If you're travelling to Europe, before you consider buying travel insurance, check out the benefits of the Free European Health Insurance card.
What Is The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
- It replaces the old E111 forms
- As members of the European Union all citizens who have the card are entitled to use the other member states health services for free
- All the major European countries are included in the scheme as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway & Switzerland who are not members of the EU
- The card is valid for between 3-5 years
- There is no family policy so every member needs a card regardless of age
The EHIC can be got from -
Remember - It's Health Insurance Only
The new EHIC card will only cover you for health insurance and not therefore anything to do with general foreign travel such as flight delays or lost and stolen goods. You may well want to consider getting another travel insurance policy on top of the EHIC - List of all Travel Insurance providers
Also, an important point to remember is the EHIC only offers the same medical cover that a citizen of that country receives which may not be as comprehensive as what the NHS offers back in the UK.
Summary
In our view the European Health Insurance Cards is one of the best things a traveller can apply for when looking to take a trip within Europe. It' 100% free to apply, free to use and should be one of the first things you pack when off to Europe.
One final point - watch out for the internet sharks out there who charge money for this card on the pretext that they'll get it quicker for you and/or do all the paperwork. There is NO need to pay them or anyone else as applying for the card couldn't be simpler.
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