Prepping for MNers in the EU

[nomad5]

As it appears increasingly likely that we're facing a no deal fucking Brexit clusterfuck, what prepping are MNers who live in the EU27 doing?

I have

• changed my driver license to a local licence
• renewed my passport ahead of time as it expired next year and I was worried about getting to 6 months before expiry soon. Don't want there to be any admin hassles when I need to apply for whatever visa etc is necessary in my country.
• Lobbied my employer to protect me and my rights in the case of No Deal
• Registered to vote in the European elections. I know I probably won't be eligible by then but I figure it's a paper trail that shows my desire to remain here and be an EU citizen.
• stocked up on Yorkshire Tea
• ordered any large items I wanted this year from the UK already, including books for my DC
• avoiding all non-essential travel to the UK

Anything else?? I wasn't planning to stockpile prep like those in the UK will have to do, but more document/paperwork prep

Sorry for the wall of text!! It appears line breaks don't work on the app!!

Nothing! I have up to date passport, DD passport of this country, I really don't see what will change. DH and DD from this country, have the equivalent of the NHS.

Lived here 15 years!

Only been here 3 years and DH is non-EU (and his residence is based on me) so feeling more anxious here!

Oh, I see. Yes, I have lots of older ex pat friends who say to me 'I had free healthcare before the EU so I'll have it again'

They certainly won't.

I'm avoiding travel around Brexit day but there's not much else to be done tbh. I don't see the point of renewing my carte de séjour when an EU card won't be valid after Brexit, and we swapped driving licences two decades ago. Kids are both EU nationals and don't intend to study in the EU, the only British food I buy is teabags and I get those in big catering bags from amazon.fr which last me a year.

Same Misti

And healthcare will only change for those relying on reciprocal agreements (essentially pensioners), not for those of us "in the system" working and paying contributions.

God knows what happens about my job (large employer, useless HR) but if it all goes tits up I'll just work for DH's translation business.

Kids don't intend to study in the U.K. that should say. I'd be worried if I had a 17 year old making U.K. uni applications - but my oldest is in Paris and my second wants to stay in Toulouse.

Exactly, pensioners here (Spain) are in a big denial, they live half the year in the UK. They will have NO rights after Brexit.

I am in the system, we all are. Luckily.

My DD will go to uni in France or Spain. Not the UK. Maybe for her masters, if I can afford it.

But she is only 10

It isn't only pensioners who rely on reciprocal agreements. Cross border workers (who will continue to be obliged to pay full tax and NI in the UK) will also lose their healthcare rights.

DC's passports expire next June and August. Is it worth renewing them now?

One thing that I'm worried about is buying stuff from Amazon UK. I buy all kindle books from them, spending about €100 a month, and know from my Danish friend that she pays a lot more than I do when buying anything from Amazon, because of Denmark not being in the EU. Can't figure out how it's going to impact on my buying, but Sod's Law says it will make everything more expensive.

(...) know from my Danish friend that she pays a lot more than I do when buying anything from Amazon, because of Denmark not being in the EU.

Actually, Denmark is in the EU.

I'm not British but lived in the UK for years, am (or maybe I should say was?) a massive anglophile and regularly buy things like clothes, shoes, cosmetics, bedding and tea from UK shops.

Haven't done any 'prepping' yet and will (apart from bed linens) just look elsewhere if taxes and shipping delays make UK shops unattractive. I have however noticed with recent orders that several shops have already moved EU business to their Irish subsidiaries which is presumably where the relevant taxes will also be paid. Well done, leavers!

Actually, Denmark is in the EU.

Ha ha oops! I'm a bit dozy. 😜 Never occurred to me to check why because I thought 'I knew'. But why does she pay more for things from Amazon then?

Pricing of books, music etc varies between markets for various reasons ( national law, licensing agreements etc).

Often there is an exchange rate hit too, because if sellers are buying in pounds and selling in danish kroner they will want a "cushion" in case of exchange rate movements.

I've swapped my UK licence for a Portuguese one and have applied for an Irish passport (thanks Grandma Pat!).

Have also stocked up on teabags :)

Ha, ha, joined at the same time as uk 😀.
Actually I think it is Amazon's shipping fees that a quite expensive when shipping to denmark.
After Brexit we will have to pay large custom fees, too. So I will stop buying clothes, make-up etc 🙁 from UK.

@importantkath are they UK passports? We are being told here in the UK that we will need at least 6 months to expiry dates if we want to travel to the EU after no deal brexit.

Me too Hmmnnnnn no, just checked my last invoice from Amazon and it says Sold by Amazon Media EU S.à r.l. so kindle books will be OK. Wonder if there will be VAT or tax added to other items though?

I’m also prepping by applying for citizenship which I should have done ages ago but shied away from bureaucracy. Only now the bureaucracy has got worse.
I did my licence years ago.
I’ve protected my rights as an employee.
Luckily having a local national child means my right to reside remains, even as a non eu citizen.
I’ve stocked up on Kettle crisps but have sadly eaten most
I’m not into strong tea, nor marmite or anything else unpalatable to the locals (although anything from my 70s childhood in the UK can be found in the local Chinese supermarkets), but I do have someone coming out mid March doing me a suitcase run of cheddar, Stilton and shortbread and I shall reciprocate with local delicacies to smuggle back to the uk post Brexit (I wonder if they’ll be stopped in customs? Do you have to declare cheese?). I wonder if Patak’s hot lime pickle will be in short supply after Brexit? Maybe I should include that in the suitcase list.

Ohmigod Patak's Lime Pickle has something addictive in it that no other lime pickle has managed to replicate. You take one taste of it, think "that's horrible"......."hmmmnnnnnn I'll just take another tiny taste"......"Get out of my way, let me at that jar of lime pickle!"

I do love it mixed in some mashed potato. Have got my food snob DP into it as well, although he prefers the hot mango pickle.

I will put that on my list. Local Chinese has replaced some Indian with African foodstuffs and the Patak’s pickles have been a casualty.

Changed my driver's licence waaaay back in the 90s because the rules were different then, so that's done.
Basically nothing except applying for local citizenship - apparently they're fast tracking Brits and told us to have the paperwork in by mid-February to (hopefully) have it confirmed by 29th March.

I'll be out of Europe on a business trip and supposed to travel back on 30th March, but I've decided to leave early to arrive back on 29th just in case there are any hassles.

I have just less than a year left on my British passport but I won't be renewing it (too expensive) so I'll just zip down to the town hall and get one to match my new nationality.

May have a trip to the local big town to stock up on Marmite, twiglets and cream crackers just in case the English shop can't get any after Brexit, or it gets even more wildly expensive.

I hope the local supermarkets still sell cheddar and (occasionally) stilton after B-day.