Will we ring in the new year in Tenerife as planned?

Q We are due to travel to Tenerife on 31 December. We are based in Liverpool, which is tier 2 at the moment. Are there likely to be problems with border patrol in Tenerife once we land? The hotel don’t know. Ryanair are still saying we are flying.

Mary K

A The new variant of coronavirus that came to light in the UK in the third week of December has triggered a series of bans across Europe and the world – either for travellers arriving direct from the UK, or those who have been in the UK at any time in the previous two weeks.

Spain is one of those countries. Unless you happen to have the correct documentation showing you are a Spanish national or legally resident in Spain, I am afraid I cannot see any way that you will be allowed on board the Ryanair plane – let alone as far as Tenerife itself.

The ban on travel from the UK to Spain for anyone else continues until 6pm on 5 January (5pm if you happen to be going to the Canary Islands).

I hope that at least I have saved you the trouble and expense of obtaining a Covid test in advance of your trip. For the past five weeks anyone travelling to Spain is obliged to have proof of a negative test in the 72 hours before arrival.

You may reasonably want to know why, given all the restrictions, Ryanair is continuing to fly. The airline says that while it has cancelled a majority of departures to and from Spain, a certain amount of capacity is needed to fly out those with a right to travel there, and bring back Brits who are ending their holidays.

Because your seat on the plane is logistically available to you – though not legally – Ryanair contends it has no obligation to offer you a full refund. Instead, the airline invites you to postpone your trip.

Finally, in the extremely unlikely event that the Spanish ban is suddenly rescinded, the fact that you are in tier 2 does not present any problem. You can travel to any UK airport, regardless of the tier it is in, without problem.

Q You have previously written that the EHIC [European Health Insurance Card] will not be valid beyond the end of the year. Since the Brexit deal was announced on Christmas Eve I have been getting conflicting messages about the EHIC but the strong impression that we will still get free treatment abroad after the end of the transition phase. Do you know any more about what is being planned?

Brian J

A The fate of the EHIC, which bestows medical care on the same terms as local people in EU countries, has been a serious concern ever since the UK voted to leave the European Union in 2016. Despite successive health ministers saying they want it to continue, there were multiple signals that it would end. But with just days remaining until the transition phase ends at 11pm GMT on New Year’s Eve, I am delighted to say that it has a reprieve. The government now says: “Your EHIC will continue to be valid if you’re travelling to the EU.”

The card will no longer apply among the EU hangers-on (Switzerland plus the EEA trio of Norway, Iceland and plucky Liechtenstein). But elsewhere, in the 27 nations of the European Union, holders will continue to be able to get free or reduced-rate healthcare into the future.

Annoyingly, the NHS says: “Unless you’re eligible for an EHIC from 1 January 2021, we are not currently issuing new cards.” Instead, if you need treatment abroad you should get a provisional replacement certificate. You, or a companion or family member, must call NHS Overseas Healthcare Services on +44 191 218 1999 during working hours (Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm). You must have your National Insurance number and the name of the hospital or other medical facility that is currently treating you.

The UK government is promising a “Global Health Insurance Card” from an unspecified date in the new year. It may also cover the hangers-on and other countries, and there has been speculation that it may live up to its word and be worldwide – or at least intercontinental.

Q What will our duty-free allowances be from the EU to the UK from 1 January?

Michael B

A That all depends on where you live in the UK. If you have the good fortune to be travelling from the EU to Northern Ireland then there will be no change to the current rules. Just as the whole of the UK has enjoyed for the past couple of decades, you can bring any reasonable amount of personal goods from the European Union, so long as they are for personal use or to give as a gift.

For people travelling into Great Britain, there is some good news if you smoke. Arrivals to the UK will be able to bring in 200 duty-free cigarettes. That means completely duty-free, as opposed to tax paid in an EU nation. So there will be a saving compared with even the low prices in eastern Europe, Portugal and Spain – but with the crucial problem that if you exceed any of the new limits, you will pay tax on the whole lot.

For alcohol, the amounts are generous. At the stronger end of the spectrum, you have four litres of spirits or nine litres of sparkling wine and 18 litres of still wine. Those wine limits equate to one and two 12-bottle cases respectively. In addition, you can bring back 16 litres of beer. Hopefully that will see you through at least one evening.

For all other goods, from cheese to clothing, there is a limit of €430/£390. And unlike travelling from the UK to the European Union, there are no restrictions on meat and dairy products in the other direction.

With only three days to go before the new regime takes effect, it is not clear yet what restrictions may apply between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Evidently some people may decide that the best way to circumvent the new limits is to travel via Northern Ireland, and presumably the customs border in the Irish Sea will be extended to personal goods.

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