Professional and Business Services
Services businesses should take these five actions as a start:
1
Visit gov.uk/transition to find out what new rules they need to follow.
- Use the Brexit transition checker tool to get a personalised list of actions bespoke for their business.
2
Get their employees’ professional qualifications recognised by EU regulators to be able to practise or service clients in the EU.
- If an employee has a UK professional qualification they may need to have this officially recognised by the appropriate regulator for their profession in each country where they intend to work. They will need to do this even if they are only providing short-term or occasional professional services. Where a qualification has already been recognised by the relevant regulator in the EEA or Switzerland, UK professionals should make sure they understand the terms of the recognition decision by checking with that regulator. More information is available here on GOV.UK
3
Check if a visa or work permit is required to travel to Europe for work purposes and apply if necessary.
- Business travellers may need to apply for a visa, work permit or other documentation before travelling to the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. This will depend on what they plan to do during their trip and which specific country they are travelling to.
- It is advised that you apply well in advance of travel and check that your passport has at least six months validity for the duration of your stay.
- More information is available here on GOV.UK
4
Be prepared on data protection and data transfers.
- If the business or organisation receives personal data from the EU/EEA, they must check the current guidance on lawfully continuing to receive personal data such as names, addresses or payroll details from organisations in the EU or EEA from 1 January 2021.
- More information is available here on GOV.UK
5
If businesses are planning to recruit from overseas, they will need to register as a licensed visa sponsor.
- The way businesses hire from the EU has changed. Free movement has ended, and the new points-based immigration system has introduced job, salary and language requirements for those wanting to come to the UK to work. Businesses will need a sponsor licence to hire eligible skilled workers from outside the UK. Getting a licence normally takes 8 weeks and fees apply.
- This does not apply when hiring Irish citizens or those eligible for status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
- More information is available here on GOV.UK