What if something goes badly wrong while you’re abroad? What if you’re the victim of a crime, or fall ill? What if someone close to you dies abroad, or suffers other serious misfortune? In this section we explain how we can help. Call Consular Assistance if you need assistance abroad: The Consular Assistance team in London can be reached on: 020 7008 1500 (+44 020 7008 1500 from abroad) This number operates 24 hours a day ‘Exceptional Assistance Measures for Victims of Terrorist Incidents Overseas’ A ministerial statement (Word doc) on... 

Some credit cards provide health insurance for travellers, but this may not be adequate for your needs. Private health care may also provide some cover. Talk to your insurer and take out extra cover, if necessary.  Read More →

Always declare any current or past medical conditions you think might affect the cover. You may not be covered by your policy if you don’t. Look for a specialist travel insurance policy if a standard policy does not cover you because of a medical condition. An independent insurance intermediary should be able to find a policy suitable to your needs. Find a specialist insurance broker in your area on the British Insurance Brokers Association website.  Read More →

The UK has mutual health care agreements with many countries, but these arrangements do NOT cover all the expenses you can incur: cost of relatives flying out (and back) accommodation for relatives bringing you back to the UK treatment in a country without a mutual agreement – in an emergency you may be taken across a border to be treated. A good travel insurance policy will cover these costs. The Department of Health website explains the level of free or reduced-cost emergency medical cover you can expect in each country  Read More →

Take out a policy with a 24-hour emergency service. Serious accidents or illness will all be managed by the assistance company. They will make any necessary arrangements and provide help and advice throughout the ordeal.  Read More →

Arranging medical and health insurance is your responsibility! If you don’t have it, you may have to pay thousands of pounds in medical costs if you fall ill or have an accident outside the UK. Always arrange travel insurance with health cover that is adequate for your destination. Do this before you go. The medical cover of your policy should be at least: £1m for Europe £2m for the rest of the world Always examine the policy’s conditions and exclusions and talk to your insurer if in any doubt.  Read More →

For UK citizens about to travel or live abroad, we have practical tips on staying safe, secure and healthy, and avoiding problem situations. Sometimes, it’s to do with commonsense precautions – like arranging the right vaccinations and travel insurance. Sometimes, we have more specialist advice – like how to keep yourself informed about the risks of terrorism in the country you’re going to. The checklist Make sure you read our travel checklist before you go away - it’s got everything you need to know for staying safe and healthy abroad! Take... 

What’s the EHIC? You need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before you travel – it gives the holder rights to healthcare that becomes necessary during a temporary visit to EEA (European Economic Area) countries or Switzerland. The EHIC replaced the E111 form in Jan 2006. The E111 form is no longer valid. Who is entitled to an EHIC? people who are normally resident in the UK can apply for an EHIC aged 16 or over There may be some restrictions depending on your nationality – visit the Department of Health website for more info about who is eligible. Residents... 

Many people deeply regret not taking out travel insurance. They think their credit card accident cover, home insurance, or private health cover is sufficient. The real cost when things go wrong An emergency abroad can be extremely expensive. If you need to be returned to the UK it could cost you thousands of pounds, unless you are adequately insured: £35-45,000 - air ambulance from USA’s East coast £12-16,000 - air ambulance from the Canary Islands £15-20,000 - scheduled flight, stretcher and Doctor escort from Australia Figures supplied by FirstAssist...