don't break your brexit allowance

what the Schengen Agreement means for UK business travellers

As business travel continues to increase post-pandemic (and post Brexit!), organisations need to consider keeping track of the amount of time UK citizens spend within the Schengen Area.

 

The Schengen visiting allowance permits a maximum period of 90 days within a rolling 180-day period. Travellers must include the day they landed and the last day they left the area within their calculations. Breaching this allowance will have a significant impact on a traveller’s ability to travel.

According to a recent Business Travel News Europe publication, the industry sectors hit especially hard by the post-Brexit 90-day rules are construction, engineering, automotive and energy.

Failure to stay within the limits can result in several penalties, including financial penalties, deportation or removal, and increased scrutiny of future entry.

Here at Gray Dawes, we have some top tips to help you avoid these penalties:

 

  • Consider work permits for certain staff who travel regularly to the EU on business.
  • Plan a rotation of UK staff on EU projects to fit within the Schengen limit.
  • Add EU passport holders to your organisation where the limit doesn’t apply.
  • Work with your travel management company to calculate days your staff are in the EU and have reminders or notifications setup up when they begin to reach near the limit.
  • Check out the Gray Dawes reporting system, YourData
Guadeloupe & Martinique demonstrations

YourData

keep track of your EU travel

 

Our reporting & analytics system, YourData, gives live reporting regardless of whether bookings are made online or offline. In addition to the many standard reports, we can provide customised dashboards to show how long a traveller has spent in the EU in order to alert the traveller or their manager if they begin to reach their 90 day limit.

YourData Schengen report

Click on the above report to enlarge it.

Request a demo today or ask your Account Manager for more information on YourData.

Alternatively, feel free to reach out to us or your Account Manager on the Schengen Area limit and how we can help.

To help you navigate the changes of business travel, we’ve created the brand-new Traveller Toolkit. This invaluable online resource is packed full of easy-to-use guides and checklists for every stage of every journey. We detail exactly what you need to know and do before, during and after your trip in a post-pandemic, post Brexit world.

You can even check the travel restrictions and health status of your destination with our comprehensive COVID-19 Country Tracker, updated five times daily to ensure you have the very latest information to help keep you and your travellers safe.

Travel is changing. With common sense and a good TMC behind you, travellers can have the confidence to once again take to the skies. It’ll soon be back business as (un)usual.