Travel to the EU after January 1st

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Strange you should say that, @John H

I have been wasting an hour of my life most days watching "A New Life in the Sun".

It has followed the progress of various ex-pats around Europe - in France, Spain, Italy and Portugal with their new business ventures over the last 18 months or so. Surprisingly they all appeared to be doing quite well at the end of it, in spite of the pandemic and lockdowns.

But I have noticed a more relaxed approach in all the 4 countries mentioned compared to the UK - or maybe I'm just imagining it?

A couple of London expats running a new restaurant in the Algarve, for example.
Didn't look like there was any requirement to socially distance diners, and once they got going were packed out - NB. mostly locals, not tourists.

Same with a couple of guys from Seaham who sold up their seafront cafe to buy a bar/restaurant in the Spanish costas.
The place was soon heaving (with Brits!) summer 2020 and earning them a good crust, again no social distancing and very little mask wearing.
Of course, how long that will last if international travel is banned who knows?

Interesting that all of the expats involved stated they had no intention of ever returning to the UK.
Most said they wished they'd done it years ago.
Every one of them has applied (and gained) resident status in their chosen country.
 
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mariesnowgoose said:
Strange you should say that, @John H

I have been wasting an hour of my life most days watching "A New Life in the Sun".

It has followed the progress of various ex-pats around Europe - in France, Spain, Italy and Portugal with their new business ventures over the last 18 months or so. Surprisingly they all appeared to be doing quite well at the end of it, in spite of the pandemic and lockdowns.

But I have noticed a more relaxed approach in all the 4 countries mentioned compared to the UK - or maybe I'm just imagining it?

A couple of London expats running a new restaurant in the Algarve, for example.
Didn't look like there was any requirement to socially distance diners, and once they got going were packed out - NB. mostly locals, not tourists.

Same with a couple of guys from Seaham who sold up their seafront cafe in Seaham to buy a bar/restaurant in the Spanish costas.
The place was soon heaving (with Brits!) and earning them a good crust, again no social distancing and very little mask wearing.
Of course, how long that will last if international travel is banned who knows?

Interesting that all of the expats involved stated they had no intention of ever returning to the UK.
Most said they wished they'd done it years ago.
Every one of them has applied (and gained) resident status in their chosen country.
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I can only comment on the areas we passed through to get here but on our journey through France and Spain last October and during our time here in Almeria Province since, I can't say I have noticed a more relaxed attitude. In fact, there seems to be a much more serious attitude to the rules. Everybody wears masks all the time when they are not on their own property/pitch. The only exceptions are when you are seated at a table in a restaurant/bar and capacity is reduced to about 30% of normal, so there is plenty of space. If anyone is seen without a mask they are immediately hauled up by others. Mind you, we are not in the Costas, where your programme was filmed and I have noticed that elderly ladies don't pay much attention to distancing in supermarkets!
 
mark61 said:
Thats why our media are reporting on it now, get us used to the idea. 😂
Been doing it a while in China, probably why their numbers are down. :ROFLMAO:
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There are still daily flights to China, mainly to transport PPE back. To enter China can often take several hours with much testing, followed by a policed bus journey to a poor quality hotel with room confinement until time to return to UK. There have been one or two positive tests despite having had a negative test before departure. This leads to confinement in a covid hospital for what can be a prolonged time. The flights are operated by volunteers, no flights no PPE.
 
See france is shutting border to non EU citizens on sunday saw that coming
 
mfw said:
See france is shutting border to non EU citizens on sunday saw that coming
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In effect, they have done that already - certainly no-one has been allowed in from the UK (unless they are resident in the EU) since 20th December.
 
John H said:
In effect, they have done that already - certainly no-one has been allowed in from the UK (unless they are resident in the EU) since 20th December.
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Yes the problem is for non eu resident travel - your next problem could well be the 90 day rule and an excuse may or may not work and i do think the people out there will have to be well prepared for the possible problems - i hope it does get better but cant really see that happening
 
mfw said:
Yes the problem is for non eu resident travel - your next problem could well be the 90 day rule and an excuse may or may not work and i do think the people out there will have to be well prepared for the possible problems - i hope it does get better but cant really see that happening
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The French statement is that they will close all non-EU borders, so anyone already in the EU will still be able to travel through France. Our ferry is booked from Spain but if we have to revert to a ferry out of France then transit will still be allowed. The 90 day rule has been known about for several years and so is not a new problem. Anyone here who hasn't taken account of it has only themselves to blame.
 
The official information is always good to have but can be hard to winkle out rules for transit through from Spain to France, easy to find rules for return from France to Uk. It will all have been revised again by end of March anyway. And I do feel sure that delays due to Covid will be factored in to Schenghen.
 
mariesnowgoose said:
Strange you should say that, @John H

I have been wasting an hour of my life most days watching "A New Life in the Sun".

It has followed the progress of various ex-pats around Europe - in France, Spain, Italy and Portugal with their new business ventures over the last 18 months or so. Surprisingly they all appeared to be doing quite well at the end of it, in spite of the pandemic and lockdowns.

But I have noticed a more relaxed approach in all the 4 countries mentioned compared to the UK - or maybe I'm just imagining it?

A couple of London expats running a new restaurant in the Algarve, for example.
Didn't look like there was any requirement to socially distance diners, and once they got going were packed out - NB. mostly locals, not tourists.

Same with a couple of guys from Seaham who sold up their seafront cafe in Seaham to buy a bar/restaurant in the Spanish costas.
The place was soon heaving (with Brits!) and earning them a good crust, again no social distancing and very little mask wearing.
Of course, how long that will last if international travel is banned who knows?

Interesting that all of the expats involved stated they had no intention of ever returning to the UK.
Most said they wished they'd done it years ago.
Every one of them has applied (and gained) resident status in their chosen country.
Click to expand...
I too have, I'm somewhat surprised that with a few exceptions, UK expats believe they can either, run a B&B or Bar/Restaurant, when they have ,mostly, never had any experience of it in the UK and often don't even speak the local lingo and seem quiet naïve or maybe happy to 'wing it'. Or have done little basic business requirements checks. i.e. not knowing they would need a permit to stable and run a pony riding school in Italy. However a few do have different interesting well though out ideas.
I wonder how many are still getting by now as Winter AND Covid strike together.
We have/were been looking to buy and semi-retire in France for a while now but I think Covid/Brexit has pretty much kicked that into touch now.
 
yeoblade said:
We have/were been looking to buy and semi-retire in France for a while now but I think Covid/Brexit has pretty much kicked that into touch now.
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Don't see why it needs to be kicked into touch.

OK, it might be a bit more difficult and longwinded to do it now with a full blown pandemic on the go, but surely still achievable?
 
Just found this directive from the EU, last updated two days ago, in which member states are instructed to give authorisation for legal stay to any third country visa-waived national who is compelled to stay beyond 90 days. Travel during the coronavirus pandemic | European Commission (europa.eu) So that removes the necessity to do anything further in the event of force majeure. All we need now is for the ferries to be cancelled and we can stay forever! :)
 
John H said:
Just found this directive from the EU, last updated two days ago, in which member states are instructed to give authorisation for legal stay to any third country visa-waived national who is compelled to stay beyond 90 days. Travel during the coronavirus pandemic | European Commission (europa.eu) So that removes the necessity to do anything further in the event of force majeure. All we need now is for the ferries to be cancelled and we can stay forever! :)
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I read that several times...do you take it to mean that, for instance, if you have to overstay due to ferry cancellation, " the competent authorities" have to issue you with a visa or temporary residence. Does seem that some documentation will be required. Wonder whether they would give residence document since there isn't another option already in situ. I don't suppose the member states have yet decided how they will act on this EU recommendation! Be watching with interest. But , as said before, so much can happen by March.
 
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