Brexit: UK govt writes to Brits in Europe, including Bulgaria, to prepare for end of transition period
The UK government has written to 365 000 UK nationals living in Europe with advice on the actions they need to take to prepare for the end of the UK transition period on December 31.
This includes 1548 letters issued to people (both UK nationals and Bulgarians) on the Department for Works and Pensions’ database in Bulgaria, the UK embassy in Sofia said on November 25.
The letters, sent to UK state pensioners and benefit recipients, give advice on how to register for residency and healthcare, exchange driving licences and check new passport validity rules online.
“It is one of the largest-ever mail outs by the UK government to UK nationals living in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland,” the statement said.
British ambassador to Bulgaria Rob Dixon said: “Since 2017, British embassies across Europe have organised 853 outreach events, with more than 510 000 Brits attending in person or online.
“This includes 24 events we have organised across Bulgaria and online. We will continue to support UK nationals, including through our ongoing public information campaign, with our next online outreach event taking place on Friday, November 27, on Facebook.”
The UK government has also allocated £3 million for charities and community voluntary organisations across Europe to assist UK nationals that may need additional help to register or apply to protect their residency rights, the statement said.
This includes potentially at-risk groups, such as pensioners and disabled people and those living in remote areas or who have mobility difficulties. In Bulgaria, this service is provided by the AIRE Centre.
UK nationals can find the most up-to-date information on actions they may need to take in the “Living in Guide” for Bulgaria gov.uk/guidance/living-in-bulgaria.
(Illustration: Tiocfaidh ár lá 1916/flickr.com)
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