“For all the travellers who go to France, to have to prove medical insurance will be a very lengthy process” – so claims Nigel Farage. The Reform UK leader was responding in the Mail on Sunday to reports that British travellers to the European Union will need to provide evidence of travel insurance when the entry-exit system (EES) begins on 12 October.
The European Commission has now confirmed to The Independent that there is no truth in such reports. The start of a six-month roll-out of the EES on 12 October will have no effect on the requirements for British travellers to Europe.
As has been the case since Brexit, UK visitors to the EU and wider Schengen area must:
- Justify the purpose of the intended stay – for example tourism, business or a family visit.
- Demonstrate sufficient means of subsistence for their stay, which may include showing evidence of booked accommodation.
- Provide evidence of a ticket to the UK – or onward travel to a third country where they are sure to be admitted.
Reports that travel insurance would become mandatory caused consternation among many travellers who are older or have pre-existing medical conditions.
With insurance premiums sometimes costing more than the holiday, they rely on the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). This guarantees treatment at hospitals in the EU and Switzerland on the same basis as citizens of those countries – either free or for a nominal fee.
From 12 October, British travellers to and from the Schengen area – including almost all the EU countries except Ireland, plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland – may be asked to provide fingerprints and facial biometrics. But no other red tape will be added.
In the same Mail on Sunday report, the shadow transport secretary Richard Holden said “hard-working Brits” were coming off “second best” because Sir Keir Starmer had failed to negotiate a better deal. In fact, the European Union is following to the letter Boris Johnson’s “oven-ready Brexit deal” in which the UK negotiated for citizens to be “third-country nationals”.
The Independent has made repeated approaches to both Reform UK and the Conservatives about the comments, but neither party has responded.
The source for the invented requirement remains a mystery. None of the EU directives concerning third-country nationals or the entry-exit system contains any stipulation about insurance.
Full details of the EU entry-exit system and how it will affect British travellers
