May/June Issue 61 - Flipbook - Page 9
NEWS
BREXIT: DRIVING IN THE EU
If you are a professional driver, there
are a number of documents you will be
responsible for having onboard when
driving to the EU after the transition
period has come to an end.
need to do anything, and your UK-issued
CPC qualification should still be recognised.
If, however, you hold a UK-issued Driver
CPC qualification and work for a company
based in the EU, then you will likely be
required to exchange your qualification for
First and foremost, you will undoubtedly be the relevant qualification, card or equivalent
required to have your full UK driving licence in that particular country.
with you when driving, either a lorry or a
PSV, in the EU. However, an additional
You may also need to renew your passport.
permit you yourself will be required to carry On the day that you travel, a driver’s
is something called an International Driving passport will need to have at least 6 months
Permit (IDP). These can be obtained from of validity left, and be less than 10 years
the Post Office and an application cost of
old, even if it does have 6 months of validity
£5.50 will be required. In order to be eligible left. GOV.UK guidance indicates that it
for an IDP, however, you are required (1)
usually takes 3 weeks if you need to renew
to be a Great Britain or Northern Ireland
your passport. However, the closer we
resident, (2) have a full UK driving licence, come to the end of the transition period, the
and (3) be 18 or over. However, be aware
more individuals are likely to start checking
that different, specific EU Member States
their passports and start applying for
may require different types of IDP. There
renewal. It is probably better to apply early
are different variations depending on how
in order to beat any rush that may come
far along the destination country is to
about as a consequence of the deadline.
ratifying certain international treaties. A
useful tool for drivers and operators is likely With visas, the position is still quite
to be the Post Office’s IDP Checker Tool
uncertain. You will probably not need a
(link below) which, from 1 January 2021,
visa to travel to an EU Member State for a
may be able to give you an indication of
short period of time, however, with visas, it
which type of IDP will be needed, although is always best to check with the destination
we have not had this confirmed by them.
country or countries as they may have
brought in different, specific international
Post Office IDP Checker – click here:
requirements. Generally speaking, you
are unlikely to need a visa, according to
There may also be concern about Driver
European Commission proposals, if you are
Certificates of Professional Competence
in an EU Member State for up to 90 days in
and what requirements will be in place
a 180-day period. The reason the position
after the end of the transition period. All UK is unclear in respect of drivers is because it
drivers will still need a Driver CPC in order is not certain whether this rule applies also
to work as lorry or bus or coach drivers
to work.
and drive in the EU. If you are a UK driver
working for a UK company, then you will not Travel to Ireland will remain the same. The
UK has a mutually recognised Common
Travel Area which includes Ireland. Drivers
should be able to travel there without a
visa.
Lastly, but possibly the most important,
drivers should be aware of their coverage
with regard to healthcare and health
insurance. Once the transition period
has come to an end, European Health
Insurance Cards (EHIC) or E111s may
not be valid. This means that if a driver
is involved in an accident and/or requires
medical care whilst in an EU Member State,
they may not be covered for the cost. It is
wise for drivers to start looking at potential
products available to cover them. Be
warned, even if you are a driver and you
believe that you are already covered for
healthcare in the EU, that coverage may
only extend to you as a private tourist or
where you are travelling for leisure. It may
not cover you for professional work as a
driver.
The above are just some of the areas that
professional drivers should be aware of
as we approach the end of the transition
period on 31 December 2020. It is wise to
remain aware of the implications of Brexit
and how this will affect you. Useful sources
can be found on our Brexit Hub, the GOV.
UK website and other officially published
resources.
If you require advice on how the end of
the transition period may impact you as
a driver, please contact our Regulatory
Department on 01254 828300 or
regulatory@backhouses.co.uk
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