The holiday season is now well and truly upon us, and many of us will be off to European destinations, like France and Spain. No need for for holiday insurance because you are going to the EU for a holiday from the UK, right? Wrong! In general, you will be covered, yes, but there are a few facts worth knowing about our reciprocal health arrangements with EU member states before you book this year's big European adventure!

As a national of an EU member state you and members of your family are entitled to free or reduced cost emergency medical treatment in any EU country as well as Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. However, it is worth noting that only publicly funded treatment is included in the European Health Insurance Card scheme – and each country operates its own rules for medical provision. In some countries, medical treatment is free, in others you pay part of the cost; in others you pay the total cost and then claim a refund.


The EHIC is issued by the Prescription Pricing Authority (PPA) and is free of charge.
Like in the UK dental care abroad is unlikely to be free and if you were putting off a visit to the dentist, make sure you fit it in before you go. It would be a shame to spend your holiday in the dentist’s waiting room rather than on the beach!
It is necessary to obtain travel insurance in addition to the European Health Insurance Card. It is certainly advisable to do so. You will find that few countries pay the total cost of medical treatment even under reciprocal health service arrangements. Illness or accident abroad may mean extra travel, hotel bills and the cost of getting you back to the UK, for which you should be insured.

It is impossible to allow for every eventuality but a bit of forward planning can be invaluable. Make sure you don’t get caught out and make sure you have a happy and healthy trip wherever you have chosen to visit in the EU!

Hello very nice thread. Very nice information about health. I trust on healthy diet. I use to regular exercise, natural products.

Yes it is important to be healthy on holiday and it is a time that lot of us forget about diets and moderation and have been known to binge! I suppose that if it is going to be just for the holiday it is OK after all we all need to let our hair down now and again. I think the secret is to re-educate your tastes and appetites so that the things that usually derail your efforts on holiday are just not attractive to you!

Natural is always best so on holiday in a hot climate a lot of fresh fruit would be a good start! But beware of peeled and washed fruit as the water might have nasties in it. I caught hepatitis from water that carried it in Kenya. I didn't drink water but was always washing fruit in it!

Not only holiday even on regualr days it is important to kep our self healthy. Eating green vegetables, fruits, and having a regular exercise would be a big help for us to keep healthy.

Hi Josh, that is very true and I would also like to add that when I went on holiday to Kenya I was determined to eat lots of fruit and I did at every meal, lovely fresh tropical fruit which in a hot climate is far more refreshing than stodgy sweets. Only one problem with that the fruit was all wash din tap water and after I got home a few weeks later I got hepatitis from the water that the fruit had been washed in (or maybe ice cubes in my G&T?!!) Anyway the moral of the tale is if you want to be healthy in a country like that and eat the fruit make sure you wash it in bottled water!