Flying between the UK and Europe since Brexit
British passengers need a passport issued in the last 10 years and valid for 3 months after they leave, and can spend 90 days in any 180 in the Schengen area. Since April 2026 the EU takes fingerprints and a photo at the border instead of stamping passports; ETIAS hasn't started. Europeans flying into the UK need a passport and a UK ETA.
Passports and the 90-day rule
To enter the Schengen area, a British passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive, and must not expire until at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave. A passport renewed before October 2018 can fail the 10-year test even when it looks in date.
British visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. Days in every Schengen country count towards the same 90, and overstaying can bring a ban of up to 3 years.
The EU's new border checks
- Since 10 April 2026 the Entry/Exit System (EES) has replaced passport stamps at the borders of the 29 countries using it.
- On your first trip, border officers take your fingerprints and a photo. After that, they check a fingerprint or your face each time you arrive and leave.
- Children aged 11 and under aren't fingerprinted but may be photographed. Registration is free and the record lasts 3 years.
- Private flights are included: the check happens at the airport when you land. The first registration takes longer, so we allow for it in the schedule.
ETIAS hasn't started
ETIAS is the EU's coming travel authorisation for visitors who don't need a visa, British citizens included. It isn't running and no applications are being taken; the EU will announce the start date several months ahead. When it starts it will cost €20, so any website charging for one now isn't the official service.
Europeans flying into the UK
- EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need a passport. An ID card is accepted only from people with status under the EU Settlement Scheme and a few other groups.
- Most visitors also need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), children and babies included. It costs £20 and is applied for online or in the app.
- A decision usually arrives within a day but can take up to 3 working days, and you can't travel until it arrives.
- An ETA lasts 2 years, or until the passport expires if sooner, for stays of up to 6 months. British and Irish passport holders don't need one.
The private flight paperwork
For any flight into or out of the UK, the operator files a General Aviation Report with Border Force between 48 hours and 2 hours before departure, listing everyone on board. Adding a passenger after that means a new report, which can delay the flight, so a final passenger list matters.
On the European side, the crew sends the arrival country's border police a general declaration with the passenger details before take-off, and a flight from the UK must land at an airport that is an official border crossing point. Not every smaller airfield is one, so we check before we plan the route.
The operator matters as well. Every operator from outside the UK, EU and Swiss ones included, needs a UK permit for each charter, and the UK–EU agreement only covers flights between the UK and the EU. Switzerland is in Europe and the Schengen area but not in the EU, so a lot of people get caught out: from the UK, an EU operator would be flying a seventh freedom flight.
We once told a client that a UK to Switzerland flight could only be done on the aircraft we offered. They booked a cheaper EU-registered aircraft elsewhere, then were told it couldn't go: its UK permit didn't include Switzerland, and with under 48 hours to go there was no time to put that right. We only offer what we know will work.
Customs: what you can bring back
- Into Great Britain: 42 litres of beer and 18 litres of wine, plus 4 litres of spirits or 9 litres of drinks up to 22% such as port; 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars (or a mix); and other goods worth up to £270. That is lower than the usual £390, because you've arrived by private plane.
- No meat or dairy from the EU into Great Britain: cheese, milk, butter, yoghurt, pork, beef, lamb, goat and venison are all banned because of animal disease outbreaks. Fish, poultry, eggs and honey are allowed.
- Into the EU from the UK: 4 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer, plus 1 litre of spirits or 2 litres of fortified or sparkling wine; usually 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars; and other goods worth up to €430. No meat or dairy at all.
- Cash: declare £10,000 or more carried in or out of Great Britain (a family or group counts its cash together), and €10,000 or more per person entering or leaving the EU.
What you do
- Check every passport, children's too, against the 10-year and 3-month rules.
- European guests: get a UK ETA before you travel.
- Send us passport details for everyone flying, and tell us about changes as early as you can.
- Keep count of your Schengen days if you travel often.
- Declare anything over the allowances, and cash over the limits.
What we handle
- Pass passenger details to the operator for the UK and EU border reports, in time.
- Choose arrival airports that are border crossing points, with officers available for your arrival time.
- Check passport dates against the entry rules when you send them.
- Allow time in the schedule for first-time EES registration.
Questions
Will my passport still be stamped in Europe?
No. Since 10 April 2026 the EU's Entry/Exit System records your entry and exit digitally, with your fingerprints and photo taken on your first visit.
Do I need ETIAS for a private flight to France?
Not yet. ETIAS isn't running and no applications are being taken. The EU will announce the start date several months ahead, and it will cost €20.
How long can I stay in Europe on a British passport?
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, without a visa. Time in each Schengen country counts towards the same total.
What do European guests need to fly into London?
A passport (not an ID card, unless they have status under the EU Settlement Scheme) and a UK ETA, which costs £20 and usually comes through within a day.
Can I bring French cheese back to the UK?
No. Personal imports of cheese, milk and other dairy, and of pork, beef, lamb, goat and venison, from the EU into Great Britain are banned because of animal disease outbreaks.
Is the duty-free allowance different on a private jet?
Yes, for goods other than alcohol and tobacco: you can bring up to £270 into Great Britain by private plane, against £390 on a scheduled flight.
Related guides
Seventh freedom flights: why some jets can't fly your route
A jet from outside the UK can only fly the routes its UK permit allows. Seventh freedom flights, why Switzerland catches people out, and how to avoid it.
ChildrenFlying with children and babies on a private jet
Under-2s can travel on a lap; older children need their own seat. Passports, permission letters, baby milk and children flying without a parent.
LuggageLuggage on a private jet: how much fits and what you can bring
No fixed allowance: it depends on the aircraft's hold and weight. Typical baggage space by class, and the safety rules on batteries, vapes and alcohol.
Sources
- France entry requirements, as an example of Schengen rules (gov.uk)
- Entry/Exit System (European Commission)
- ETIAS (European Commission)
- Electronic Travel Authorisation (gov.uk)
- Apply for an ETA (gov.uk)
- Visiting the UK as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen (gov.uk)
- General Aviation Report guidance, updated 12 October 2026 (gov.uk)
- General declaration for private flights (Belgian Federal Police)
- Bringing goods into the UK for personal use (gov.uk)
- Bringing meat, dairy and animal products into Great Britain (gov.uk)
- Take cash in and out of the UK (gov.uk)
- Alcohol, tobacco and excise duties (Your Europe)
- Taking animal products, food or plants with you (Your Europe)
- EU cash controls (European Commission)
- Foreign carrier permits: scheduled and charter flights (Civil Aviation Authority)
Checked against these sources on 20 October 2026. Rules change, and this is a guide, not legal or veterinary advice; we confirm the current rules for your flight.
