The German-British friendship treaty signed on 17 July 2025 (known as the Kensington Treaty) aims, among other things, to foster and expand exchange opportunities for young people from both countries.

One result of this is the new rules for organised school trips which come into force on 1 August 2026. Under these rules, schoolchildren from third countries who would otherwise be required to obtain a Schengen visa can, as long as they have a valid UK residence permit (valid, long-term share code), be exempted from the visa requirement if they are included on a List of Travellers certified by the school.

Further information and guidance, as well as the List of Travellers Form Sheet from the German Federal Ministry of the Interior can be found and downloaded here.

Please note:

The new rules apply exclusively to:

• groups of pupils who are enrolled at a general or vocational school in Britain
• who are travelling as a group and are accompanied by one or more teachers throughout the whole trip
• who are included on a List of Travellers. The List of Travellers form can be accessed via the above link and here.

The rules do NOT apply to:

• pupils who leave the group for an extended period of time, for example for solo visits to relatives or their own travel activities following the group trip
• pupils who do not arrive or return with the group.