Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether UK-based shopfitting firms that currently have contracts to provide services in the rest of the EU will need to obtain work permits from the relevant EU country for their staff to enable them to continue doing that work in the event that the UK leaves the EU without an agreement.

Leaving the EU with a deal remains the Government’s top priority. We welcome the proposal by the European Commission to put UK nationals on a visa-free list for short trips to the EU even in the event of no deal.

In the event that we leave the EU without a deal, UK nationals travelling to the EU for the purposes of work may be subject to extra conditions. Businesses will need to check individual Member State immigration rules for whether there are any requirements or conditions around supporting documentation, work permits or visas. Businesses should also check whether there are any restrictions on the provision of services, such as whether a UK professional qualification is recognised in the country in question.

We have published advice on the steps that UK nationals may need to take to prepare for our exit from the EU, which can be found at gov.uk/euexit. The Government will publish any necessary updates on gov.uk in due course.