UK holidaymakers barred from EU after 1 January under current Covid rules

British holidaymakers will be barred from the EU from 1 January under current Covid-19 safety restrictions, with the EU commission indicating there will be no exemption for the UK. Only a handful of countries with low coronavirus rates are exempt from rules that prohibit nonessential visitors from outside the EU and European Economic Area (EEA) – with the UK included only until the end of the Brexit transition period. EU member states agreed in October to adopt a European council proposal to allow nonessential travel from a small group of countries with lower levels of Covid cases including Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. An EC spokesman last week said there were no plans to extend that to the UK. “This is a decision for the council to make,” he said. Within the EEA, or Schengen-associated states, Norway has also confirmed it will bar UK visitors from 1 January. The imminent bracketing of British tourists with those of other non-EU countries such as Albania and Turkey underlines the potential impact of a no-deal Brexit. EU member states can override the European council recommendations in theory, should they wish to. Leisure airlines including easyJet had reported a surge in bookings for 2021 in recent weeks after news of a vaccine, but many of those trips will be in doubt. Under European rules, individuals can still enter the bloc in certain cases, mainly for work – including aid workers, care workers, diplomats, healthcare professionals, military personnel, seasonal farm workers and transport workers. Entry for study, transit, and urgent family reasons is also permitted.<br/>