If you have private travel insurance that explicitly covers everything, you might skip the EHIC. But private insurance often has a high excess (like £50 or €75). The EHIC has zero excess for state care.
Also, the card doesn’t cover planned medical tourism. You can’t fly to Hungary for cheap dental surgery and flash your card. That’s not how it works. It’s for unexpected illnesses or injuries.
But if you’re a normal human who might trip over a cobblestone, renew it. The cost? Free. Yes, absolutely free. The EU pays for the printing. You pay £0.00.
Final, weirdly satisfying checklist
Log into your health portal. Click the “Renew” button. Enter details. Screenshot the confirmation. Then go make a cup of tea.
In about two weeks, a new card will arrive in your mailbox. It will be the same design. Same stars. Same triangle. But fresh. Like a clean sheet of paper for your next adventure.
And when you’re lost in a tiny Greek island pharmacy at 2 a.m., holding that card? You’ll feel like a superhero. A very prepared, slightly tired, but legally covered superhero.
So go renew. The card is waiting. Your future stomach bug is not.
