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Brexit is a reality now

Brexit is a reality now

Brexit is a reality now

Brexit has been the topic of heated discussion since June 2016. Three and a half years later, it is finally happening. Britain will formally stop being part of the EU today. What does it mean for holders of European and UK passport in terms of travelling?

Nothing is changing yet, as since tonight an 11-month transition period starts. The freedom of travel between the EU and the UK will continue until the end of the year. Therefore, for instance, if you are a holder of Maltese or Cypriot passport, you can continue to enter and stay in the UK. Moreover, since Malta and Cyprus are part of the Commonwealth it is likely that citizens of these countries will continue to enjoy visa free travel to the UK even beyond the transition period: similarly to the other Commonwealth countries which are part of the Citizenship by investment scheme – St Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia. Citizens of these countries can stay in the UK for up to six months in one visit and can stay in Schengen for up to 90 days in 180 days.

The most notable change following Brexit so far is that the UK decided to change the colour of its passport. It is currently burgundy, but will become blue later this year. UK passports used to be blue up until 1988, when they got replaced with the burgundy colour following the common format introduced by the EEC.

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