How Will the Latest Brexit News Affect British Expats in Czechia?

According to the United Nations, just over 4.5 million Britons live abroad, with approximately 1.3 million of them residing in Europe.

The top destinations for British expats in the EU? Spain (319,000), Ireland (249,000) and France (171,000).

Can we expect citizenship applications to spike sharply in the coming years?

Possibly. Analysts are predicting the implementation of a visa system, similar to the one currently in place for non-EU nationals, in which British expats must apply for a residency visa in any EU state.

Another option for UK citizens who have been in the Czech Republic on a long-term basis might be to apply for Czech citizenship.

In terms of travel throughout the EU, a paid-for visa waiver scheme for UK nationals traveling the continent has been proposed.

The answers to these pressing questions, however, rest on the outcome of Brexit negotiations, a two-year period during which the UK must continue to abide by EU laws and treaties, but cannot take part in any decision-making.

Speaking to Týden, analyst Jana Reschová from the Charles University Law Faculty said that two years may not even be enough given the complex negotiations process.

“It must be said that there will be no immediate changes for Czechs living in Britain, and likewise for Britons living in the Czech Republic.”

But for many British expats living in the Czech Republic, however, the issue is less about residency and more about principle.

One Englishman living in Prague we spoke to who wished not to be named said, “Clocks went forward one hour last weekend, but yesterday we went back 50 years.”