I am shocked and offended that I’m the first responder to shock and offense on here. Thankfully, I have to cook some dead animals for dinner so I guess we can all take a deep breath...
Yes- but for EU and CH, it is from today- passports needed, not identity cards.
From October 1, following the change that was announced a year ago, most citizens of the European Union European Economic Area, and Switzerland will no longer be allowed to enter the UK using a national identity card, and will instead be subject to the same entry rules as travellers from the rest of the world.
When we went to Turkey in June (first foreign trip since COViD), I wandered up to the EU gate and computer said no to my passport, the cop at the counter asked for my permit and all was good.
Well I don't think there are any Non EU/EEA countries that one can travel to without a passport.The Brits never had an interest in ID cards (well a very short lived one at one point), they only accepted them because the EU forced them to.
The ID has the same information as the passport, just no pages for stamps.
IF the UK had ID cards, Schengen countries wouldn’t accept them because they stamp you in and out. (Except for Schengen residents).
And no, the EU didn’t force the UK to accept them. They were part of the process that developed rules tor intra-EU travel. They helped write the rules.
Erm, no. The UK doesn't have ID cards, the EU didn't enforce anything. Historically, the UK resisted photos and distinguishing feature sections on passports!
Right. So if the U.K. had ID cards Schengen countries would no longer accept them. But because the EU have them & the U.K. also no longer accept them people are mad! The only reason the U.K. looks like the bad guy here, is because the U.K. doesn’t have ID cards so nothing changes for U.K. citizens.
I was more thinking the other way round, really. Many here and all over EU have mixed families- or have families back home in UK they like to visit.
For them, the cost and necessity of passports will probably not be a big deal in the long run with multiple visits to UK.
But what about other way round? Tourists, especially families who will find it prohibitive to visit the UK, and will prefer to go to other EU countries where this will not be necessary. And as an ex teacher who has organised so many trips for my students, always calculated to be the cheapest possible to involve as many as possible (including the long journey overnight by coach, driving a minibus all over the place) ... I know that our counterparts in the EU would no longer be able to continue with the exchanges if the cost of passport has to be added.