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BREXIT

New campaign urges Brits in Italy to get ready for Brexit

Brexit is still mired in uncertainty, but a new government campaign is urging Brits in Italy to prepare for it happening on October 31st.

Published: 17 September 2019 11:25 CEST
New campaign urges Brits in Italy to get ready for Brexit
Brits are being urged to get their paperwork in order before October 31st. Photo: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP

The UK government on Monday launched a major information campaign urging UK nationals living in and travelling to the EU to take steps to get ready for Brexit at the end of next month.

The campaign aims to inform more than a million UK nationals living in the EU – including over 29,000 Brits in Italy – about specific actions they need to take to secure their rights and services in their host country, including information on residency, healthcare, driving licences and passports.

It will also encourage people travelling to the EU to make all necessary preparations by checking passports, buying travel insurance and checking driving licenses and pet passports.

Find The Local's full Brexit coverage HERE

The campaign will use multiple channels, from Facebook posts to billboard posters in towns and cities across Europe, urging people to take action ahead of the October 31st deadline.

It comes even though negotiations are continuing over Brexit and no deal has been reached yet.

Regardless of what happens, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the UK will leave the EU at the end of October.

This is what Brits have been urged to do in Italy:

  • Register as a resident at your local anagrafe (registry office).
  • Register for healthcare in Italy.
  • Exchange your UK driving licence for an Italian one.
  • Check your passport is valid for travel (if there's a no-deal Brexit, Brits must have at least six months left on an adult or child passport to travel to most countries in Europe).

There is also some other actions that Brits can take, such as getting qualifications recognized and applying for permanent residency or citizenship.

READ ALSO: The ultimate no-deal Brexit checklist for Brits in Italy


Photo: DepositPhotos

As The Local has reported, Italy has given assurances that the rights of British residents will be protected after Brexit, deal or no deal.

The previous Italian government issued a decree establishing a transition period until the end of 2020, during which time Brits can apply for new residency status: either a five-year permit for those who've lived in Italy for less than five years already, or a permanent residency permit for those who've been here five consecutive years or more.

Either permit will protect Brits' rights to work and access social benefits in Italy.

The precise procedures for requesting these permits have not yet been clarified. All British residents – unless they have dual Italian nationality – will have to register again as third-country (non-EU) nationals after Brexit, even those who already have a permanent residency permit as an EU citizen.

READ ALSO: 

In a press release, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “We are stepping up efforts to ensure Britons abroad are prepared for Brexit on October 31st.

“This campaign provides practical advice to the more than one million British people living in the EU, as well as British tourists and business travellers.”

The UK government recently announced up to £3 million in grant funding for charities and other voluntary organizations who can inform UK nationals about the need to register or apply for residency and to support them as they complete their applications.

The government also allocated an extra £300,000 to British Embassies and consulates across the EU to engage with UK nationals who may be more difficult to reach, such as people with disabilities, those living in remote areas or people who might need extra help to complete any paperwork in preparation for Brexit.

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BREXIT

Will Brits in Italy face travel problems under new EES passport system?

The EU's new Entry & Exit System (EES) of enhanced passport controls is due to come into force later this year, but will this create more headaches for non-EU nationals who need to prove their Italian residency rights?

Published: 30 April 2024 16:36 CEST
Will Brits in Italy face travel problems under new EES passport system?

Currently scheduled to start in autumn 2024 (unless it’s delayed again, which is possible) the EU’s new Entry & Exit System is an enhanced passport check at external EU borders.

You can find a full explanation of the new system and what it means for travellers HERE.

Those crossing an external EU or Schengen border for the first time will be required to complete EES ‘pre-registration’ formalities, including facial scan and fingerprinting.

Several groups are exempt from EES, and one of them is non-EU nationals who have a residency permit or long-stay visa for an EU country.

A European Commission spokesman told The Local: “Non-EU citizens residing in the EU are not in the scope of the EES and will not be subject to pre-enrollment of data in the EES via self-service systems. The use of automation remains under the responsibility of the Member States and its availability in border crossing points is not mandatory.

“When crossing the borders, holders of EU residence permits should be able to present to the border authorities their valid travel documents and residence permits.”

READ ALSO: What will EES passport system mean for foreigners living in Europe?

But there have understandably been questions about how this exemption will work in practice.

Most airports, ports or terminals have two passport queues – EU and non-EU. It remains unclear whether the non-EU queue will now have a separate section for those who are exempt from EES.

It appears that exempt groups will not be able to use the automated passport scanners – since those cannot scan additional documents like residency permits – but should instead use manned passport booths.

What does this mean for travel between Italy and the UK?

It seems that nothing will therefore change for those who already have to show their Italian residency documents along with their passport when travelling to and from the UK (or another non-EU country) in order to avoid having their passport incorrectly stamped.

UK citizens who were legally resident in Italy before the end of the Brexit transition period are in a somewhat unusual position, as Italy is one of a handful of “declaratory” countries in the EU where getting a post-Brexit residency card (Italy’s is known as the ‘carta di soggiorno‘) was optional, rather than compulsory.

The British government has long recommended that British nationals who were resident in Italy before Brexit should obtain the card as it’s the easiest way to prove residency rights and avoid delays at the border.

In practice, many of Italy’s British residents have since found that the post-Brexit residency card is also necessary in order to complete various bureaucratic procedures within Italy.

READ ALSO: EES: Could the launch of Europe’s new border system be delayed again?

But will the EES system mean that the card now becomes a de facto requirement when travelling between Italy and the UK?

The British government has not issued any updated guidance on the matter in light of the introduction of EES, and the British Embassy in Rome did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Local.

Although EES does not change any rules relating to residency or travel, it seems likely that it will be more hassle to travel without a ‘carta di soggiorno’ than it is now.

As always, our advice is that getting the card, if you haven’t already, will probably save you a considerable amount of time and trouble, both within Italy and when travelling.

You can find our full Q&A on EES HERE.

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