EHIC Updates
 

From Gov.UK

9 November 2020Updated 2 sections: ‘Healthcare if you’re using an S1 form in Spain and ‘Healthcare if you’re studying in Spain’. Students and people with a registered S1 in Spain can now apply for a new UK European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) that will remain valid from 1 January 2021.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/healthca...ediate#history

Re: EHIC Updates
 

Just done ours, it is a simple form and takes a couple of minutes . In the the reply email it said :
"From 1 January 2021, you will continue to access healthcare in your country of residence using your S1 entitlement"
Pete

Re: EHIC Updates
 

Thank you for putting this on here. I too have completed it and received the e-mail.

Rosemary

Re: EHIC Updates
 

Much better than the previous system of ordering by phone to Newcastle. You had to spell out every word using phonetic alphabet for your Spanish address. For initial S1 application, it's still by phone only.

Re: EHIC Updates
 

Thanks for that update and link submitted mine and got confirmation email. Very straightforward.

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We are UK state pensioners and have permanent Spanish residency so OK as far as being under the provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement. In March 2020 we applied for and received new EHIC cards which expire on 12th March 2025. On the reverse it states we can "Check www.gov.uk for more information on using EHIC now the UK has left the EU". You say "Students and people with a registered S1 in Spain can now apply for a new UK European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) that will remain valid from 1 January 2021". Will our cards be valid after December 2020 or do I have to try to get new EHIC cards? Sorry if it appears a silly question but sometimes we have trouble understanding things. Thank you for any info you can give me.

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I really do not know the answer all I would say is if I had a card that said valid until 12/3/2025 I would continue to use it unless the entire system is cancelled which I assume it has not been.

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I applied for a European EHIC when I got my S1 Registered which I received with date until 2024. It appeared identical to my previous EHIC which I had been issued as normal UK Resident. I too was unsure re this latest announcement so I took the belt and braces attitude of better being safe and asking for the new one issued under withdrawal agreement rules than not and finding out later I should have done. Its easy to do following the link and Costs nothing so nothing to lose getting it. It will be interesting to see if it differs in anyway to the one I have.

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Just a point is the wording on the link does state "You need to get a new UK-issued EHIC that’s valid for travel from 1 January 2021" so that to me does seem to imply that the old EHIC issued to S1 holders will not be valid after 1 January?

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Although I have an EHIC which has a date a few years ahead,I applied as it was so very easy on-line.Almost immediately was given a reference number for the new card & confirmed it would be sent to the given address.Excellent service.

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So another UK cock up? And more plastic.....

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As Joppa said,so much better than having to phone Newcastle.I´m sure that like me many people have to listen carefully on any of the Govn.call centres due to differences in accents.I can understand clearly Glaswegian but Brum or Geordie has me concentrating!So I am glad to get my new card this way,will have 2 cards too so can say"take your pick" if asked.

Re: EHIC Updates
 

Old EHIC's need replacing even though they have an expiry date beyond 31 Dec 2020. The new ones have a reference to the withdrawal agreement, apparently. We found this out because we rang UK as the online link came back showing that our S1 had not been ratified between Spain and UK. This was an error as we registered our S1 in 2012. When I managed to get to speak to a human being, I asked the specific question about applying for new EHIC's even though our current ones were in date; the answer was yes, you do need new ones.

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Absolutely correct, plain English and I don't understand how it can be read any differently.

Also with Jan 1st being the pivotal moment for what other reason do the doubters imagine a new EHIC card might be making its debut on that date?

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Has anyone actually received the new EHIC yet?

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I have not received mine yet but did it immediately.

Rosemary

Re: EHIC Updates
 

Same here Rosemary I was just wondering as its a few weeks since applying

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Like others I applied straight away.Another piece of essential paperwork that seems to be awry is my fiscal certificate which I need when I complete on my property.It was applied for a month ago & now I am worried as the gestor´s office just says it will come Usually you get it within a week. .Not much point in going on about making sure you are legal when,if you are,it appears that heels are being dragged.

Re: EHIC Updates
 

Yes I think you are correct I have been waiting since July for new documentation re car registration as I realised address was wrong. Seems ridicoulos to me 5 months and still not sorted. But gestor says no problem just a little slow🤔

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That makes sense.
There will be thousands of Brits living in the UK who hold EHIC cards with expiry dates well into the future, but those cards won't be valid in Europe after 31 December therefore hospitals and medical centres will be instructed to refuse them. If yours looks exactly the same as theirs but you insist that yours is different because you are an S1 holder I doubt they will accept it because anybody could say that and the staff have no way of checking. Hopefully if the medical admin staff are instructed to accept cards that have the reference to the withdrawal agreement, that will be the solution.

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They were promised by the end of the year, as they need to be for continuity of cover.

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I would imagine (I don't know for sure) that wherever one presents their ehic for treatment they put the ehic number into a machine / computer and it will either recognise it as valid or not before any treatment other than deemed emergency. Wasn't it the case that as an S1 holder we were supposed to get a new ehic in the past as it covered for elsewhere in the EU other than our country of residence where our health is already paid for by the uk? I know I got one after getting my S1 although when it arrived it was identical to the normal S1. One would assume that this new one will have some reference to either WA protection or S1, we must wait and see.

Re: EHIC Updates
 

AFAIK The existing EHIC cards are valid for up to 90 days after 31st December 2020 to cover any UK resident currently on holiday in the EU.

Some non residents have recently tried to renew their temporary SIPP cards for 6 months, using their EHIC & padron (I know), but only been allowed to renew until March 2021. Things are set to change in 2021

Re: EHIC Updates
 

so long as they are in the country they are visiting on the 31 December. So say someone was visiting their holiday home in Spain from 20 Dec to 20 March then they would be covered in Spain. If they left Spain to say visit Portugal for a few days on the 10 Jan then their cover using the EHIC would end . Also if they drove over via France their EHIC cover would end once they left the Spanish border to return to the UK! So no cover for journey to French port. .
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-resid...1-january-2021

Re: EHIC Updates
 

Has anyone actually received the new EHIC card announced with great fanfare by the British Embassy. We responded straight away several weeks ago and instantly received a code with the receipt. So far nothing, zilch!

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We did the same but have not received the new cards either.

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Exactly the same

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exactly the same but UK post shocking at the moment - almost zero Christmas cards

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Ours arrived this morning.

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Does it look different? New wording? Expiry date?

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Essentially the same. The personal ID number is prefaced with 'CRA' instead if 'UK'. There is a holographic showing a union flag in place of 'UK' inside the ring of stars. Apart from that similar colours and layout.

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What do you think “CRA” stands for?

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I don't know yet. There are references to the CRA EHIC portal for applying but I haven't found what it means. I'm still searching.

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CRA = Citizens Rights Agreement

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That's good to hear, thanks

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Citizens Rights Agreement is part of the withdrawal agreement dealing with the rights of EU citizens in UK and UK citizens in EU post Brexit. So EHIC issued under CRA specifically covers those who are beneficiaries of the WA.

Re: EHIC Updates
 

Ours arrived today, too. I'm glad to read that CRA stands for Citizens' Rights Agreement as I was a bit concerned when I couldn't see any other wording on the card to indicate anything about our rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

The expiry date is 11/11/2025.

Re: EHIC Updates
 

Re: EHIC Updates
 

Mine arrived today. Similar end date. I noticed on the letter accompanying it that it says that we may choose to destroy the old EHIC as this may not be valid after 31/12/20 when I would have expected it to say that it would not be valid.

Rosemary

Re: EHIC Updates
 

Some reports are saying that old/pre-existing EHICs will still be accepted...all looking like another UK cock up to me.

Like the Nightingale hospitals which are now being stripped out, many unused because of insufficient trained staff - oh well whats another 200+ million pounds...