Travel and Transport
How Brexit affects business travel, hauliers and coach operators
The information you need to keep people and goods moving
This is the latest advice on transport and travel between the UK and EU by air, sea, road and rail.
This is the guidance on visiting Europe and specific guidance on passenger travel, travelling to Europe for work, business travel to the EU, driving in the EU and travel insurance.
There are individual guides on travelling for business for each EU member state.
New rules apply to passport validity.
The Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) will gradually replace the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) although existing cards remain valid. This is the guidance on healthcare for UK nationals visiting the EU and on healthcare for UK nationals living in the EU.
The rules governing mobile phone roaming have changed and there is guidance on using your mobile in EU and EEA countries and on making calls and sending texts to the EU.
This is the guidance to share with EU, EEA or Swiss nationals who intend to visit the UK.
There is the guidance for UK goods vehicle operators on how to to carry out international road haulage plus specific information on which licences and permits you need for international journeys from the UK, which documents you need to carry, information on driving in the EU, on HGV and trailer documents to legally cross international borders in a UK-registered vehicle, on moving your goods to common or EU transit countries and on transiting animals and animal products to/from the EU through Great Britain to/from another EU country or Northern Ireland.
UK Licences for the Community replace EU Community Licences to transport goods by road.
There’s also information on moving goods with an ATA carnet through Holyhead or through Dover and Eurotunnel, on moving goods through Dover or Eurotunnel using common transit, and on registering for the Goods Vehicle Movement Service and moving goods through ports that use the Goods Vehicle Movement Service. There’s also guidance for carriers using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service on getting a goods movement reference and checking if a goods movement reference is valid.
The Government has unveiled its plan to keep trade flowing after transition, including Operation Brock to minimise disruption at the Channel Ports. France, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark all require HGV drivers to show a negative Covid test result prior to travel although hauliers do not need a negative test if they are returning to France after spending fewer than 48 hours in the UK. Here is information on getting a Covid-19 test if you’re an HGV or van driver, a list of sites where drivers can get free Covid tests and border-readiness checks before transporting goods to the EU and this is the guidance on testing for HGV drivers using the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel. HGVs using Dover or Eurotunnel must also have a Kent Access Permit. The Government is encouraging hauliers to test drivers on their own premises before departure. The Department of Health and Social Care will provide lateral flow testing kits free of charge until the end of March and support hauliers in establishing testing facilities via webinars and Q&A sessions. To explore setting up testing facilities on your premises, email employee.testing@beis.gov.uk
There is specific guidance for operators, drivers and crew of HGVs on crossing an international border safely.
There is specific guidance for hauliers on what to do if your heavy goods vehicle is carrying exclusively fresh and live seafood or day-old chicks and there is severe disruption at Dover or Eurotunnel.
ECMT permits are not required for journeys to or from the EU. Your UK Licence for the Community will suffice if your journey is between the UK and an EU country, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. You can use your UK Licence for the Community to carry out two cross-trade jobs (moving goods between two countries) within the EU. But you will need an ECMT permit to carry out a third cross-trade job. The ECMT permit will let you carry out three cross-trade jobs between any ECMT country. You also need an ECMT permit to carry out a cross-trade job between the EU and a non-EU country. The non-EU country must be an ECMT member. You can no longer apply for annual permits for 2021 but you can request short-term (30-day) ECMT permits for journeys in 2021.
The Department for Transport is operating advice sites at some motorway services and truckstops where hauliers and HGV drivers can get free Covid tessts and Border-readiness checks before transporting goods to the EU.
This is the guidance for international bus and coach services and tours covering operator licences, permits and documents and information on driving in the EU for coach and bus drivers.
HM Revenue and Customs has issued guidance for ships’ masters or agents on reporting goods arriving at a UK port on a commercial vessel and on getting clearance to leave a UK port for commercial vessels while the Department for Transport has guidance on getting exemptions from maritime security notifications.]
Finally, here are details of measures to ensure cargo can fly to and from the UK without disruption.