It seems that barely a month passes without another terror attack in a major European city. These events, such as the shootings in Paris or the bombings in Brussels attract extensive news coverage, and it’s easy to lose perspective. The chances of being caught up in a terror attack while on holiday or on business in Europe are incredibly slim, and it’s also worth bearing in mind that here in the UK the threat level has been severe – meaning an attack is “highly likely” since August 2014. Worrying is natural though, and although the tiny possibility of being injured or having your holiday disrupted because of terrorism shouldn’t put you off travelling, it’s worth knowing what the situation is regarding EHIC cover and travel insurance policies.

EHIC Cover

EHIC, or the European Health Insurance Card, is a reciprocal agreement between the countries of the EU and Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein to give citizens access to state healthcare while temporarily overseas. EHIC has many important differences to medical cover which might be provided as part of a travel insurance policy, the main one being that it covers treatment abroad in the state system only, and won’t pay to fly you home. EHIC also has none of the exclusions or excesses associated with insurance policies, so if the worst does happen and you need to seek medical attention, as long as you have your EHIC with you, go to a the A&E department in a state hospital or go to see a state GP, you will be treated as a local. That doesn’t mean treatment is always free as every country has its own rules about treatment charges and what is included in the state system. It does mean that any injuries will be dealt with without you having to present a credit card first.

Travel Insurance

Don’t automatically assume that you will be covered for “acts of terror” on your travel insurance policy. Many companies do cover expenses arising from this sort of unexpected event, but many don’t. Remember that these exclusions don’t just apply to medical cover; the most probable consequence of a terrorist attack, even if you are not directly involved, is disruption to travel such as trains or flights being cancelled. If your policy does not cover this, you will have to meet the additional expenses of hotel accommodation or rearranged flights yourself.

General Advice

Nobody should be deterred from travelling because of a perceived risk of terrorism. However, wherever you are going it makes sense to keep abreast of the current situation in the country concerned. Most of us travel with a smartphone, so use it to check out the latest advice on the Foreign Office website detailing which areas should be avoided, and remember that travelling to areas against Foreign Office recommendation will invalidate insurance. Always follow advice from local Police and law enforcement, and keep essential documents like your EHIC, passport and cash card with you at all times.