Every year, around 230,000 British students take a year off after school and before going to University. For the overwhelming majority of these students, travel will be a huge part of their gap year plans. Many will be heading to Asia or Australia on a working holiday, but many more will be staying closer to home, taking advantage of the right to work and live anywhere in the European Union and spending time working in an Italian bar or Spanish restaurant to finance their exploration of the country. Under 24s are the group which are least likely to take out travel insurance, so if you or a family member are heading off on a European gap year adventure, here’s what you need to know about EHIC.

Understand the Validity of the EHIC

British travellers have to apply for their EHIC cover before leaving home. Application is a simple process, and you’ll need your basic personal details along with your NHS or CHI number to complete the online forms. EHIC is designed for UK residents who are abroad temporarily, not those who are planning on living abroad on a permanent or semi-permanent basis. Usually, temporary is defined as 12 months. So someone planning on being in France for 9 months for work or on holiday, or who is intending spending even 15 months travelling from country to country will be covered. Those planning on spending their entire gap year in one place will need to look for an alternative form of insurance cover, or see if they qualify to register with a local doctor as a resident rather than a visitor.

Keeping the Paperwork

The one drawback about the EHIC system is that you need to have the card with you when you need to claim on it, and this means more paperwork to take with you on your travels. There is really no way round this. If an EHIC is lost or stolen, then an emergency replacement can be organised but this can be a stressful process and it’s much simpler if the original is readily to hand. Despite this, it is a good idea to take a photo of your EHIC – and other important paperwork such as passports or insurance policies – and either email them to yourself or a family member at home so that if paperwork is lost, getting replacements is made easier as you have all of the numbers to hand.

Using EHIC overseas

If you are planning on spending most of your gap year in one country, take an hour or so to read up on the local healthcare system and how it works. Remember that healthcare overseas isn’t always free, and you may have to make a contribution. If you are travelling through many different countries, try to get a general overview of healthcare in all of them. A good phrase book or translation app on your smartphone will help if you are taken ill in a country where you don’t speak the language, and will help you communicate that you want to use the state healthcare system, not be taken to a private doctor.