UK/EU Summit Impacts Snowsports

18th May 2025

Last modified on May 28th, 2025

Last Monday the British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, met the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President, Antonio Costa, at a summit at Lancaster House in London.

The UK and the EU have agreed to co-operate further on a “youth experience scheme” – but this will be subject to further negotiations.

It is likely some way off, but it is expected to happen in due course.

It may allow people under 30 to work and study in the EU.

Brexit ended the free movement of labour, and with it many jobs in the Alps for British young people.

We reported on the talks and negotiations earlier on PlanetSKI:

• EU/UK visa changes could see more young Brits back working in the Alps

Prior to Brexit, young people in the UK had the right to travel and study freely without a visa in the rest of Europe and vice versa.

A new deal could see a return to a similar state of affairs, however negotiations are ongoing.

France border controls. Image © PlanetSKI

Since Brexit the number of UK people able to work in the Alps has plummeted.

Chalet staff, bar workers, ski instructors, drivers, child minders and every other job you care to mention.

There are ways through, but obtaining a work visa is costly, complex and bureaucratic.

Learning chalet hosting skills. Image © Fresh Tracks

The UK has reciprocal youth mobility schemes (YMS) with the likes of Australia – where people between the ages of 18 and 35 are allowed to work in each other’s countries.

The UK currently offers visas allowing young people from 12 non-EU countries including Japan, South Korea and Uruguay to study or work in the UK for up to two years.

Those from Australia, Canada and New Zealand can extend by a year.

These visas are subject to annual quotas, ranging from 100 visas for Andorra to 42,000 for Australia, with ballots held where they are oversubscribed.

In an interview for The Times newspaper last weekend Sir Keir Starmer said it would be a “reciprocal” arrangement in which young people would be able to move abroad for up to two years.

It is understood the EU has been pushing for stays as long as four years.

Although a youth mobility scheme is not part of the Lancaster House summit, there is an agreement in principle and both sides seem committed to making it a reality.

Innsbruck airport, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI

In a separate more an arrangement that would allow UK passport holders to use EU e-gates at airports has also been unveiled.

The prime minister has said he wants British passports holders to be able to use e-gates at European airports “as soon as possible”.

“We will be pushing hard for this to be done,” he said.

It is likely to some time before this is introduced across the EU and unlikely before the autumn.

It is now up to individual EU member states to decide whether British passport holders can use e-gates at their airports.

It is expected to be introduced in October and will be phased in over several more months through April 2026.

The text of the agreement states:

“European Union citizens can use e-gates in the United Kingdom and that there will be no legal barriers to eGate use for British Nationals traveling to and from European Union Member States after the introduction of the European Union Entry/Exit System.”

There is no obligation on individual countries to allow the use of e-gates.

The summit in London produced a re-set for relations between the UK and the EU on a number of matters.

• Fishing
• Trade
• Defence
• Energy

See more of the full details on the BBC.

Related Articles:

• Skiing in Andorra unaffected by Brexit rules
• Worries continue for Brits wanting to work in the Alps after Brexit
• UK snowsport bodies start post-Brexit negotiations

PlanetSKI: Number 1 for digital ski news

Your digital platform for ski news, resort information, travel, equipment rental, sport, money saving deals and everything connected with snowsports – web site, social media & more.