What Travel Insurance Do You Need for Europe After Brexit?

Brexit changed the travel insurance game for UK holidaymakers. The EHIC/GHIC situation, the loss of automatic protections, new driving rules — it’s genuinely confusing. Here’s what travel insurance you need for Europe after Brexit, in plain English, with no jargon.

What Brexit actually changed

• EHIC → GHIC: the European Health Insurance Card still works if in date, but new applicants get the Global Health Insurance Card. Both give access to state healthcare at the same cost as locals — not free private care, not repatriation, not everything.
• No more automatic consumer protections: EU flight compensation rules were retained in UK law (so EU261-style claims still work), but some reciprocal healthcare and legal arrangements changed.
• Driving: UK licences are still valid for short visits to the EU, but you may need a green card from your insurer (free — request 1 month ahead) and a UK sticker on the car. Check GOV.UK driving abroad before you go.
• Pets: pet passports issued in the UK are no longer valid — you need an Animal Health Certificate (£100–£200) per trip. Plan ahead.
• Data roaming: no longer guaranteed free — check your provider; many reintroduced charges.

What travel insurance do you need for Europe after Brexit?

The non-negotiable: medical cover

GHIC is not travel insurance — it doesn’t cover private treatment, mountain rescue, repatriation (£10,000–£50,000+ for an air ambulance), or non-urgent care. You need proper travel insurance with at least £5–£10 million medical cover for Europe. This is the one thing you must not skip — a hospital stay abroad without insurance can mean five-figure bills. Get the free GHIC as well (via the NHS GHIC page — beware copycat sites charging £35 for the free card), but never as a substitute.

Cancellation and curtailment

Covers you if you must cancel or cut short the trip — illness, bereavement, redundancy, jury service. Look for £3,000–£5,000 cancellation cover per person (enough for your total trip cost). Post-COVID, check the policy covers cancellation due to illness including COVID — most now do, but verify. Scheduled airline failure cover (£1,000+) matters if you booked flights and accommodation separately — if the airline collapses, package-travel protections don’t apply.

Baggage and belongings

Standard: £1,500–£2,500 baggage cover, with single-item limits (£200–£400). If you’re carrying expensive gear (cameras, laptops), check the single-item limit — you may need a gadget add-on or separate cover. Photograph valuables before travel (serial numbers help claims). And know the excess — a £100 excess on a £150 claim makes claiming pointless.

Activity cover (the fine print that matters)

Standard policies exclude “hazardous activities” — a category that often includes skiing, scuba diving, cycling, hiking above certain altitudes, and even scooter hire. Doing any of these? You need the activity add-on or a specialist policy. Winter sports cover (including piste closure and avalanche delay) is essential for ski trips — see our ski holidays guide. Scooter/moped hire in particular: most standard policies exclude it entirely, and Mediterranean scooter accidents are a classic uninsured disaster.

EHIC/GHIC + insurance: how they work together

Use the GHIC for state healthcare (it reduces what the insurer pays, which keeps premiums down industry-wide), and the insurance for everything else. Some policies require you to use GHIC where available and may waive the excess if you do. Carry both — the GHIC card and the insurer’s emergency number (saved in your phone, not just on paper).

Single trip vs annual multi-trip

• Single trip: £15–£40 for a week’s Europe cover. Right for 1–2 trips a year.
• Annual multi-trip: £40–£100 for unlimited European trips (usually max 31 days per trip). Cheaper than 3+ single trips — the obvious choice for regular travellers.
• Backpacker/long-stay: specialist policies for 3–12 month trips (£150–£400).
• Over-65s / pre-existing conditions: declare everything — non-disclosure voids the policy. Specialist brokers (AllClear, Staysure) cover conditions mainstream insurers won’t. It’s pricier (£80–£300) but it’s real cover, not a gamble.

Red flags in policies

• Excess over £100 on medical — defeats the purpose for smaller claims.
• Alcohol exclusions — most policies exclude claims “arising from” alcohol. One drink won’t void you; a balcony fall after ten will.
• Undeclared pre-existing conditions — the #1 reason claims are rejected. Declare everything, even the “minor” stuff.
• COVID small print — check what “COVID cover” actually means (medical? cancellation? both?).
• EHIC/GHIC requirement clauses — some cheaper policies reduce cover if you don’t hold one. Get the free card anyway.

Brexit travel insurance FAQs

Is my old EHIC still valid? Yes, until its expiry date — then replace it with a GHIC (free, via the NHS website). Don’t pay third-party sites for it.

Do I need travel insurance for Ireland? The Common Travel Area means UK citizens access Irish healthcare, but travel insurance is still wise — repatriation, cancellation and baggage aren’t covered by any reciprocal deal.

What about travel to Spain/France/Greece specifically? Same requirements — the rules are EU-wide. Private hospitals in tourist areas are expensive; the medical cover minimum (£5m+) applies everywhere.

Does my bank’s “free” travel insurance count? Often yes — packaged bank accounts (Monzo Premium, Nationwide FlexPlus, etc.) include decent travel insurance. Check the medical limit, activity exclusions and age limits — then it’s genuinely good value if you already have the account.

The GHIC application (do it today)

The Global Health Insurance Card is free and takes 10 minutes to apply for via the NHS website — do it now, not the week before you travel (delivery takes a couple of weeks). It covers you for state healthcare across the EU, Switzerland and several other countries at the same cost as locals. But remember its limits: no private care, no repatriation, no mountain rescue. The GHIC is the backup; travel insurance is the plan. Carry both, know both emergency numbers, and never travel on the GHIC alone. Beware copycat sites charging £35 for the free card — the official NHS route costs nothing.

The takeaway

Europe after Brexit needs: a free GHIC (not a substitute), proper travel insurance with £5m+ medical cover, declared pre-existing conditions, activity add-ons for anything adventurous, and the insurer’s emergency number in your phone. Annual multi-trip (£40–£100) beats single trips if you travel 3+ times. The post-Brexit paperwork is annoying — but a £30 policy beats a £30,000 air ambulance. Get covered, get the card, go.