Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Spanish counterpart on that country's approach to British Nationals who cannot leave Spain by 31 March 2021 due to accident or injury and do not have a visa to stay.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The current advice for those across the UK remains to stay at home and not travel abroad unless it is for a permitted exempt reason. Our advice to British nationals abroad is that they should follow the public health advice of the country which they are in, including current COVID-19 restrictions.
Other countries maintain their own visa regimes. As of 1 January 2021, British Citizens do not need a visa when travelling to the EU for visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, for tourism and similar activities. Requirements for stays beyond visa or visa free periods are subject to national procedures for each country. Any queries on applicable regimes are for the relevant immigration authorities in that country. If a British national overseas requires consular assistance, the FCDO can be contacted by phone or email 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. The kind of assistance we offer is tailored to the individual circumstances of each case. Ministers raise specific issues of concern affecting British nationals overseas as appropriate.
Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department's advice is to clinically vulnerable British nationals who are shielding in the Schengen Area, who do not have travel visas and cannot remain isolated for longer than 90 days.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The current advice for those across the UK remains that you must stay at home and not travel abroad unless it is for a permitted exempt reason. Our advice to British nationals abroad is that they should follow the public health advice of the country which they are in, including current COVID-19 restrictions and whether they should take additional precautions due to underlying health conditions. As of 1 January 2021, British Citizens will not need a visa when travelling to the EU for visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, for tourism and similar activities. Requirements for longer stays are subject to Member States' national procedures. Any queries should be directed to the relevant immigration authorities in that country. UK nationals lawfully resident in the EU before 31 December 2020, and their family members, will be protected by the Withdrawal Agreement. If a British national overseas requires consular assistance, the FCDO can be contacted by phone or email 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. The kind of assistance we offer is tailored to the individual circumstances of each case. More detail on the assistance the FCDO can provide to British nationals abroad is set out in the publication: 'Support for British nationals abroad: A Guide' (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-british-nationals-abroad-a-guide).