Brexit talks have reached the home straight with negotiators thrashing out the final details in intensive private talks.

But what changes will those travelling to the EU face? What are the points both sides are stuck on? And how will this impact Kent?

What are the key dates?

As most across the UK are likely to remember, we left the EU and entered into the transition period on January 31.

Trade talks started in March and it was planned a deal would be decided on October 15, in time to present at the EU summit.

But a deal has not been reached and, with the deadline for requesting an extension long passed, the negotiators are now focused on getting a deal by December 31 - the day before the UK has fully left the EU.

So what happens next?

If a deal is reached, it will be passed through lawyers and parliaments before being ratified, which will make the deal legally binding on January 1, 2021.

However, if the deal comes too late, it may not be ratified before we leave the EU, causing some short term disruption.

Or we may not get a deal at all by 2021, meaning the two sides will continue to pursue a deal but will trade on World Trade Organisation terms - causing disruption for an unspecified amount of time.

Professor Whitman, professor of politics and international relations at the University of Kent said: "I think we're in the end game of the negotiations, so it's more than possible that we'll get an agreement and we'll hear about an agreement within the next week or so.

"But the most difficult issues are always left to last because they're the most intractable, which means it also makes it more difficult to predict whether something will disrupt the deal in the final final days of negotiations.

"I think both sides do want to reach an agreement. But the timescale for reaching an agreement is now getting pretty tight. So I think if we don't get something within the next week or so, then we start to look at a far more complicated situation on January 1."

What are the two sides disagreeing on?

The crux of the disagreement seems to remain around the UK wanting to be treated as a separate and independent country, while the EU does not want the current relationship to change.

This comes into play with issues such as fisheries, where the UK wants complete control of their waters and the EU wants to continue fishing in them at some capacity.

Professor Whitman said: "The real disagreements from the EU side is it wants to make sure the UK is not able to enjoy a competitive advantage over the EU.

"They're worried about the continuity of standards set by the UK in ways which are comparable to the EU. What they're really looking for is reassurance the UK is not going to race to the bottom on standards."

The deal must be a delicate balancing act between UK independence and the desire for frictionless trade across the border, two things very much at odds with each other.

What do we have to prepare for now?

Each scenario will create a different level of disruption. While no deal will cause mass disruption long-term, a deal will still lead to disruption in the short term as travellers and businesses on both sides acclimatise to changes which will cost more money and time for all.

These changes will include businesses needing new paperwork, hauliers needing a Kent Access Permit, travellers needing passports with at least six months left on them, if you're driving to the EU a new licence will be needed, health insurance will be needed as services will no longer be automatic and new rules about travelling with pets will be in place.

If you need more tailored details on how leaving the EU could impact you, click here.

Professor Whitman suggests: "The most important thing to take on board is you must assume things are going to change. So what you did previously, when you took a trip into the EU, will almost certainly have some element of change.

"The longer you seek to stay on the continent as an individual, the more complicated life will be. Retiring to the continent or seeking to work in other EU member states is going to require a lot more paperwork and it's going to require more hassle.

"It may, in some instances, limit your options in terms of where you can live, where you can work, and where you can retire. "Those things have been automatic until now."

What impact will Brexit have on Kent?

Aside from Northern Ireland, Kent is one of the areas which will be most impacted by Brexit because the county is a major gateway to the continent for travellers and businesses alike.

In a no deal scenario the possibility of disruption will likely be based on how receiving countries - like France and Belgium - interpret their requirements when managing the border.

This is because the British government has already suggested waving traffic through for the first few months of next year in a no deal scenario so disruption is minimalised. Extra lorry parks are also being built across the county to limit traffic disruption.

Even in a deal scenario, the need for new paperwork will cause some disruption for those who do not have them in place yet.

Will we ever stop hearing about this?

As long as the EU are our biggest market and closest continent, we will likely be in trade talks with them.

Professor Whitman added: "One way or another at the end of this calendar year, Brexit will fully be done in terms of the end of the transition.

"But - and perhaps this is bad news for people who are fed up with Brexit - if you look at any other country's relationship with the EU, no sooner does it reach a deal, there are discussions about upgrading the deal or what a future relationship might involve.

"Because we're going for a fairly bare bones relationship with the EU on trade, we will very quickly get into some detailed negotiations about mutual recognition of things like standards and so on.

"It's not going to disappear but it'll become more technical and will probably be further down the headlines."

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