European Travel

 When travelling in Europe we are advised to have an EHIC card

This is the card formerly known as the E111

I have always assumed I didnt need this

After all I take out  my own private travel insurance when I travel

I was wrong !!!!!


My brother and sister in law, who live in Iceland,  have just had friends over from England, they like me travelled without the EHIC card,  as,  also like me they had taken out private insurance.

No worries !

However, my brothers friend slipped and fell injuring himself. No doctors would see him without his EHIC card. He had all his insurance documentation but could get no treatment without paying up front a great deal of money, that was just to get an appointment let alone any treatment.

Yes, he can re claim that money back from his travel insurance upon return from his trip so he won't be out of pocket BUT if he had had the EHIC card he would have been seen by a doctor much quicker, much easier and much cheaper !!!!!

What makes me feel even more silly is that I went on the website which is on this link, EHIC application to order my EHIC cards for myself and both boys one evening, it took seconds to put in the details required, which are your names, address, date of birth and either your NHS number or your NI number, I asked them to email me confirmation in case my cards weren't here in time, expecting the worse, imagine my astonishment that within 48 hours I have the cards in the post.


So, remember everyone travelling in Europe, taking out travel insurance is not enough. You MUST for your own sakes order your EHIC cards too.