 epidemic. The annual number of visits to Europe by travellers from the United Kingdom UK in 2020 has decreased significantly over the previous year.