The UK has left the European Union

Brexit means there will be a number of changes that will affect individuals and businesses.

Advice and Guidance for Citizens

The UK and Scottish Governments, along with some other organisations, have produced advice and guidance to help citizens and businesses deal with the new arrangements following Brexit. Here are some useful links:

UK Government: Get Ready for Brexit
Scottish Government – EU Exit (Brexit)
Citizens Advice Scotland

If you are an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen and wish to stay in the UK, you and your family will have to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme by 30 June 2021. This is a free scheme which enables EU, other EAA and Swiss citizens resident in the UK, and their family members, to obtain the status they will require in order to live and work in the UK. This includes children, non-EU family members, EU/EEA/Swiss citizens married to a British national, students, elderly and holders of a Permanent Residence Card.

Applicants for settled status need to prove their identity, show they live in the UK and declare any criminal convictions. For more information visit the links below:

Staying in the UK after it leaves the EU: Step by Step
Apply to the EU Settlement Scheme
EU Settlement Scheme: translated information materials

As well as the advice and information from the UK Government, there is local support available to help with applications:

The ‘We are Digital’ service to assist with making online applications is available in Dundee at the Central Library in the Wellgate. Appointments must be booked by phone (call 03333 445 675) or by text message (text the word “VISA” to 07537 416 944).
Dundee Citizens Advice Bureau offer support via a national telephone helpline, online advice guide.
- For the national helpline phone 0800 916 9847 - Monday 9am - 1pm, Wednesday 1pm - 5pm and Friday 9am - 1pm.
- For the online advice guide - search for 'staying in the UK after Brexit' at citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/
- Face to face appointments are not currently possible due to lockdown.

The Citizens Rights Project provides FREE SUPPORT for people who require assistance with their EU Settlement Scheme application. If you need help, or if you employ, support, provide services or simply know people that might be facing barriers to apply, you can speak with their accredited advisers on 07518 926137 or info@citizensrightsproject.org. They can answer questions and/or help with applications, and can also provide language support and offer free referrals to other organisations. The Project is certified to provide EUSS advice by OISC.

The Citizens' Rights Project in conjunction with the Royal Association for Deaf People will provide clear BSL information and support to EU/EEA/Swiss nationals and their family members who need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to protect their rights and remain in the UK after Brexit.

Advice and Guidance for Businesses

Links to the latest UK Government information to help businesses deal with new arrangements after the end of the transition period

How VAT will apply to goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Find out how import VAT will apply to goods moving between GB and NI for individuals and non-VAT-registered businesses.

Moving goods into, out of, or through Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021

What UK businesses can do to deal with new arrangements.

Transporting fresh and live seafood or day-old chicks to the EU

What to do if your heavy goods vehicle (HGV) is carrying exclusively fresh and live seafood or day-old chicks and there is severe disruption at Dover or Eurotunnel.

List of ports using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service

Find out which locations are using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service from 1 January 2021.

EU Settlement Scheme: employer toolkit

This toolkit equips you with the right materials and information to support EU citizens to apply to stay in the UK.

Moving qualifying goods from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK

Find out which goods qualify for unfettered access when moving from NI to the rest of the UK.

Export or move fish to the EU or NI from 1 January 2021

How to export fish for human consumption from 1 January 2021 and what documents you may need

Driving in the EU from 1 January 2021: lorry and goods vehicles drivers

What UK lorry and goods vehicle drivers need to do to drive professionally in the EU from 1 January 2021.

Check if you can declare goods you bring into NI not ‘at risk’ of moving to the EU from 01.01.21

Find out if you need to pay tariffs on the goods you bring to Northern Ireland because they are ‘at risk’ of onward movement to the EU.

How to export wild caught marine fishery products to the EU from 01 January 2021

Fishing and seafood businesses need to prepare for 1 January 2021, the end of the transition period when there will be some new processes for exporting fish and seafood into the EU.

Check if you can declare goods you bring into NI not ‘at risk’ of moving to the EU from 01.01.21

Find out if you need to pay tariffs on the goods you bring to Northern Ireland because they are ‘at risk’ of onward movement to the EU.

Trading and moving goods in and out of Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021

How to prepare if you trade and move goods in and out of Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021.

Export or move live animals and animal products to the EU or Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021

What you need to do to export or move live animals, products of animal origin and animal by-products to the EU or Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021.

Export or move composite food products to the EU or Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021

What counts as a composite food product, and the rules you’ll need to follow to export or move these products to the EU or Northern Ireland (NI) from 1 January 2021.

Is your business prepared for Brexit? See top 10 actions you can take.

If businesses have any queries about exporting goods to the EU, they should go to gov.uk/transition or use the following helpline numbers:

HMRC Customs & International Trade Helpline - 0300 322 9434. Opening hours here.
HMRC VAT / Imports and Exports General Enquiries - 0300 200 3700. Opening hours here.
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)
- Vehicle operator licensing enquiries - 0300 123 9000. Opening hours here.
- International Road Haulage Permits - 0330 678 1117. Opening hours here.
Animal, Plant and Health Agency (APHA) - 0300 1000 313. Further details here.

HMRC has extended deadline for businesses to apply for customs support funding to 31 January 2021.

You can get some information to help your business prepare from the links below:

UK Government: Get Ready for Brexit
Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce - Brexit
PrepareforBrexit.scot

A self-assessment tool has been created to help businesses identify how Brexit might affect them, providing bespoke recommendations for action to help their planning activities.

The Brexit Support Grant, funded by the Scottish Government, provides up to a maximum of £4,000 to help small to medium-sized enterprises in Scotland manage a wide range of Brexit impacts. Find out how to apply on the Prepare for Brexit website.

The transition period following Brexit ended on 31 December, when rules affecting businesses changed. There are lots of good resources to help businesses prepare for the new arrangements at the CBI Brexit hub, with guidance on specific issues.

Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce’s International Team - Vince Mitchell, Katie Preston and Keith Harvey – are available to help any businesses needing specific local information, particularly around export documents and customs declarations.

The Chamber has launched a ChamberCustoms service.

and their series of Brexit webinars are available to watch on their YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tle31d1bRLc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwQIXTLN_N8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhZsmSj3DMA

Scotland's Enterprise and Skills Agencies have produced important information to help businesses prepare for the end of the transition period after Brexit

The most important message for businesses is to ensure that they and their supply chains take action now to adapt to the changing business environment. The UK has already left the EU and the end of the transition period on 31 December has brought significant change for most businesses.

Some issues demand immediate attention by businesses :

Identifying the impact of changes in customs processes and documentation and how to manage these declarations. (How to import and export goods between Great Britain and the EU from 1 January 2021)
Identifying rules of origin.
Reviewing changes to product markings and labelling. The CE mark is being replaced by the new UKCA mark and the UKCA mark will not be recognised on the EU market
Service sector businesses operating in the EU27 will need to check their professional qualifications are recognised and the need for a registered legal presence in-market (e.g. a local office or subsidiary)
Hauliers need to apply for the necessary operator licenses and permits, and understand the rules for transporting certain types of goods (such as live animals, animal products and perishable food)
EU/EEA staff should register under the EU Settlement Scheme and employers need to understand the implications of proposed changes under the new UK Immigration policy
Staff travelling to and from the EU will need to have a passport valid for at least six months
Our 10-point Brexit checklist provides further information.
Specific expertise is available to support you and individual businesses
Specialist advisers in trade, innovation, investment, intellectual property, workplace innovation/ employer engagement and EU funding are available – plus access to external technical advice on EU trade - is available via Scottish Enterprise and partners
Support for businesses to help with supply chain mapping and identification of new suppliers
Sign up to one of the many Brexit webinars including recorded webinars.
Sign-up to receive the latest email updates on EU Transition (Brexit) guidance and support for businesses in Scotland
A range of funding is available if businesses complete customs declarations. They can apply for funding towards recruitment, training and IT costs.

Non-VAT registered companies will need to apply for a GB EORI number to continue to export and import. All VAT registered companies that have previously traded with the EU should have automatically received an EORI number via HMRC. An EU EORI number is only required if you are responsible for landing the goods in the EU country of destination and responsible for making the customs declaration to the relevant EU customs authority. If your UK business is not responsible for making this declaration to the relevant EU authority, then you will not require an EU EORI.
Arrangements for importing and exporting between Great Britain and the EU will change significantly, with new import procedures being phased in during the first half of 2021. A priority action is for traders to appoint a customs agent or broker (e.g. via their local Chamber of Commerce and ChamberCustoms) to submit customs documentation. For businesses who have only ever traded with the EU this will be a significant change. You can view guidance on getting someone to deal with customs on your behalf as well as on the GOV.UK website. You can also find out how to use a freight forwarder on the British International Freight Association and Institute of Export websites. All of this information and more is summarised on the www.PrepareforBrexit.scot website.
Identify the rules that would apply to exports and imports as well as estimated additional costs (such as delays owing to regulatory checks at borders) and likely currency fluctuations. Carry out cash flow projections to assess the need to access additional working capital.
Speak with your bank in the first instance to discuss flexing existing borrowing and any new borrowing requirements. Traders may consider stockpiling and pausing their export/import activities at the end of the transition period, with implications for cashflow. During the festive period warehousing costs may also be at a premium.
If your business operates across the EU or exchanges personal data with partners in the EEA, consider possible changes that need to be made ahead of the UK leaving the EU to stay compliant.

Track the latest developments
Check for the latest updates – particularly following the outcome of EU/UK negotiations – on PrepareforBrexit.scot. You can also sign up for UK Government e-mail alerts (e.g. Business Readiness Bulletin - The UK transition) providing advice and information to businesses.

Customs Declaration Training Course

Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce recently launched a certified online Customs Declarations Training course to help local businesses prepare for the changes to customs processes and procedures that will come into play on 1 Jan 2021.

The course is run in conjunction with the British Chambers of Commerce and can be fully funded through HMRC grant funding.

Full information on the course is available on the Chamber’s website.

Advice and Guidance for Students

The 20,000 students who attend Dundee's two universities and further education college make up around one in seven of the population - the highest figure in Scotland. They contribute greatly to the city, culturally and economically.

We are aware that significant numbers of those students - and staff - are from non-UK EU countries, and are working closely with our colleagues in Further and Higher education regarding Brexit and the impacts it may have on them.

Eligible students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland who choose to start studying in the 2020-21 academic year will get free tuition for the duration of their course. Information for these students wishing to study in Scotland from 2021-22 is available from Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) website.

Students are advised to keep up to date by visiting https://www.mygov.scot/brexit-education/ and their individual university/college websites to find news and information related to the UK’s participation in the Erasmus+ programme.

How is Dundee City Council dealing with Brexit?

The Council has established a Brexit Advisory Team to advise members on how to mitigate the impact of Brexit and take advantage of any opportunities which arise.

The Council’s spokesperson on Europe is also chairing a Cross Party Group of councillors, MSPs and MPs to monitor developments and lobby to protect the city’s interests. Issues for Dundee include:

The impact on EU citizens living and working in the city.
The ending of EU funding for projects and uncertainty about replacement funding.
Implications for the workforce of the Council and other major employer.
Impact on the local economy, including on businesses and academic institutions.
Resilience Planning in the event of a "No Deal" Brexit

You can see the updates on Brexit given to Council Committees here:

January 2021 (170KB MS Word doc)
August 2020 (282KB MS Word doc)
January 2020 (289KB PDF)
September 2019 (217KB PDF)
April 2019 (273KB PDF)
January 2019 (319KB PDF)
August 2018 (267KB PDF)
February 2018 (360KB PDF)

Travelling to Europe from 1 January 2021

Most of us aren't travelling much at the moment but, after 1 January 2021, if you do travel to Europe there are some things you need to know.

The UK has left the European Union

The UK has left the European Union container

The UK has left the European Union content

Related Links

Dundee City Council