| Entry | passport; national ID cards no longer accepted for most EU citizens since 1 October 2021 |
| ETA | £20, valid 2 years or until your passport expires, stays of up to 6 months, needed by every traveller including children |
| Living and working | a visa for newcomers; the EU Settlement Scheme deadline for most people was 30 June 2021 |
| Healthcare as a visitor | EHIC for medically necessary treatment |
| Moving for more than 6 months | immigration health surcharge as part of the visa application |
| UK State Pension in the EU | still increased every year |
| Roaming | the EU's "roam like at home" rule does not automatically cover the UK |
Travelling to the UK: passport and ETA
The ID card that used to get you on a quick flight to London is no longer enough. Since 1 October 2021 most EU citizens need a valid passport to enter the UK. In 2021 the government announced exceptions for people with status under the EU Settlement Scheme or equivalent rights, at the time "until at least 2025". Whether that still applies to you today, check on gov.uk before you travel; a passport is the safe choice.
On top comes the electronic travel authorisation, the ETA. Travellers from Europe need one instead of a visa for holidays, family visits, business trips and short study stays. It costs £20, lasts two years or until your passport expires and allows any number of visits of up to six months each. Every traveller needs their own ETA, babies and children included.
Apply through the official app or on gov.uk. Other websites often charge more for the same application.
Living and working in the UK after Brexit
Free movement is over for newcomers. Anyone who lived in the UK before the end of 2020 could secure a status under the EU Settlement Scheme; the deadline for most people was 30 June 2021. If you hold pre-settled status, since 9 April 2026 the Home Office has been moving more people to settled status without an application: it checks whether tax and benefit records show 30 of the last 60 months in the UK. Children under 18, non-EEA family members, joining family members and anyone without those records are among those left out; they apply themselves, and their pre-settled status is extended by five years. A second, separate change: since April 2026 the Home Office has been removing pre-settled status from people who have clearly stopped living in the UK. How you keep the status, upgrade it and avoid losing it is covered under EU Settlement Scheme.
Everyone else needs a visa that fits the purpose: work, family, study, starting a business. We compare the routes in our visas and residence section. If you come for more than six months you pay the immigration health surcharge as part of the visa application, which gives you access to the NHS.
Healthcare: visiting and moving are two different worlds
As a tourist from the EU you can still use your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) in the UK for medically necessary treatment. You need to show the card to be treated free of charge. Private travel insurance with repatriation cover still makes sense.
Move to the UK and, once you have your visa, you are part of the NHS, paid for through the immigration health surcharge. How to register with a GP and what the NHS costs is explained in the NHS: Britain's health service.
Pensions, social security and tax
Social security coordination between the EU and the UK continues; the trade agreement covers people moving between the two after 2021. If you once worked in the UK and now live in the EU, your British State Pension keeps being paid there with the yearly increases. That applies across the European Economic Area, Switzerland and Gibraltar.
The other way round: if you move to the UK with a pension from home, how it is taxed depends on the tax treaty between the UK and your country. That is not a Brexit question, but the move makes it urgent. More in retiring to the UK.
Small Brexit effects in daily life
The big topics are visas and tax. Day to day, people trip over other things:
- Roaming: the EU's "roam like at home" rule covers travel to another EU country. The UK is no longer one, and many providers charge for it again. Check your contract before you go.
- Shopping in London: the UK scrapped the VAT refund for tourists and tax-free shopping at airports at the end of 2020.
- Ordering online from the UK: since 1 July 2026 the EU no longer waives duty on consignments up to €150, and since 1 November 2026 a handling fee of €2 per item category comes on top.
- Bringing a dog or cat: pets have their own entry rules, which we explain in moving to the UK with pets.
- Driving: as a visitor you can drive on your licence from home; if you move, you need to think about exchanging it, see driving licences in the UK.
- Studying: the UK is to rejoin Erasmus+ for the 2027/28 academic year, as announced in December 2025.
Questions about Brexit for EU citizens
Can I travel to England with my ID card?
Usually not. Since 1 October 2021 the UK no longer accepts the national ID cards of most EU citizens as a travel document. You need a passport and an ETA.
How much does the UK ETA cost?
£20. It lasts two years or until your passport expires and allows any number of trips of up to six months each.
Is my EHIC still valid in the UK?
Yes, for short visits from the EU it covers medically necessary treatment.
Can I still just move to the UK as an EU citizen?
Not without a visa. Free movement ended with the transition period. Which visas exist and what they require is set out in our visas and residence section.
Sources: GOV.UK: Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA); GOV.UK: Insecure ID cards phased out as travel document (1 October 2021); GOV.UK: Apply to the EU Settlement Scheme; GOV.UK: NHS entitlements, migrant health guide; GOV.UK: State Pension if you retire abroad; GOV.UK: Revenue and Customs Brief 21 (2020); European Commission: EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement; Your Europe: Roaming; European Parliament: Fact sheet on the United Kingdom; GOV.UK: EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status automation update (9 April 2026)
