I was very surprised to read this .... because as far as I am aware, the EHIC card (the former E111) is issued FREE of charge. Read more here ....http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/about-the-ehic.aspxn here..... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Health_Insurance_Card and here ......http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=559

The site quoted by Pollensa is infact a COMMERCIAL site, which charges a fee for what you can get for free.

CAVEAT EMPTOR!!!

Alsa is right, it's completely free to do this through the official NHS website - we did ours last year.

Definitely no charge for an EHIC card, and they last 5 years (I think).

OK, see my edit above. Where's the link to the official, free, site?

EDIT: Found it...
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/about-the-ehic.aspx

...and it's definitely worth checking your own card as it only lasts 5 years.

I have just used the above link and it works fine, and is free.

I gave SEVERAL links all of which work for me (though I'm not a stranger to the 404 Error messages!!!!).

I'm amazed that you get 5 years on UK EHIC cards .... I was told by my latest set of visitors that it was 2 years' validity in the UK ... here in France it's only one year and then renewal, but easy and free.

We have a sticky in this forum in capital letters. The first post in the thread gives you links to all the information that you need regarding the EHIC.

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/forum/european-health-insurance-card-ehic-t60921.html

I gave SEVERAL links all of which work for me

The first link didn't work.

I'm amazed that you get 5 years on UK EHIC cards

Yes, up to 5 years and you can apply for renewal 6 months before your present one expires, however, unlike your passport, the 6 months is not added to the length of your new EHIC.

Sanji x

When applying for any pass/visa/health cards, you must always make doubly sure that it is free or the correct charge.

From April passengers to Turkey have to now get an E-visa. A lot of links (including the one sent to you from Thomson, after booking a holiday with them) are to organisations that get the visa etc on your behalf and charge you for the privilege!

I fell foul of this when hurriedly apply for a fishing licence for my hubby, just went to the first 'ad' after typing in 'rod licence' and ended up paying twice as much!

Oh well, links seem to have interestingly short half-lives! Glad you all now have access to something useful ... and 5 years' validity (what a luxury!!).

Incidentally as regards visa applications, seeing as Denny quite rightly mentioned a change in the visa arrangements for Turkey, make sure you don't get caught out by sites offering to get your USA ESTA form for you ... the correct website is https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/ and although you have to pay it's the official amount - 14 US$. (Just hope this site doesn't disappear on you all though!)

EHIC card is valid for 5 years here in Germany as well Alsa.

Alsacienne wrote:

I gave SEVERAL links all of which work for me (though I'm not a stranger to the 404 Error messages!!!!).
I'm amazed that you get 5 years on UK EHIC cards .... I was told by my latest set of visitors that it was 2 years' validity in the UK ... here in France it's only one year and then renewal, but easy and free.

No stranger either to underscores, capital letters and multiple exclamation marks.

No need to be rude

Judith wrote:

No need to be rude

Agreed!

Yes I agree, it's not necessary to be rude by the use of underscores, capital letters and multiple exclamation marks.

Pollensa1946 wrote:

Yes I agree, it's not necessary to be rude by the use of underscores, capital letters and multiple exclamation marks.

Perhaps she wouldn't have felt the need to use underscore and capital letters to emphasize, if the correct information had been posted in the first place?

Sunaddict wrote:

Perhaps she wouldn't have felt the need to use underscore and capital letters to emphasize, if the correct information had been posted in the first place?

As you can see from my edit I apologised very shortly after for what was a genuine error. Sorry (again) if that does not satisfy you.

And for my part, Pollensa, in no way did I intend to be rude to you

by the use of underscores, capital letters and multiple exclamation marks.

or in any shape or form. Sometimes it can be hard to 'hear' the tone of a message when typed, but I assure you that no offence was intended at any point. I had tried all three links before I had posted them and they'd all 'worked' so I was as surprised as others that the first one didn't work. (It still works for me, but can't say why there's a discrepancy.)

I wonder why France is so far behind other European countries in respect of validity of EHIC cards, but just have to live with it and am just glad others have five years' grace between renewals!

My contributions to this forum are intended to be factually helpful. I am sorry if a broken link caused such a stir, but wanted to make sure that members are not encouraged to part with their cash unnecessarily, nothing more.

I hope that Pollensa, like me, now feels that this thread has run its useful course.

I'll lock this topic now.

We have lots of information regarding the EHIC here:-

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/forum/european-health-insurance-card-ehic-t60921.html