Travelers from the United Kingdom, which will end its ties to the European Union at the end of the year, will lose their status as Europeans when it comes to heading off for a European vacation or city break once the break is complete.
In practical terms, although the EU and UK will likely hammer out some form of extension to keep planes flying and cargo moving, non-essential travel by UK citizens will fall under EU rules that ban non-essential travel to and in the EU by citizens of non-EU countries unless those countries are on the EU special safe list—and the UK's numbers don't qualify it for that list. Only eight countries have made that list, including Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.
There is one exception coded into all the arrangements: people in Northern Ireland will still be able to travel into the Republic of Ireland, but not to other EU member states. Beyond the Covid-era rules, UK citizens will, like others, be limited to 90 days in the EU every 180 days, and will have to show passports with expiration dates beyond the allowed time.
While the UK and EU are still, fitfully, working at negotiating a final trade deal that could have some impact on this situation, it is unlikely that there will be an 'out' for the Covid rules.
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