As a citizen of the European Union you have certain rights and opportunities which you may not always be aware of.

• Author: European Commission
• Pages: 3-4

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NB

This guide covers only the rights of EU citizens as travellers within the Union. Please note, however, that when travelling outside the European Union you may, in the event of sufficiently serious circumstances, obtain consular protection from the authorities of another Member State if your Member State of origin does not have a consulate or embassy in the country you are visiting.

For further information on the detailed arrangements and the conditions applicable, please consult the factsheet on "Consular protection for EU citizens".

Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use which might be made of the following information.

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Did you know, for instance, that you can travel freely in any EU country ¹ simply on condition that you are in possession of a valid passport or identity card? And are you aware what rights and opportunities are available to you as a consumer travelling in the single European market?

Every year increasing numbers of European citizens travel within the Union, for the purposes of tourism, visiting friends or relatives, or for work or training.

As a citizen of a Member State of the European Union, you are no ordinary tourist or traveller: you are entitled to certain rights, such as the right to enter and live temporarily in another Member State. You are also entitled to certain benefits and safeguards as regards purchases and private transactions, and healthcare.

There are accordingly many reasons why you should feel at home anywhere in Europe.

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Notes

[1] In this guide, the terms "country", "State" or "Member State" are used interchangeably to refer to the Member States of the European Union which are: Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Other countries or States are termed "non-member countries". However, within the European Economic Area, you may invoke almost all the rights outlined in this guide in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway and those same rights are applicable to the citizens of these non-member countries when travelling within the European Union.