European Health Insurance Card

State medical care throughout Europe should be relatively cheap, if not free for residents from the UK and the same applies to other European nationals travelling to other countries throughout Europe.

Recent shock headlines in the UK have brought to attention the need to make sure all your papers are up to date when you travel abroad. We at Apple Language Courses would always advise that you take comprehensive travel insurance but you should not be forced to pay for private treatment when in a European member country. Some European member countries have been accused of trying to avoid paying for state medical care for UK citizens abroad by not accepting the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

Some of these countries are asking travellers who need to go to hospitals abroad to pay for private treatment and claim the cost of the treatment back through their insurance company. The European Commission has intervened and told governments that they must correct these issues and protect all Europeans abroad. Some holidaymakers in Spain and Greece have reported problems so it is worth knowing your rights and what to expect if you are taken ill or need medical assistance.

The EHIC can usually be obtained for free online in each member state so you should search for that in your home country. For UK residents the EHIC is free of charge and you can easily apply for one here: https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/startApplication.do

You will need to give your full name, date of birth, NI or NHS number (or equivalent) and it takes about 10 working days after you have submitted your application to receive your EHIC.

The EHIC is available for any UK citizen over the age of 16. For children under 16 a parent needs to add their child or children to their own application and all family members will be issued with their own card. The EHIC is certainly not an alternative to travel insurance – which you would need for any private medical healthcare, scuba diving, mountain rescue in ski resorts etc and general lost or stolen luggage or property whilst abroad. The safest way to travel would be with an EHIC and full travel insurance.

Countries that are covered by the EHIC are below – with Apple Language Courses destinations in yellow:

Some parts of the EEA may not offer state-provided healthcare so you may not be able to benefit from it in all countries. Some countries also require that you pay for treatment then apply for a refund once you return to the UK. It is always advisable to apply for a refund from the EHIC before paying any potentially unnecessary excesses for your travel insurance.

We recommend that all our clients stay safe and look after themselves whilst abroad, but if they do need assistance it is certainly better to be prepared with the EHIC and travel insurance before your language course abroad.

Peter