First trip to EU since Brexit, what documents needed?

[Odd job]

We are going to France and Spain next year, this is the first time abroad since Brexit, do we need a green card? Do we need international driving licences? I think France and Spain require different licences.

It's strange, I have been driving in France for well over 50 years, but I'm not sure what we need these days.

 

[MichaelT]

Nope don't need anything.

 

[Ditcha]

We are going to France and Spain next year, this is the first time abroad since Brexit, do we need a green card? Do we need international driving licences? I think France and Spain require different licences.

It's strange, I have been driving in France for well over 50 years, but I'm not sure what we need these days.

A passport is needed to get out but not needed to get back in

 

[Al n Val]

we’re just leaving France having been to Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland and needed nothing apart from diesel and loadsa dosh

 

[BikerGraham]

Just your uk driving licence. As long as it’s a photo licence.

Plus obviously passport, MOT, insurance documents, V5 and travel health insurance.

Also make sure you have a valid GHiC ( the current version of what was the E111)

Credit card and some cash and a great appetite to have loads and loads of fun

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[swemmy666]

We are going to France and Spain next year, this is the first time abroad since Brexit, do we need a green card? Do we need international driving licences? I think France and Spain require different licences.

It's strange, I have been driving in France for well over 50 years, but I'm not sure what we need these days.

passport (with months to go before expiry) and often patience as you join a long Q of brits having their passports stamped

 

[Odd job]

passport (with months to go before expiry) and often patience as you join a long Q of brits having their passports stamped

I hope not to have a passport stamp, Mrs Odd has just got her Irish passport, so neither of us should get a stamp.

 

[Odd job]

Just your uk driving licence. As long as it’s a photo licence.

Plus obviously passport, MOT, insurance documents, V5 and travel health insurance.

Also make sure you have a valid GHiC ( the current version of what was the E111)

Credit card and some cash and a great appetite to have loads and loads of fun

We have all of those, we're planning to give winter a miss next year, although 3 months living in a caravan will be a first

 

[Guigsy]

Make sure your passport isn't one that had more than 10 years between issue and expiry. Or you might have useful time left on it than the dates suggest.

 

[Odd job]

Make sure your passport isn't one that had more than 10 years between issue and expiry. Or you might have useful time left on it than the dates suggest.

Passports are newish blue ones, so all good. Well actually my passport is blue Mrs. Odd's new passport is an EU one so it's red, but all up to date .

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[Coolcats]

I hope not to have a passport stamp, Mrs Odd has just got her Irish passport, so neither of us should get a stamp.

If you are not Irish or have an Irish passport you will present yours and if you don't have a stamp I will buy you a beer....and your wife re-enters the UK as an EU citizen she may well have a stamp in hers

 

[MichaelT]

If you are not Irish or have an Irish passport you will present yours and if you don't have a stamp I will buy you a beer....and your wife re-enters the UK as an EU citizen she may well have a stamp in hers

Doubt it as the new entry and visa system should be in place by then.

 

[Thornebt]

If you haven't got a photo driving licence you will need two international driving permits - one for France and one for Spain. One of these lasts for one year and the other for three years - can't remember which is which. You get the IDPs from the post office. Each one requires a passport photo.

 

[Just smiffy]

Just your uk driving licence. As long as it’s a photo licence.

Plus obviously passport, MOT, insurance documents, V5 and travel health insurance.

Also make sure you have a valid GHiC ( the current version of what was the E111)

Credit card and some cash and a great appetite to have loads and loads of fun

This…

 

[Carpmart]

I hope not to have a passport stamp, Mrs Odd has just got her Irish passport, so neither of us should get a stamp.

Sadly doesn’t work like that! You will still get stamped!

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[InvictaMoto]

EHIC still valid if the date is in the future.

 

[EuroTrotters]

We are going to France and Spain next year, this is the first time abroad since Brexit, do we need a green card? Do we need international driving licences? I think France and Spain require different licences.

It's strange, I have been driving in France for well over 50 years, but I'm not sure what we need these days.

Probably EES Maybe ETIAS? Depends

 

[Coolcats]

Doubt it as the new entry and visa system should be in place by then.

Cool so we will be logged in and out.. bit like the old time stamp machines

 

[PlacidoD]

I am on the Newhaven-Dieppe ferry back end of April 2025 (after the Easter "rush") to get EES sorted and done with while queues are short. Not sure I would want to be on the likes of Easyjet/RyanAir flights for a while. At least I can sit and wait and maybe even put the kettle on while in the queue!

 

[Orion]

I hope not to have a passport stamp, Mrs Odd has just got her Irish passport, so neither of us should get a stamp.

You, as a ‘third country’ citizen should receive an entry stamp on entering the EU. If you don’t it could cause problems when you exit and the border officer goes looking for it.

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[swemmy666]

I hope not to have a passport stamp, Mrs Odd has just got her Irish passport, so neither of us should get a stamp.

If its like the airports, you will be separated into different Qs and will get the stamp!

 

[Orion]

....and your wife re-enters the UK as an EU citizen she may well have a stamp in hers

Not been the case for my Irish wife when returning to the U.K. on multiple occasions. Possibly due to the arrangement between U.K. and Eire under the Common Travel Area?

 

[menis]

I've heard that depending where you go in France, it might be worth getting a CritAir Sticker for your vehicle :-

https://certificat-air.gouv.fr/

Apparently it's about like ULEZ

Menis

 

[Coolcats]

Not been the case for my Irish wife when returning to the U.K. on multiple occasions. Possibly due to the arrangement between U.K. and Eire under the Common Travel Area?

Of course but 'they' will be aware of her entry and exit on the data base, the airports, ferry ports etc all check the passports, they 'know' who you are and when you pass the boarder your passport is scanned or at airports you can use the Biometric ones having an Irish passport is not an exemption to checks (My Wife has one too)

 

[Coolcats]

I've heard that depending where you go in France, it might be worth getting a CritAir Sticker for your vehicle :-

https://certificat-air.gouv.fr/

Apparently it's about like ULEZ

Menis

If traveling to Freiburg Germany they do accept the French CritAir as they are so close to the border but would be worth getting the German version as well if traveling around

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[Orion]

Of course but 'they' will be aware of her entry and exit on the data base, the airports, ferry ports etc all check the passports, they 'know' who you are and when you pass the boarder your passport is scanned or at airports you can use the Biometric ones having an Irish passport is not an exemption to checks (My Wife has one too)

Agree that there are no exemptions to the checks of course, but the reply was with regard to Irish resident citizens having their passports stamped when re-entering the U.K. from the ‘other’ EU (Schengen), and that doesn’t appear to happen because of the Common Travel Area arrangement.

 

[Brains]

Passport validity:

They are now only valid for 10 years from date of issue.
And you need at least three months validity at time of travel.

Which means any passport issued before February 2015 can not be used for travel today.
(Despite the fact that it could still be valid until end of 2026)

It means in effect a UK passport is only valid for about nine and half years, not up to eleven years as issued by the UK Passport office.
(My passport falls into this category, I will have to replace my passport 18 months before the expiry date)

 

[PlacidoD]

I've heard that depending where you go in France, it might be worth getting a CritAir Sticker for your vehicle :-

https://certificat-air.gouv.fr/

Apparently it's about like ULEZ

Menis

" ... it might be worth getting a CritAir Sticker ..."

If you have a Euro 6 engined van I would absolutely agree. In my case with a 2007 van I am Euro 4 (or will it 5? It is a Mk 7 Transit).

It is far from clear to me whether UK authorities will now supply my details to France/Germany etc. If, post Brexit, they will not then by registering for CritAir I give them the info to enable them to prosecute me!!!

I have no intention of going near any CritAir zones and my SatNav does ask me the question but if my SatNav lets me down or a signed diversion re-routes me or a vehicle problem takes me for repairs into a CritAir zone I don't want to hand them the means to prosecute me on a plate!!

 

[Dutch 68]

I hope not to have a passport stamp, Mrs Odd has just got her Irish passport, so neither of us should get a stamp.

They will still stamp, but they can stamp whatever they like lol, my gorgeous wife gets her passport stamped at every opportunity but only once over the last couple of years a Greek custom officer made an overstay comment, I had to explain some rules to him which he didn’t like but grumbling acceptance followed

 

[Coolcats]

" ... it might be worth getting a CritAir Sticker ..."

If you have a Euro 6 engined van I would absolutely agree. In my case with a 2007 van I am Euro 4 (or will it 5? It is a Mk 7 Transit).

It is far from clear to me whether UK authorities will now supply my details to France/Germany etc. If, post Brexit, they will not then by registering for CritAir I give them the info to enable them to prosecute me!!!

I have no intention of going near any CritAir zones and my SatNav does ask me the question but if my SatNav lets me down or a signed diversion re-routes me or a vehicle problem takes me for repairs into a CritAir zone I don't want to hand them the means to prosecute me on a plate!!

There are various CritAir certs to apply for and quite a number of zones.
Best apply for one

The Crit'Air anti-pollution vehicle sticker

Paris has become the first restricted traffic area in France. This means that all vehicles travelling in the capital must now carry a ‘Crit’

www.france.fr

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