EHIC and Brexit – what next?
At a press conference with Michel Barnier, chief negotiator for the European Union (EU), and UK Brexit secretary David Davis, both men talked about the progress that has been made surrounding the issue of citizens’ rights, with reference to the future validity of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The upshot of the talks so far is that if a British person is living in another EU country on the day that the UK leaves the bloc, then their EHIC will be valid. However, for travellers who go on holiday, or to study or work in another EU country, the jury is still out on whether or not they will be able to use their EHIC after the day Britain leaves the EU.
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles citizens of EU countries to free or low-cost state-provided emergency medical treatment within the EU country they are visiting. It works in any EU country, as well as Switzerland, and the European Economic Area (EEA) countries of Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland.