Most of us are well aware of the need to have proper travel insurance for holidays, to cover cancellation, lost baggage or a medical emergency while overseas. There is a lot of confusion about when you should apply for a EHIC or take out travel insurance – and many people get it wrong.

Applying for your EHIC

EHIC – the European Health Insurance Card – is free to apply for online. Any UK resident over the age of 16 can apply for their card online, and parents can apply for their children. In order to get the EHIC you’ll need the NHS numbers of everyone in the family, and if you haven’t got these, it means a trip to the doctors. Strictly speaking, you don’t need the physical card to be eligible to be treated under EHIC rules in a foreign hospital, but some foreign healthcare facilities, especially outside main tourist areas, can make things difficult without the proper paperwork. The EHIC website says cards are usually send out within seven working days, but in peak travel periods delays can be expected. Always apply in plenty of time for your trip. EHIC is valid for five years, and after this time will have to be renewed.

Commencement Date of Policy

If you’re doing the sensible thing and taking out additional travel insurance to cover your trip overseas, when should the policy start? Many customers automatically select the day they leave on holiday as the day on which their policy should start, but doing this might mean you are not covered for every eventuality. One of the main reasons for claiming on travel insurance is that your holiday plans have to change because of illness of a family member. If your travel insurance doesn’t start until the day you leave, you will not be able to claim in these sorts of circumstances. It’s worth taking out a policy as soon as you book in order to get the maximum benefit from cover.

Exclusions and Non-Standard Cases

If you have particular medical needs, are planning on taking part in extreme sports or are travelling to a part of the work which is off the beaten tourist track, you might find it difficult to find a policy which will cover every eventuality. Getting a good policy could involve lots of internet research or liaison with a broker, and can’t be done overnight. Always leave plenty of time to get your insurance sorted out before leaving home.

Get Your Paperwork in Order

Even if you’re travelling light, it’s essential to take your paperwork with you on holiday. You needn’t take the full wording of your insurance policy with you, but as a bare minimum you’ll need the name of your insurer, the policy number and a note of their 24 hour emergency helpline number. Take your EHIC paperwork with you too. It’s also a good idea to have a few photocopies of key insurance documents and passports and to leave a set in the hotel or apartment safe so they can be retrieved in the event of theft or loss.