How will Brexit affect my holiday?
+Will my passport be valid after Brexit?
If you currently have a valid passport, you will be able to continue to travel to Europe until it expires.
In addition, the Government has warned British travellers who hold passports with any extra months added from their previous passport, that those extra months will not count.
From 1st Jan 2021 your passport must be less than 10 years old and have at least 6 months validity left. If not, you’ll need to renew your passport early.
Those who do not meet the appropriate requirements on their passport may not be able to enter EU countries. The Government has set up a page that can help travellers understand whether their passport is valid for the country they intend to visit. You can visit that page here.
These rules do not apply to travel to Ireland. You can continue to use your passport as long as it’s valid for the length of your stay.
+Will roaming charges change after Brexit?
After we leave the EU, we will not be able to get free mobile phone data whilst travelling Europe. Although providers such as Three, EE and O2 have said that they do not plan on changing their roaming charge policies, we always recommend that customers check with their service provider before travelling, to avoid any unexpected charges.
It’s also worth noting that the Government has introduced legislation to protect against huge roaming charges in Europe, with a £45 cap on the amount of mobile data consumers can use by accident whilst abroad. They’ve also introduced legislation for consumers to receive alerts when they use 80% of their data usage, to help people stay in control of their charges.
+At the airport, which passport line do I follow after Brexit?
Before Brexit, we would have joined the passport or border control queue for citizens of the EU, however after we leave the European Union on 1st January 2021, we will need to follow the rules that all other third-country citizens follow when visiting EU countries, and join the different line.
+Will I need a VISA to travel to Europe after Brexit?
If you plan on travelling to Europe for more than 90 days in any 180-consecutive day period, you’ll need to get a VISA specific for your type of travel. This will also apply to Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. If you’re travelling to Europe for less than 90 days in any 180-consecutive day period, you will not need a specific VISA.
Different rules apply when visiting Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania. You can make a 90-day trip to any of these countries and not use up you 90-day allowance for other EU countries.
You can visit the Government’s page for your specific destination country for information on how to get a VISA here.
+Will Brexit effect your Emergency Assistance service?
No, our team will still be available 24/7 to take your emergency assistance calls as and when required.
We would ask you to be mindful of roaming charges when getting in touch, as this could affect your phone bill and cause additional expenditure you may not have accounted for.
+How will Brexit effect medical treatment costs?
The UK government has now reached an agreement on healthcare when travelling to the EU and have confirmed that an individual’s EHIC card will remain valid until it expires for all countries in the EU except Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
The UK government have also advised that once your EHIC expires, you can apply for a UK Global Health Insurance Card or GHIC which you can apply for here. Be aware of unofficial websites, which may charge if you apply through them. A GHIC is free of charge.
Please note the EHIC/GHIC will not be accepted in private clinics. Make sure that your travel insurance policy has adequate cover for medical expenses, including repatriation and air ambulance costs, to ensure that they meet your needs. We would also always advise customers to ensure they had declared any and all medical conditions to their travel insurance provider to protect them from having any claim declined.
+If you're abroad and do not have your EHIC/GHIC card with you
You are able to get a Provisional Replacement Certificate or PRC in order to prove your entitlement to medically necessary healthcare if you are travelling to Europe and forget your GHIC or EHIC. This will give you the same cover as an EHIC or GHIC until you return home.
You'll need to apply for a PRC by calling Overseas Healthcare Services at the NHS Business Services Authority on +44 (0)191 218 1999. They are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
If you cannot call yourself, someone else can apply on your behalf.
If you need it outside the opening hours stated above, you should call as soon as possible the next working day.
When calling for a PRC, you'll need to give:
- Your National Insurance number
- Your name
- Your address
- Your date of birth
- The name of the treatment facility
- The email address for the specific department of the organisation providing your treatment
*Disclaimer: All information was correct at the time of writing 14/01/2021. This content will be updated as new information is released
