As of January 1, 2021, the United Kingdom is no longer part of the European Union.
The European Union and the British government reached a trade agreement at the last minute on December 24, 2020, but since 2021 many things have changed for Italians and Europeans who intend to go to the Kingdom for work, study or simply go on a tourism tour. They are also changing for those who already have their residency there, but with Brexit, they have lost the privileges reserved for EU citizens. Let’s see how.
passport
From January 2021, it is recommended to carry a passport with you to visit Great Britain for tourism. An ID card may not be sufficient and certainly not sufficient from October 2021 onwards. As confirmed by the Italian embassy in London.
Visa not required: For tourism, Italians and citizens of the European Union can stay in Great Britain for a maximum of three months (180 days). But if the stay lasts more than three months, then you need a visa, as is already the case when going to most countries outside the European Union.
Italians residing in the United Kingdom
Italians and EU citizens already residing in the UK can maintain the rights they enjoyed before Brexit only if they register on the EU Settlement Scheme register by 30 June 2021: you will find it on the UK government website the information You need to complete this procedure (it is not easy).
The Italian Embassy in London strongly recommends that you start the procedure early.
This procedure affects many people. The number of Italians residing in the kingdom is about 700,000. Of the citizens of the European Union, approximately 4 million.
Live and work in the UK from 2021
Italians who want to go to work and live in London or the United Kingdom will not enjoy the advantages guaranteed by the agreement with the European Union compared to other countries, and will now have to overcome the barrier of “points system” and “priority lists”, which allow priority entry for those who already have A work contract with a gross salary of more than 28,000 euros per year, or for professionals “who can contribute to the British economy” (for example, engineers and scientists).
Good knowledge of English will also be required (Level B1).
Study in the UK from 2021
The study also becomes more expensive. To date, EU citizens who went to university in Great Britain had favorable rates (about 9-10 thousand pounds sterling). Now they will pay the full tuition fee, which is three times higher in some universities: up to 30,000 euros per year. And with Britain leaving the European Union, there will be no chance to do so Erasmus in the UK.
