Argh! Forgot to apply for EHIC card.

[Wotrewelookinat]

Going to France on Monday, had cards which expired a couple of years ago and can’t find them anywhere anyway. We have travel insurance, but are we stupid to go without the ehic cards? We are family with 3 teens and will be having an active holiday... (feel so stupid that we forgot).

I applied for dc’s new ones the other day we had managed to get out of sync. There was a thing on the website that said if you are planning on travelling within 5 days to call them so there may be something they can do if you give them a ring.

they may be a condition of insurance. apply online (they are free), get ref numbers and call insurers tomorrow.

Apply for them right now (this happened to me last month). They're issued very quickly - mine arrived within 2 working days (a mixture of new cards and renewals for expired ones). I imagine that as soon as your application is accepted (assuming you're entitled to an EHIC), you will be covered - you certainly don't have to have the card on you to be entitled to healthcare, though it is a bit more bureaucratic if you don't.

I assume you have travel insurance? If so then you may be required to pay the excess if you don't have a valid EHIC, but otherwise you should be covered in any event. Absolutely no need to panic and certainly not to cancel your holiday!

I guess that it depends what you travel insurance covers. If it covers all your activities and any pre-existing conditions it’s fine. If it doesn’t, can you increase the cover? Just be aware that a glass of wine before an accident may stop your insurance paying out as you are considered to be under the influence of alcohol.
If you apply for replacements now, you could travel, then if you need treatment, apply for a provisional replacement card (phone number is online) which will give you accesss to treatment-you’ll need all the relevant details like nhs no., address etc.

We realised DH and DD's had expired the night before we were due to go on holiday. We applied online that night. They arrived whilst we were away and had the date we applied for them printed on them.
Hopefully you won't need them anyway, but obviously make sure you have travel insurance.

I don't think you have to have the actual card with you at the time. Just apply for one and keep your reference. Then if the worst happens you can use that reference number to confirm you have them.

FWIW when I did injure myself and need treatment abroad the hospital I went to ended up not being a state one anyway. It was a private one and didn't accept EHIC cards - though I didn't actually have it on me at the time. So, we just paid outright for the treatment - I didn't fancy driving another 40 minutes or so to the main state one that did, in pain. We paid upfront, got all the notes and papers, and then claim done home. There were no issues and the travel insurance paid up in full, no problems and no delays.

You can call them, I realised with less than 24hrs to go that my youngest didn't have a card! Lovely lady on phone sorted it out and gave me instructions what to do if she got unwell abroad since we wouldn't have the actual card.

Thank you all SOOOO much for reassuring replies. Phew! We have applied tonight so hopefully that will help if we need medical treatment.