Guidance for the automotive sector and preparing for EU Exit

It’s important that your business plans for changes ahead of the UK leaving the EU. Please visit Prepare for EU Exit to find more detailed guidance on policy changes relevant to your sector and to sign up for updates.

Importing and exporting

Preparing for disruption to trade at the UK-EU border

1. Get a UK Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number so you can continue to import or export goods and apply for authorisations that will make customs processes easier for you.

2. Decide if you want to hire an import-export agent, or make the declarations yourself.

3. Contact the organisation that moves your goods (for example, a haulage firm) to find out what information they need to make the declarations for your goods, or if you will need to make them yourself.

Further information is provided in HMRC’s advice for businesses trading with the EU.

Regulation and standards

Automotive regulation

The regulations setting vehicle standards will not change at the moment, however, there are changes regarding type-approval certification, which will affect vehicle manufacturers.

Manufacturers selling new products in EU after the UK leaves would need to follow the existing process for getting a new EC type-approval. Full testing and certification must be done by an EU type-approval authority and a technical service designated by that authority.

Actions you can take now

1. Manufacturers who want to continue selling products in the EU should check whether their EU approvals were issued by the UK with approval numbers beginning ‘e11’. They will need to begin the process of transferring these to another approval authority following the EU’s procedure

2. For sale and registration in the UK, manufacturers will need to get a new UK type-approval. Contact the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) with your existing valid EC type-approval numbers at ukta@vca.gov.uk.

Read VCA’s guidance on vehicle type approvals.

Your employees

Employing EU workers

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, EU citizens who are resident in the UK before 29 March 2019 will be able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to get settled or pre-settled status, which will mean they can continue to live, work and study in the UK.

The scheme will be open to applications from 30 March 2019 and EU workers must apply by 31 December 2020 if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

You can use the EU Settlement Scheme guidance for employers to give further information to your employees.

Applying for skilled-work or unskilled-work visas

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, there will be a new process for EU citizens arriving in the UK before 31 December 2020. From 1 January 2021, a new skills-based immigration system will launch.

For non-EU nationals, EU Exit will not affect the application process for work visas.

Travelling to the EU

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, British passport holders travelling to the EU will need to have 6 months remaining validity on their passport, not including any extra months added to a 10 year passport if it was renewed early.

Read guidance about travelling to the EU with a UK passport if the UK leaves the EU without a deal and check your passport to see if you need to renew earlier than planned.