Boris Johnson has taken a more hard-line approach to Brexit and has not ruled out a no deal. Many British travellers are apprehensive of how Brexit – due to take place on 31 October – will affect their holidays. There is much uncertainty over how the UK leaving the EU will play out but it’s key holidaymakers protect themselves against all eventualities. Travel insurance is one way Britons can protect their holidays – but how do you know what cover you need? This is the latest travel advice.
Fiona Macrae from travelinsuranceexplained.co.uk has revealed how Brexit will affect your holiday.
Will your travel insurance protect you against Brexit?
If a no deal Brexit goes ahead while you’re on holiday or before then a travel insurance policy is not guaranteed to cover you.
“Most travel insurance policies will only cover you to claim for specific causes listed in the policy document,” said Macrae.
“If the cause you are claiming for, such as Brexit, isn’t listed then you won’t be able to claim.”
To best protect yourselves the insurance expert advises looking for a policy that will offer you cancellation and delayed travel cover for anything ‘which you could not have been expected to foresee or avoid’ or anything ‘beyond your reasonable control.’
If you’re due to travel in the autumn, around the Brexit date, Macrae recommends: “Ensure that you have the cover for anything beyond your reasonable control.
“Also check that this covers delays on both the outbound and return journey, as not all travel insurance policy offer this cover for return journeys.”
What does Brexit mean for your EHIC card?
And what about the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) card, some may ask. “It is currently thought that the EHIC will not be valid post-Brexit,” said Macrae.
“The government is seeking agreements with countries on healthcare arrangements for UK nationals after Brexit; however nothing is yet in place.
“To protect yourself, ensure that any travel insurance policy you buy doesn’t insist you use your EHIC card for emergency medical treatment.
“If the UK does leave Europe without these arrangements in place and you have purchased the wrong travel insurance policy, you could find yourself with a hefty medical bill.”
What does Brexit mean for your passport?
It’s also important to check the validity of your passport. “Not having the correct documents to enter a country, passports, visa etc., is not something that you can get cover for from any travel insurance policy,” said Macrae. “Check your passport is valid for your planned trip.”
What is Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan?
Johnson wants to renegotiate a new deal with the EU, so he can ditch parts of the deal Theresa May struck with Brussels last year.
As part of his Brexit plan, Johnson has said the £39 billion Brexit ‘bill’ must be suspended “in a state of creative ambiguity over the talks” while a Free Trade Agreement is negotiated.
He added he will pay upfront for a “standstill” transition period after the day of leaving if the EU is willing to agree to this.
Johnson also wants separate agreements on issues including EU civil servants’ pensions, as well as the settlement of court cases still live at the point of Brexit and address the questions posed by Gibraltar and the management of UK bases in Cyprus on a bilateral basis.
He also proposes that the Irish backstop be “kicked out” so that the issue of the Irish border and “indeed every other border” is instead settled “where those questions logically belong in the context of the Free Trade Agreement”.
How has Boris becoming PM affected my travel money?
Louis Bridger Head of UK at currency exchange provider, ICE (International Currency Exchange), said: “We have seen the pound rally against the euro following Boris Johnson’s announcement at Prime Minister.
“Yet despite sterling making a small gain, we are still in the dark as to the new PM’s stance on a Brexit deal and I would expect this uncertainty to continue a
“Understandably it can be stressful thinking about how to get the most for your pound when there is still so much uncertainty around a Brexit decision. Our message is still to brace for uncertainty and poor sterling performance, but not to panic as there are a range of ways that Brits can be savvy and minimise any additional hits to their holiday money. ]
“My top tip would be to plan ahead and look at alternate services which let you lock in favourable rates, such as click and collect, or ordering your cash through home delivery.”
