In a European Commission press briefing on Wednesday (May 13), Brussels confirmed that UK citizens will be allowed to visit and holiday in European countries when the coronavirus-related travel restrictions are removed.
The EU Commission’s Health Spokesman Stefan De Keersmaecker said that the UK remained subject to EU free movement rules during the Brexit transition period, which is currently due to end in 2021.
Under bloc rules, member states are free to set their own lockdown restrictions, which can include quarantining visitors, but when easing them they must lift them for all nations deemed to have “similar epidemiological situations”.
“UK residents are being treated the same way as EU residents this year during the transition period,” said an EU spokesperson.
“They will not be excluded from open borders or the removing of border restrictions.
“But what is very clear is that all member states have to act in a non-discriminatory way. That means it is not possible to open your borders only for citizens from a specific country.
“If you open a border, then it is open for all EU citizens, including UK residents, to cross this border.”
