• Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel advice - 0845 850 2829
• EU emergency services - 112
• Your bank, debit and credit card customer services number and emergency cancellation number for use abroad
• Your travel insurance's Medical Emergency contact number

European Health Insurance Card

The European Health Insurance Card also knows as EHIC gives the holder rights to necessary healthcare whilst on holiday in the EEA (European Economic Area) countries and Switzerland.

Cards are registered to your individual person so each member of your family/group who are aged 16 and above will need to hold one.

If you have an accident or suddenly become ill you'll receive the necessary state-provided medical healthcare for a reduced cost or sometimes free. The EHIC does not cover you for all medical costs, private treatment and repatriation home. You will still need appropriate travel insurance to ensure you are covered for all eventualities.

You can apply for an EHIC:
Online: https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/home.do
By calling: 0845 606 2030
You can also complete an application form which is available from some Post Offices.

Passports and Entry Requirements

You can find information on passport validity, visa information and entry requirements in the FCO's travel advice for each country under 'Entry requirements'.

If you are unsure about anything, you can contact the relevant foreign embassy in the UK for more information on things like criminal convictions, stamps from previous visits abroad affecting travel to new countries and taking certain medicines into a country.

See the list of Foreign Embassies in the UK for phone numbers and addresses on the FCO website here.