Post-Brexit - Means of subsistence & return/onward travel

[syvictoria]

Assuming that there are some third country citizens (or friends of!) reading this thread...

I'm interested to know what long term cruisers who enter the EU as third country citizens, either on their own boat or via plane/public transport, have been asked for in the way of proof of means of subsistence and return/onward travel? It's all very well reading lists of what can potentially be deemed sufficient, but what actually works in the real world? Is a credit card all that's required? If so, does this need to be accompanied with proof (last statement?) that it's active and has a suitable credit limit? The gov.uk website warns that from 1/1/21:

At border control, you may need to:

• show a return or onward ticket
• show you have enough money for your stay

but how easy is that to achieve when arriving for an indefinite period of up to 90 days and intending to live and travel on your own boat?

We personally have so often travelled throughout mainland Europe with no return ticket out until a few days before departure. Aside from the obvious time constraints going forwards (90 in 180), is this flexibility also going to be lost?

TIA!

(PS: The above assumes a no-deal brexit and that said person is arriving with no onward travel ticket.)

(PPS: Oh, and I'm self-employed, just to make things that little bit more challenging!)

 

[Appleyard]

As far a travelling without restriction in Europe after 31/12/2020 we are well and truly D****d D****d

 

[Clancy Moped]

As an aside, you will have to have a minimum of 6 months validity on your passport.

 

[syvictoria]

As an aside, you will have to have a minimum of 6 months validity on your passport.

That bit is, thankfully, easy to satisfy. It's the rest of it that keeps me awake at night!

 

[Metabarca]

I can only speak for Argentinians who have visited us in Europe. They were required to show return ticket and an address or hotel booking (in this case in Italy). Not sure about if asked about availability of funds.

 

[Alicatt]

A person I knew flew into the UK from Canada on a one way ticket, border force stopped them and detained them and prepared to send them home the next day on the next available flight. The person gave my name as a person to vouch for them but I did not want to get involved as I knew nothing about it, I had to give a history of how I knew the person and what their situation was, they did have family back in Canada that they had to return to. The person was released into my custody and I was admonished to bring them back on Monday morning to Gatwick to fly back to Canada, so the person had a weekend in London for the price of a one way ticket and a stamp on their passport saying they were not allowed in the UK.

 

[PlanB]

I used to work for an international law firm. A lawyer from India temporarily seconded to London wanted to go to a wedding in France.
His French host had to provide proof of identity and residence to the French authorities, and we had to provide evidence of his employment, a return ticket to the UK and India, plus guarantee to support him financially to the French embassy in London.

 

[Alicatt]

I used to work for an international law firm. A lawyer from India temporarily seconded to London wanted to go to a wedding in France.
His French host had to provide proof of identity and residence to the French authorities, and we had to provide evidence of his employment, a return ticket to the UK and India, plus guarantee to support him financially to the French embassy in London.

I had to do something similar for a Chinese friend that was coming over to watch the F1 at Spa in 2010, vouch for her and her two friends, provide accommodation and guarantee they would return to China at the end, well they were going on to Monza after their stay in Belgium.
However when they arrived they had a "minder" with them he was a brute of a fellow and quite uncouth, he really put a damper on the whole situation and made my wife and I feel a bit uncomfortable.
However at dinner one evening he was getting on at the girls and my friend snapped, and boy did she lay into him, verbally that is, he retired to his bed room and we did not see him again until it was time for them to catch their plane to Millan. My friend is of a very small stature, I doubt if she weighed as much as 35kg and seeing this diminutive young lady tear a strip off the guy was a joy to behold
In Millan they did a train switcheroo and lost him and he didn't find them until it was time to fly back to China. Since then my friend has moved up in the company she works for and jets all over the world, she was supposed to be here last summer for a holiday but Covid put paid to that, my wife and I were really looking forward to her visit.

 

[syvictoria]

Next year could be challenging in oh so many ways...! Thanks for the replies.