Overseas Workers: EU Countries

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy written question – answered at on 9 February 2021.

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Photo of Janet Daby Janet Daby Labour, Lewisham East

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a work visa that professionals can use to travel to the 27 EU states with one document.

Photo of Paul Scully Paul Scully Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy), Minister of State (London)

There is no precedent in a Free Trade Agreement for EU Member States offering a single visa for work.

However, in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), the UK and EU did agree a range of facilitations for those travelling temporarily for work (Mode 4). The commitments agreed between the UK and the EU guarantee market access to business travellers in a wide number of sectors, waive work-permits for a range of short-term business visits, and provide for a minimum standard for how service providers should be treated when working in the other Party. We have also agreed commitments that will make it easier for professionals engaged in cross-border trade to apply for visas.

Commitments in the Mode 4 chapter are in addition to the EU already having legislated to allow UK nationals to travel visa-free for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This will allow UK nationals travelling to, and within, the Schengen Area to undertake a limited range of activities, such as tourism, or attending business meetings, or cultural and sports events.

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