What it means... and what stays the same

BRITISH MEPs will no longer sit in Brussels. The UK had 73 MEPs – including prominent figures such as the Brexit Party’s Nigel Farage and Ann Widdecombe – but they sat for the last time on Wednesday.

UK prime ministers will no longer attend EU summits unless they are specifically invited to discuss a particular topic.

New British passports will go from maroon to blue by the middle of the year.

Three million Brexit 50 pence pieces will enter circulation. The Department for Exiting the European Union will be shut.

Germany will no longer extradite its citizens to the UK because its constitution allows them to be sent only to other EU countries.

NO CHANGE (DURING TRANSITION)

FREE movement will continue for now. It means EU citizens will have the right to live and work here until the end of the year, when a new immigration system comes in.

Britain will stay a member of the single market and the customs union until the end of the year. The European Court of Justice will still have the final say over legal disputes during the transition period.

There will be no changes for people going on holiday to the Continent this year, but after that they may have to apply for visas.

UK driving licences will still be valid in Europe. After December, however, motorists may have to buy international driving permits. Britain will also continue to pay into the EU budget during the transition period.