The EU airports most likely to face the biggest queues after a no-deal Brexit

UK tourists could face major delays at some of Europe’s busiest airports in the event of a no-deal Brexit, an investigation by Which? has found.

Unless a deal is struck by March 29 – or unless Brexit is delayed, as appears increasingly likely – British holidaymakers will be subject to the same passport checks as non-EU nationals when they land on the Continent.

The European Tourism Association (ETOA) estimates additional checks could add an extra 90 seconds for each UK passport holder. This means it would take a single passport lane in an EU airport an extra 17,010 seconds – or nearly five hours – to process 189 passengers on a typical Ryanair flight, if all arrivals had UK passports.

Consumer group Which? identified the EU airports where UK passport holders could face the most disruption and found that Alicante in Spain is likely to be worst affected.

In a no-deal Brexit, Which? estimates that the immigration department there would need the staff and resources to deal with an additional 201 hours of checks, on average, every single day.

The consumer group claims that six of the top 10 busiest airports for UK arrivals are in Spain, which has yet to announce how it will deal with additional immigration checks. It adds that Tenerife South, Lanzarote, Malaga, Ibiza and Palma de Mallorca airports all face severe difficulties if a contingency plan is not put in place to manage the new requirements.

Although Faro airport in Portugal has the biggest proportion of UK arrivals overall, Which? claims the Portuguese prime minister’s plan to open fast-track lanes at Faro and Funchal airports will ease congestion.

“Airports can be chaotic at the best of times, but if additional checks at passport control in Spain, Italy and other popular EU destinations are implemented in the event of a no-deal, it seems that very long queues are going to be an unwanted side effect,” said Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel.

“Until there is a deal or these airports announce simpler arrangements, you should consider what you may need if you have to fly to them – as it is very likely that you’ll be in a queue for several hours. Make sure you have food, water and essentials for kids like nappies to hand.”

What other issues should travellers be concerned about?

Higher airfares

Even though it is unlikely flights will be grounded, the continuing success of the no-frills airlines, reducing fares and opening up new routes between the UK and the EU, is less certain, meaning fares could rise.

A weaker pound

Sterling is weaker and holidays have become more expensive since the Brexit vote. In June 2016, the pound bought about €1.30; now the rate is about €1.13. If a good Brexit deal is signed, it will strengthen, if not, it seems likely to remain depressed.

Delay compensation

The remarkably high levels of compensation under the EU directive on flight delays are now part of UK law. British airlines will likely lobby hard to get the protection watered down after we have left. The Civil Aviation Authority has said the UK will adopt “all current air transport safety regulations into UK law”, maintaining existing levels of consumer protection.

Health protection

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) gives us free or reduced-cost treatment in other EU countries. The Government has signalled an intention to keep the scheme – or a similar one – going.

Roaming charges

We won’t be entitled to free roaming after Brexit. But Vodafone and Three have agreed to continue it, and the Government now says it may cap data charges at ￡45 a month for operators that do not.

Less protection

Financial protection arrangements for package holidays were enshrined in UK law under the EU directive of 1992 and extended again in July. It seems unlikely that the UK Government will want to water them down, -although they will, of course, be free to do so.

Working visas

The ability for you, or your children, to work in the EU – perhaps to fund a trip around Europe by taking casual jobs – depends on our membership. Since restrictions on freedom of work and movement seem inevitable, it is almost certain that British citizens will no longer be able to work in EU countries without a visa.

Beach pollution

Over the past 25 years, EU rules have forced Britain to clean up its beaches, though more improvement is still needed. Is that more or less likely to happen now there will no longer be pressure from the EU? We will see.

Duty-free shopping

We lost the right to duty free when travelling between EU countries in 1999. But we gained the right to bring home virtually unlimited amounts of duty paid goods – good news because duty on wine in France is significantly less compared with the UK. Now that we are leaving, the good news is that, presumably, we will revert to the same arrangements which apply to all other countries. We will have a duty free allowance of 200 cigarettes, 16 litres of beer and four litres of wine, but above that we will have to pay about ￡2 for each bottle of wine we bring home.

Green cards and driving licences

Abta says UK citizens driving their vehicle within the EU would be required to obtain and carry a physical Green Card in order for a UK car insurance to be applicable in the EU. These cards would be issued by insurers and you may be charged a small fee to cover administration costs. In addition, UK driving licences may no longer be valid in the EU, with British drivers required to obtain an International Driving Permit, with different European countries governed by different documents.

The government has warned: “You would need both types of IDP if you are visiting EU countries covered by different conventions, for example France and Spain.”

The IDPs come in 1949 and 1968 versions and are obtainable at Post Offices at a cost of ￡5.50.