Travellers could be blocked from entering the EU come January 1 f a Brexit deal is not reached.

From the new year, the UK will become a “third-party nation” and so travel to the EU, based on current Covid-19 restrictions, will be for essential purposes only.

Only countries with low virus transmission rates qualify for non-essential travel, with the UK not included as part of that.

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Dominic Raab, UK foreign secretary, confirmed there may be disruption, but said EU member states could choose to form travel corridors with the UK separately from the bloc.

He said: “I’m afraid restriction on travel, inevitably, is going to be something that is kept under review.”

Asked whether that would mean Britons will find it difficult to go to the European mainland he said: “It all depends on the prevalence of the virus in those continental European countries.”

“Covid restrictions will depend on the combination of what the EU decides, but also member states.

“We have already got challenges with that and we have put our own restrictions in place.”

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 A Government spokesman said: "We cannot comment on decisions that could be taken by other states on Public Health Matters.

“We take a scientific, risk-based approach to health measures at the border, and it is of course in the interests of all countries to allow safe international travel as we emerge from the pandemic.”

The talks between the UK and EU on Brexit trade deals are continuing, following the Prime Minister’s late-night dinner with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen last night.