EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can travel to the UK for holidays or short trips without needing a visa. They can cross the UK border using a valid passport which should be valid for the whole time they are in the UK.
CHANGES TO TRAVELLING TO THE UK USING EU, EEA AND SWISS ID CARDS
You will not be able to use an EU, EEA or Swiss national ID card to enter the UK from 1 October 2021 unless you:
- have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
- have applied to the EU Settlement Scheme but not yet received a decision
- have an EU Settlement Scheme family permit
- have a frontier worker permit
- are an S2 Healthcare Visitor
- are a Swiss national and have a Service Provider from Switzerland visa
In these cases, you can continue to use your national ID card to enter the UK until at least 31 December 2025.
British citizens can continue to use a Gibraltar identity card to travel to the UK.
Irish citizens can continue to use a passport card to travel to the UK.
You must have the correct documents to show at the UK border if you’re travelling to the UK.
DO YOU LIVE IN THE UK?
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens living in the UK with settled or pre-settled status may be asked to provide proof when entering the UK.
You can generate a code here (https://www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status) , which you may need to show to UK Border Force officers. This code will confirm your immigration status.
If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen only visiting the UK, you can find out more here.
CHANGES AT PASSPORT CONTROL
If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen only visiting the UK, you’ll need to bring your passport from 01 October 2021.
But if you live in the UK and have settled or pre-settled status, you can continue using your national ID card until 31 December 2025. Find out more here. (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visiting-the-uk-as-an-eu-eea-or-swiss-citizen)
For more information about travelling after Brexit, please take a look at our dedicated Brexit pages.