Troublesome new regulations mean UK travellers can no longer spend an unlimited amount of time visiting popular EU nations without a visa.
Britons are only permitted to stay a maximum of 90 days in every 180, as part of the Schengen Area agreement following Brexit - with the constraints bringing various issues particularly for holiday-home owners and other frequent visitors.
But experts at StressFreeCarRental.com have put together a range of tips for anyone without the relevant documentation wanting to stay in an EU country, such as France or Spain, longer than the 90-day limit.
The key advice will steer UK citizens around the restrictions without falling foul of the new regulations.
Get a working holiday visa
A working holiday visa allows 25 to 31-year-olds to visit a country and take on jobs for 12 months to cover living expenses. Working holiday visas rules vary for each EU country and are only valid in the nation of issue.
Apply for a citizenship
This option is for those who are really focused on settling in another country and can be gained through ancestry and family links.
Investigate your family tree and if you are able to prove you had ancestors who were citizens in EU countries then the process of applying for a citizenship will be easier.
Get a golden visa
For those wealthy enough to do so, a golden visa will allow individuals and their families to get a residence permit or citizenship in a country by either making a large donation or purchasing a home.
Part of the requirement for this is the individual's ability to prove that the money is theirs, therefore you cannot take out a loan for this.
Golden visas can be applied for in the following places:
- Spain
- Malta
- Greece
- Italy
- Switzerland
- Austria
- Belgium
- Portugal
It should be noted that golden visas for Portugal change as of January 2022, the geographical area in which you can buy property will be restricted and investors will no longer be able to purchase a property in major cities like Porto or Lisbon.
The requirements for golden visas differ from country to country (e.g. the minimum investment changes) so it’s worth spending some time considering where you would like to invest and checking that you can comfortably meet the criteria.
Get a freelancer visa
Although this isn’t for the everyday tourist, if you are a freelancer of some sort you can apply for this visa which will allow you to stay in a country for three months.
For writers, artists and digital nomads, the idea of this visa is that these few months will then turn into residency which will allow you to stay in the country for around three years.
A spokesperson from StressFreeCarRental.com said: “For Brits who love to jet off and travel the 90/180 rule is frustrating but there are ways around this. Even if they don’t realise they are overstaying the allowed period of time, it can result in deportations, fines and entry bans."
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