UK, EU Near Major Visa Deal for Under-30s to Live and Work Across Europe
- Britain and the EU are close to finalising a Youth Experience Scheme that would let young people under 30 live, work and travel across both territories
- The deal is expected to be announced at a Brussels summit on November 20, 2026, alongside agreements on agricultural trade and emissions trading
- Key details of the youth visa programme, including the total number of available places, are still being negotiated by both sides
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London, United Kingdom - Britain and the European Union are on the verge of agreeing a landmark youth visa arrangement that would open up opportunities for tens of thousands of young people on both sides to live, work and travel across each other's territories.
As reported on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, by Sidmouth Herald, the proposed deal, called the Youth Experience Scheme, is part of a wider package of agreements being developed between UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government and EU leaders to rebuild ties strained by Brexit.
Source: Getty Images
Visa: What youth experience scheme proposes
Under the scheme, the UK and EU member states would each issue visas to eligible young people aged under 30, giving them the right to reside, seek employment and travel within participating countries. Officials from both sides are said to be close to sealing the deal, though the total number of visa places available remains a point of contention.
The Guardian reported that both parties have agreed each EU member state will receive its own quota of visas rather than a single bloc-wide allocation, a structure designed to spread the costs and benefits of the programme more evenly across participating nations.
The UK is also pushing for an emergency brake mechanism that would allow Britain to limit the number of nationals from any EU country that fails to issue its agreed quota of visas to UK citizens.
Visa: Brussels Summit set for November 20
The youth visa deal is among three major agreements expected to be announced when Burnham meets European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa in Brussels on Friday, November 20, 2026. The other two deals under negotiation cover agricultural trade and British access to the EU's emissions trading scheme.
Burnham has argued that deepening cooperation with the bloc could add £17 billion to the British economy, equivalent to roughly a 0.4% rise in gross domestic product.
Despite the momentum, officials have been careful to stress that the agreements do not mark a return to EU membership. Burnham has said any future change in Britain's formal relationship with the EU would need to reflect public opinion.
Watch a short video regarding the proposed UK-EU youth visa deal in the X post below:
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Cost of UK 5-year passport
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the UK released the official cost of a five-year British passport.
Only a person with parental responsibility for the child is permitted to make the application. During the process, both parents' details must be provided.
Where one parent's details cannot be supplied, the applicant must explain the reason.
Source: Legit.ng
