Foreign UK residents urge govt to seek visa-free travel to EU for them

London: A petition seeking visa-free travel to Europe for holders of a United Kingdom Residence Permit (BRP) has been initiated at the UK’s parliament website for petitions.

The petition, signed up to this point by a total of 23,718 people, highlights that BRP holders who are non-European Union citizens are ineligible to travel to European countries using their BRP cards as a valid travel document, and urges the government to work to change that, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

“There are no plans to lobby the EU to remove the need for all non-EU/EEA citizens, including UK citizens, to carry a valid passport when visiting the Schengen area. This is not a visa issue,” the government said on June 14 in this regard.

Since the UK is no longer part of the EU, citizens of both countries are subject to different entry rules.

At present, all citizens from countries outside the EU planning to enter Schengen Zone countries, including for visits up to 90 days for a period within 180 days are required to carry a valid passport. The same rule also applies to Britons.

At the same time, the UK’s biometric residence permit is a secure immigration document which permits foreign nationals to travel to Britain and prove their right to stay, work or study in the Kingdom.

However, holders of this document are ineligible to travel to the EU countries, after it is not considered a valid travel document.

“It is a matter for the EU and EU Member States to decide whether they are prepared to accept documents that are not valid passports in lieu of their normal entry requirements,” the statement reads.

In order to apply for a Schengen Visa, Britons are required to hold a residence permit that should be valid for at least another three months beyond the date they plan to leave the Schengen Zone.

Travellers as well as tourists on a visa in Britain are not eligible to apply for a visa at the Schengen embassies located in the UK. They should instead apply for a Schengen visa at the respective Schengen embassy located in their home country.

All those who hold a three-month UK visa are eligible to extend it for additional three months and thus be eligible to apply for a Schengen visa from within Britain.

Post-Brexit rules have brought significant difficulties for both territories.

Research from ABTA Travel Association showed that the number of Britons working in the EU travel industry declined notably or 69 per cent since 2017.

Recently, it was stressed that the EU Member States citizens travelling to the UK will have to require an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) from next year, which will cost them about €12.