Brexit: What does it mean for foreign travel and is it about to ruin your holiday?

Will you need a visa to visit Europe and when are the mythic blue passports coming in?

How will Brexit impact British travel? (PA)

As pubs across Britain prepare to lay on Brexit parties featuring “Brittish” cuisine and music by such celebrated bastions of Englishness as “The Beetles” and, er, Kylie Minogue, Nigel Farage’s once-distant dream of dragging Britain out of Europe is about to become a reality.

Yes, Friday 31 January 2020 is our last day in the EU, after which the metaphorical drawbridge across the Channel will be drawn up and we will be left to our own devices, going it alone in a brave new world without our continental brothers and sisters to turn to for support, oversight and credible wine.

Will the White Cliffs of Dover crumble into the sea as the few remaining scavengers in ragged Union Jacket waistcoats battle for the final wing of chlorinated chicken or will our fabled British pluck and Dunkirk spirit prevail?

Who on earth knows?

What we can answer are questions on the immediate bureaucratic ramifications of Brexit for foreign travel so let’s stick to that.

1. Will I need a visa to travel to Europe after Brexit?

   The British government’s Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) told The Independent’s own dear Simon Calder that there will be no change to existing rules on passports, driving licences, European Health Insurance Cards or mobile roaming charges between our exit from the EU on Friday 31 January and the end of the calendar year.

   “During the implementation period, which runs until the end of December this year, travel to the EU will remain the same,” a government spokesperson told him.

   Thereafter, there are currently no plans in place requiring travellers to apply for a visa, according to gov.uk.

   Tourists will still be able to take short trips abroad to EU countries, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, for up to 90 days within any one 180-day period without needing to fill out any additional applications.

   Those visiting those countries for work or to study as of 1 January 2021 may, however, require a visa or permit and are advised to check each country’s travel page on a case-by-case basis.

   You may also be required to show various things at border control like a return or onward ticket or proof that you have enough cash to pay for your stay. You might also be required use separate lanes from EU, European Economic Area and Swiss citizens when queueing.

2. Will my current passport still be valid?

   Again, nothing will immediately change and UK passports will remain valid for travel anywhere in the EU until the end of 2020 as we will still be in the official implementation period.

   As of 1 January 2021, you will need to have at least six months left on your current passport on the day you travel and for it to be less than 10 years old.

   If those two conditions are not met, you will need to renew it — a process you should allow three weeks for (although there is a premium service you can use to speed matters up) and which the government offers complete guidance on online.

   The above criteria does not apply on trips to Ireland, however, which you can travel to as normal.

   As for the mythic blue passports so prized by Brexiteers, they are set to be introduced from "early 2020" and phased in gradually. Hilariously, they are being manufactured by French company Gemalto, replacing De La Rue, a British firm that has turned out the old burgundy versions since 1915.

   So much for “taking back control”.

3. What does it mean for holiday prices, duty-free and roaming charges?

   Let’s take these one at a time.

   When it comes to the cost of holidaying abroad post-Brexit, there are several factors in play. The pound remains weak, well below pre-referendum levels, which naturally means less value for money. EU countries without the euro, like Poland, might well represent a more favourable option and you could do a lot worse than visit Krakow, certainly.

   While European inflation has been negligible since 2016, and has even fallen in Greece over the last five years, again, the weak pound could mean an increase in the cost of flights as airlines seek to recover rises in fuel costs.

   At least during the implementation period, there will be no new additional administrative costs to take into account, but vague advice on gov.uk states that “you may need one or more international driving permits” so there is that to keep an eye on if you’re taking the car.

   As for airport shopping, chancellor Sajid Javid pledged the return of duty-free should the UK abandon Europe without a deal back in September.

   "As we prepare to leave the EU, I'm pleased to be able to back British travellers. We want people to enjoy their hard-earned holidays and this decision will help holidaymakers' cash go that little bit further,” he said.

   Doing so provoked a row with the health secretary, Matt Hancock, who complained a Treasury advert promising access to cheap Zubrokwa, Toblerone and fags had not been issued with the personal wellbeing of the great British public at heart.

   As we are leaving with a withdrawal agreement, Javid’s pledge will not immediately come to pass as existing single market and customs union rules will apply until the end of the transition period, which could, in theory, be extended to late 2023.

   Currently, as of next January, you will be able to obtain duty-free booze and tobacco from UK airports, ports and international train stations but the rules are changing on what you can bring back. The specifics are outlined here.

   And data roaming? The EU’s rules for making calls, sending texts and using the Internet from your smartphone will also continue to apply for British travellers for the remainder of the year.

   From 1 January 2021, guaranteed free mobile phone roaming throughout the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway will end and citizens are advised to check with their mobile provider before travelling. But a new law will mean you cannot incur data charges of more than £45 without being notified, which sounds sensible.