Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Sep 01, 2025

BREXIT impacts on VI trade & travel starts Jan 1, 2021

BREXIT impacts on VI trade & travel starts Jan 1, 2021

Virgin Islands (VI) Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie , has warned of the implications of BREXIT on the territory, which takes effect from today January 1, 2021.

With the people of the United Kingdom voting to leave the European Union in June 2016 by a referendum, the transitional period of the exit official came to an end on December 31, 2020, and according to Hon Fahie in a statement released on the same evening, the VI should brace for several changes moving forward.

Free movement across EU comes to an end


With regards to travel and freedom of movement, the Premier noted that British Citizens will no longer retain the right to move freely across European Member States.

“Holders of British Passports and British Overseas Territories (BOTC) passports travelling as Tourists will now have visa-free travel for up to 90 days in any 180-day period while travelling within the Schengen Area,” Hon Fahie said.

As such, persons planning longer stays for work, to study, or to conduct business in the EU, would have to check entry requirements for each country and should be prepared to answer questions regarding the reasons for their visit and their financial capacity to sustain themselves while in Europe.

VI not covered under UK/EU tariff-free trade


Regarding trade, the Premier said that the new UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement provides for tariff-free and quota-free trade in goods, between the UK and the EU.

“The Overseas Territories are not included in this arrangement, however, with the exception of Tristan Da Cunha for the export of Lobster into the EU market. From 1st January 2021, the other Overseas Territories will no longer enjoy tariff-free and quota-free access in the export goods to the EU Market.”

He said, however, that the VI and other Overseas Territories had non–reciprocal access to the EU market, therefore, goods imported from the EU will not be affected.

“The new UK-EU Trade and Cooperation agreement does not cover Trade in Services, including Financial Services, which will be addressed in a subsequent agreement at a later date. As the EU conducts trade with the BVI as a Third Country, the BVI’s trade-in Services with the EU will not be affected by the new arrangement.”

Access to EU development funds cut


Finally, with regards to access to development funds, he said the Virgin Islands has long enjoyed a politically beneficial relationship with the European Union through its Associate Status as one of the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) directly associated with the bloc.

“Through this relationship, the Virgin Islands has worked closely with the EU on European Development Fund (EDF) programming and other collaborative initiatives which have been used to tackle issues such as climate change, marine biodiversity and pursue renewable energy goals.”

The Premier said that while existing projects will be allowed to continue, the Virgin Islands and other British Overseas Territories will no longer have access to any future funding support from the EU for sustainable development beginning Today, January 1, 2020.

VI/UN cooperation to address funding gaps


According to the Leader of Government Business, “The World is changing around us and we too must change and adapt. Despite the unfortunate implications of this reality on the Virgin Islands, your Government has been proactive in ensuring that we bridge the gaps left by Brexit.”

He said in terms of replacement of EU funding, the territory has taken steps to strengthen relations and cooperation with the United Nations to advance the sustainable development of the Territory.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
×