Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November to Question 109332, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of making bilateral agreements with EU member states to allow UK nationals to travel visa-free in the EU beyond the 90/180 day period set out in the Schengen Borders Code for third-country nationals, if the EU continues to maintain that UK nationals will be treated as Third Country Nationals under the Schengen Borders Code from January 2021.

The Government has discussed arrangements with the EU for UK nationals travelling to the Schengen Area. UK nationals will only be able to travel visa-free for short stays for up to 90 days in a rolling 180-day period. This is the standard length of stay that the EU offers to nationals of eligible third countries that offer visa-free travel for EU citizens, in line with existing EU legislation. The provisions on visa-free short-term visits that will apply from 1 January 2021 reflect the UK and EU's respective border and immigration rules. They are existing provisions that are already applied to nationals of eligible third countries. From 1 January, free movement of people between the UK and EU will come to an end and we will have full control of our immigration system. The UK keeps its visa system under regular review to ensure that visit visas remain an effective tool in reducing immigration, tackling organised crime, and protecting national security.