How will Brexit affect my holiday in Italy?

The final deadline for Brexit has been delayed to either 22nd May 2019 or another unspecified date before 31st October 2019, when it all kicks off for real. Despite the fact that there’s a buffer implementation period until 31st December 2020, things will begin to change pretty fast very soon. From July of this year, we’re sure to start feeling the effects of Brexit in lots of ways, but what will happen when you take a holiday in Europe after Brexit?

Exchange rates

While there are still very few concrete facts and no one knows exactly what the future will hold, especially when it comes to Brexit, many people are predicting that the value of the Pound will fall drastically against the Euro. This would mean that you get a worse exchange rate and less bang for your buck, making a vacation abroad in Europe more expensive. On the other hand, the markets could just as easily swing the other way and we could see an upturn in exchange rates with the Pound becoming stronger against the Euro. In either case, the disparity isn’t likely to last long and the exchange rate Pound to Euro between the UK and Europe is expected to stabilise after a few months.

Visas

For the time being, British holiday makers will not need travel visas to go to Italy. However, from 2021 this could all change, and people travelling to Europe from the UK will be required to fill out an online form and pay 7 euro to obtain a visa waiver.

What’s more, moving to Italy to live and work there could require slightly more paperwork and preparation if visas are required after 2021, although it shouldn’t be any more difficult than what thousands of people from outside the European Union have to do when they go to a different country. It may even be that each country in Europe decides to make separate deals with the British government to facilitate the free movement of workers and expats across their borders.

As with travelling to any other country, it's a good idea to make sure you have at least 6 months left before your passport expires. This could even become enshrined as law in the case of a no-deal Brexit.

In the airport after Brexit

You'll have to queue up in the longer line at the airport / Flickr

One clear result of Brexit on travellers from the UK is that we will no longer be able to use the ‘European passports’ queue at the airport. You know how they have two lines when you go through airport security and you always feel smug about going through the fast-track one for European citizens while all the rest of the world is stuck in a big long queue? Well all that is about to come to an end. Security control restrictions when travelling in and out of Europe will become tighter and more arduous.

Flight prices

Will flights be more expensive after Brexit? It’s a possibility because airlines will have more expenses and taxes to pay when flying from the UK to Europe and will have to cover those costs somehow, most likely by passing them along to the customer. On the other hand, it could be that if fewer people decide to fly abroad to Europe for their holidays, airlines will put out more and better deals, and flight prices could actually get cheaper.

Duty free

When the UK joined the EU back in 1973, we lost our right to buy duty free goods from the continent but we gained the ability to bring back as much as we liked, leading to the infamous Booze Cruises that many people undertook to go shopping for lots of cheap plonk in Calais. Now that will all be reversed. While there will be caps on how much alcohol and tobacco we’re allowed to take back to Britain with us without paying a surcharge: the free limit will be 200 cigarettes, 16 litres of beer and 4 litres of wine. These goods will be significantly cheaper than they are now, though, because they’ll be duty free and you won’t have to pay tax on them.

Healthcare in Europe after Brexit

There is good news for British people going on holiday to EU countries after Brexit: the EHIC health card that entitles you to health coverage anywhere in Europe is set to continue being valid after Britain leaves the EU. If the unthinkable happens and you fall sick while on holiday in Italy after Brexit, don’t worry because you will still be able to receive medical attention in an Italian hospital.

Roaming charges

Roaming charges may increase after Brexit, but you should be okay if you have a good contract / PublicDomainPictures

Another impact of Brexit on your holidays could be that using your mobile phone will become more expensive. Mobile service providers will no longer be restricted by European regulations and will be able to charge as much as they want, so using data-draining apps like Google Maps to find your way around Rome could land you with a hefty phone bill when you get home. That said, most phone companies offer excellent package deals with a huge data allowance and free roaming thrown in, so if you have one of these tariffs you shouldn’t notice too much difference.

Nosy neighbours

So there you have it – those are the likely effects that Brexit will have on your vacation to Italy. Although no one is an expert on Brexit, not even the people who are supposed to be organising it, we can be pretty certain that in terms of Duty Free purchases the UK will gain some benefits, whilst for healthcare provision, visa requirements and exchange rates there shouldn’t be too much difference.

The final thing that is sure to change for Brits in Europe after Brexit, as anyone who has been there after the referendum can tell you, is that as soon as anyone finds out you’re from the United Kingdom, you’re bound to be asked endless questions about it and for your opinion. Even when you’re just trying to sit back and enjoy the southern European sunshine and beaches, you’re never free of Brexit.