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Brexit Date Moved to October 31, 2019

April 11, 2019

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Countries / Territories

At a Glance

  • UK and EU government representatives agreed to further postpone the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union until October 31, 2019.

  • This could change if both the United Kingdom and European Union ratify the Withdrawal Agreement before then. In that case, the United Kingdom would leave the European Union the first day of the following month.

  • During the extension, the United Kingdom will remain a member of the European Union and UK nationals will continue to benefit from the rights provided to EU nationals,meaning they will not need work permits to work in EU countries.

  • However, if the United Kingdom does not hold elections for the European Parliament between May 23-26, 2019 and does not ratify the Withdrawal Agreement before May 22, 2019, a no-deal Brexit will occur on June 1, 2019, unless a further extension is granted.

The situation

UK and EU government representatives agreed to further postpone the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union until October 31, 2019, before the first session of the new European Commission on November 1, 2019.

  • Withdrawal Agreement. If both the United Kingdom and European Union ratify the Withdrawal Agreement before October 31, 2019, the United Kingdom would leave the European Union the first day of the following month.

  • European Parliament elections. The United Kingdom must now hold European Parliament elections between May 23-26, 2019. If not, and if the United Kingdom does not ratify the Withdrawal Agreement before May 22, 2019, a no-deal Brexit will occur on June 1, 2019, unless a further extension is granted.

  • Alternative Brexit strategies. The United Kingdom continues to internally investigate alternative Brexit strategies which would carry a parliamentary majority.

Impact

  • Employers. Employers should benefit from additional time to develop no-deal contingency plans.
     
  • EU nationals in the United Kingdom. Eligible EU nationals and their family members are advised to register under the EU Settlement Scheme.
     
  • UK nationals in Europe. During the extension, the United Kingdom will remain a member of the European Union and UK nationals will continue to be able to enter EU countries without a visa. UK nationals and their families should benefit from more time to complete necessary registrations and applications, and prepare supporting documents to prepare for Brexit.

 

Looking ahead

Fragomen will be closely monitoring the developments and providing commentary and analysis. Many EU countries have published contingency plans for UK nationals in case of a no-deal Brexit.

Brexit has been an incredibly complex and uncertain political issue that carries risks to your business. Please contact a Fragomen immigration professional for assistance in planning contingency arrangements in a single project.

For more information, please visit Fragomen's dedicated Brexit site, which contains news, FAQs, and analysis/commentary in the form of blogs, videos, webcasts and events.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected] / [email protected].