Citizen Advice—Travelling in Europe

It now looks like it may be possible to take a holiday in at least some countries in Europe this summer. If you’re thinking of doing that there are a few things to bear in mind, because of changes brought about by Brexit. First, always check the travel advice from the Foreign Office. You can find this on Gov.UK. Then make sure your passport is valid for the dates you’re thinking of travelling. If you’ll have less than 6 months on your passport when you travel, you’ll need to renew it before your trip. Apply for your passport as early as you can - it can take several weeks to process in busy times. It is really important to have travel insurance, both against the risk of cancellation or delay, and for health emergencies. If you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), you can still use it to get healthcare in EU countries until it expires. If you don't have an EHIC or it has expired, you can apply for a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) on the NHS website. You can use a GHIC to get healthcare in EU countries at a reduced cost or sometimes for free. But we always advise you should still get travel insurance before your trip - even if you have an EHIC or GHIC. Then find out if you’ll be charged more to use your mobile phone. Before Brexit, so-called “roaming” charges were not permitted in the EU. It is now possible for phone companies to make these additional charges. The main providers have made no or only minor changes, but it’s worth checking. If you’re planning to drive in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you'll need to take your your driving licence and vehicle log book – you should check they’re up to date first - a GB sticker for your vehicle, a ‘green card’ to prove you have the right travel insurance, and a hired vehicle certificate, if you’re hiring or leasing your vehicle. You can get a “green card” from your insurer. You may have to pay a fee. You should ask your car insurer if there are any limits to how long you can drive outside the UK when you apply for your green card. You might also have to take other things like a reflective jacket or a warning triangle sticker – it depends where you’re going. Check what else you need to take if you’re driving abroad on the AA’s website. You may need an international driving permit (IDP) if you have a paper licence.

A Reminder for EU citizens

If you are from an EU country, were in the UK before 31 December 2020, and want to stay in the UK long term you need to apply for settled or pre-settled status before 30 June.

Contacting Epping Forest Citizens Advice

Call us on 0808 278 7855. Calls to this number are free. The service is available from 9.30 to 2.30, Tuesday to Thursday but we can arrange telephone appointments at other times. `If all our advisers are busy when you call you will be connected to an adviser elsewhere in the country, and if they can’t deal with the matter they will arrange for one of our staff or volunteers to phone you back. As well as offering advice and assistance we can refer you to other free services such as foodbanks and specialist charities, and we can also arrange free advice sessions, again over the phone, with specialist housing law and family law solicitors. Source: Paul Stockton

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