When you’re planning a trip abroad, there are lots of things to consider. You might spend weeks locating the right destination, choosing your wardrobe and finding convenient, low-cost flights. Whilst you might get caught up in arranging excursions and adventures, there are some important things you need to organise too.
Ensuring you’ve got a valid passport, for example, is vital if you’re visiting another country. Similarly, you’ll need to make sure that you’ve got a valid EHIC Card if you’re travelling within Europe and determining whether or not you need to carry out a European Health Insurance Card renewal before your trip.
Your EHIC renewal is valid in the following countries:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands (Holland)
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Switzerland
Why is a European Health Insurance Card important?
Whilst no one wants to suffer an injury or fall ill on holiday, unexpected accidents can occur at any time. Unlike the UK, not every country has a fully state-run health service and, as a result, you could face costly bills if you need medical treatment whilst abroad.
When travelling to a country within the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, a European Health Card, or EHIC Card, entitles you to free or reduced medical assistance. Should the worst happen, you will be able to access the help you need without facing extortionate medical fees.
Without a European Health Insurance Card renewal, you may be forced to pay for urgent treatment and return home as soon as possible to obtain further treatment within the United Kingdom. By using a valid EHIC, however, you can obtain free or low-cost medical treatment and, if you’re well enough, you may even be able to continue with your trip.
Who needs an EHIC?
If you’re travelling within the EEA or to Switzerland, every member of your party needs to have a valid EHIC card. Whilst you may already have a European Health Card, your partner and/or your children will need to have their own valid cards, in case they need to obtain medical treatment, so it is important to consider whether or not you need an EHIC card renewal.
Whilst a parent or guardian can apply on behalf of a child under the age of 16, they won’t automatically be covered by an adult’s card so it’s essential that they have their own.
When a child falls ill or is hurt, it can be a traumatic experience for the whole family. A valid European Health Insurance Card will give you peace of mind and allow you to focus on your child, rather than worrying about your finances if an accident does occur.
How long does a European Health Insurance Card last?
Each UK-issued EHIC is valid for 5 years. This means that you won’t have to worry about obtaining a new card every time you go abroad. In fact, once you’ve got your card, you can relax in the knowledge that all trips to the EEA or Switzerland will be covered for the next 5 years.
With the availability of last-minute flights and low-cost mini-breaks, it makes sense to obtain or renew your EHIC Card now. Whilst you may not be planning a trip abroad at the moment, you never know when you might get the opportunity to travel within Europe.
Will you still need travel insurance?
Although you may be tempted to travel without insurance when you’ve got an EHIC and carried out EHIC Card renewal prior to your trip, this isn’t advisable at all. Whilst a European Health Insurance Card will enable you to access some forms of treatment, it won’t cover everything. Private medical bills, for example, won’t be covered by the EHIC but they may be covered by your travel insurance policy so it is important that you carry out an EHIC renewal and have travel insurance.
Similarly, you may assume that you don’t need an EHIC if you have an existing travel insurance policy in place. However, you’ll need to read the terms and conditions of your policy carefully if you’re even considering travelling without a European Health Insurance Card, and determine how important it is for you to carry out an EHIC.
Many insurers now require travellers to have a valid EHIC and you may find that your policy is invalidated if you travel without a European Health Card. Whilst many travel insurers offer discounts to passengers with EHICs, a significant number of companies won’t even provide you with a policy unless you confirm you’re in possession of a European Health Insurance Card.
Renewing your EHIC
Although your European Health Card will be valid for 5 years, it’s important to carry out an EHIC renewal in a timely manner. In most cases, applicants can renew their EHIC in the 6 months before their current card expires.
Whilst it might be tempting to put off updating your EHIC Card, this can leave you in a precarious situation. If your card takes longer than expected to arrive, you may feel unable to travel or you could face the risk of owing large sums of money if you receive treatment of any kind.
By renewing your European Health Insurance Card at the appropriate time, you can ensure that you have access to continuous coverage and, therefore, access to free or low-cost medical treatment from state-run providers.
To complete your European Health Insurance Card renewal today, simply fill out our easy online form.
Is it easy to obtain or renew a European Health Card?
Fortunately, applying for a card or completing the EHIC renewal process is easy to do. Whilst you might be busy planning an upcoming trip or holiday, we can help to ensure that your application or EHIC card renewal is successfully processed the first time.
As with any form of bureaucracy, you might find the EHIC forms complicated at first. With our assistance, however, we can ensure that you enclose the relevant information and documents (if applicable) and reduce the amount of time it takes for you to obtain your EHIC card.
Can you renew an EHIC if you’re going to work abroad?
Most of the people who are in possession of a European Health Insurance Card have one in case they fall ill or are hurt whilst they’re on holiday. If you’re travelling to a country in the EEA or Switzerland for work, however, it’s also important to ensure any potential medical costs are covered.
If you’ve travelled to a country within the EHIC scheme to work for a UK company, to study or because a family member has been posted to the area for work, you should be able to obtain a UK-issued European Insurance Card.
Are you a UK resident living abroad?
If you’re a UK resident but you’re currently living in a country within the EEA or in Switzerland, you could also be entitled to a UK-issued EHIC Card. An exportable UK benefit and/or a UK state pension, along with a Certificate of Entitlement means that you can apply for or renew a Health Insurance Card whenever you need to.
Why not make your application or renew your existing EHIC now?
Renew your European Health Insurance Card today
Whilst no one wants to think about falling ill or being injured, it’s important to be prepared for every eventuality. Suffering an injury or contracting an illness can be awful whilst in your home country but can be even more upsetting if you’re away from home, so it is important that you consider carrying out an EHIC renewal as soon as possible.
Should an incident occur, you’ll want to focus on getting the medical help you need and recovering as quickly as possible. By carrying out a European Health Card renewal, you can ensure that you won’t be faced with expensive medical bills and that you won’t have to postpone getting treatment due to financial worries.
With our bespoke service, you can apply for your EHIC or renew your European Insurance Card quickly and easily. We’ll audit your renewal information and ensure that you’ve supplied the relevant details so that your application can be processed swiftly and without the need for amendments.
To get started now, simply complete our easy online form and carry out an EHIC Card renewal today.
