Brits heading on summer holidays to Spain, France, Greece, Portugal and more European destinations have been warned of one essential task to complete now
Parents have been warned they could have just 24 hours left to complete an essential bit of admin ahead of the summer holidays.
Brits who are planning to head to the likes of Spain, France, Greece and Portugal may have their documents in order and their bookings confirmed, but there’s one crucial task that they won’t want to forget, or it could cause headaches on trips abroad.
Alicia Hempsted, travel insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, has warned that there are “just hours” left to apply for essential health cover ahead of the school holidays.
Global Health Insurance Cards (GHIC) mean that if you face a medical emergency when travelling to Europe, you can access state healthcare on the same basis as a resident in that country. You can apply on the NHS website for free, and once you have it, the GHIC lasts for up to five years. However, it’s currently estimated that 1.53million cards are set to expire this year, so parents are being urged to check their documents and apply now for a renewal, to ensure it arrives in time for the summer holidays.
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Alicia explained: “With schools in England breaking up for summer as early as Friday 18th July, some parents now have just 24 hours remaining to apply for their Global Health Insurance Cards (GHIC) to ensure they arrive in time.
“Free to apply for and lasting for up to five years, applying for a GHIC card couldn’t be simpler. Visit the NHS website, provide the appropriate details and then wait 24 hours for your application to be approved. It is important to note that each family member requires a GHIC card, so parents will need to complete one for each child. Once approved, your card will be sent to your address and should arrive within 15 working days.”
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It’s worth noting that a GHIC card is not a replacement for travel insurance. Alicia added: “Having the appropriate travel insurance before your holiday is vital, as there are several things that GHIC doesn’t cover, such as medical repatriation or treatment in a private health facility should you need it.”
Of course it’s not jut your GHIC card that you’ll need to check before a holiday. Brits have been warned to check their passports amidst new rules since Brexit.
Most notably, rules have changed around what passports are considered valid. To travel to the EU, your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond the date of departure and must have been issued less than 10 years ago. If it falls foul of these two criteria, you could risk being denied boarding at the airport – and travel insurance is unlikely to cover you because they often warn that it’s your responsibility to check your documents are valid for your holiday.
Parents may also want to double check their children’s passports even if their own are valid. That’s because a child’s passport is only valid for five years, so you’ll want to make sure there’s plenty of time to apply for a new one if you need to!
Have you had an issue at border control with the new passport rules? Email us at [email protected].