The UK Home Office has recently announced updates to entry requirements, specifically benefiting school groups coming from France. In these new guidelines, EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic, and Liechtenstein nationals who are part of a school group accredited by the French Ministry of Education can now enter the UK simply by presenting their ID card.
Furthermore, individuals from countries outside of these regions who are traveling within a recognized French school group will be required to carry a passport, though they will be exempt from the visa requirement. This development has garnered reactions from various educational and travel associations. Specifically, organizations like English UK and the British Educational Travel Association (BETA) have advocated for the government to extend these provisions. They suggest including groups organized by agents and expanding the initiative to encompass school groups from additional European countries.
Huan Japes, the Membership Director at English UK, commented on the changes to ST Magazine, stating, “This represents a step forward but falls short of completely addressing the challenges posed by post-Brexit immigration regulations.” For more detailed information, please visit: Link to more details.