The UK has officially left the EU after being a member for 47 years. This of course has an impact on economic cooperation between the UK and the EU, which in turn affects the rights Norwegian tourists have if they become ill or injured while traveling to the UK.

– The European health insurance card entitles you to obtain necessary healthcare services in another EEA country, at the same rate as local residents. But when the UK leaves the EU, this possibility disappears – unless the scheme becomes part of a future agreement. At the moment, no one can say anything concrete about this, said Andreas Bibow Handeland, communications advisor at European Travel Insurance, which is part of If.

However, Norway has a social security agreement with the UK – signed by Einar Gerhardsen in 1957. This agreement has not been used for decades due to European health insurance cards, and much has changed since the agreement was created, so there is uncertainty as to whether this will happening right now.

Norwegian authorities recommend travel insurance

Until 31 December 2020, the UK will have one foot in the EU and one outside. In this phase, the European health insurance card will remain valid, if certain conditions are met. There is still no reason to cancel travel insurance for this reason.

– The advice from the Norwegian authorities is that you have private travel insurance with adequate health cover before leaving for the UK, as long as an agreement is not in place. If your right to necessary healthcare stops, and you are uninsured, you risk, in the worst case, being stuck with out-of-pocket medical bills. The number could reach millions, Handeland said.

– It is also important to remember that you should not confuse the right to necessary healthcare services with the contents of a standard travel insurance policy. The latter includes not only acute illness or injury, but also cancellations due to illness or accident, as well as costs related to delays, theft/injury, and legal aid, to name a few, he continued.

– The best travel insurance also covers things like excess in case of damage to the rental car, as well as accidents with mobile phones or cameras, concludes Andreas Bibow Handeland in European Travel Insurance.