Ehic cards and cartes de séjour affected by Brexit
EHIC cards, used for healthcare when travelling in the EU, would ‘probably’ be lost in the event of a ‘hard Brexit’, Brexit Minister David Davis admitted last month in the House of Commons.
The minister said the British government has made no assessment of the economic impact of a hard Brexit in which the UK leaves on World Trade Organisation terms, but he confirmed that loss of Ehics was likely be one of the effects.
He said: “I think that’s probably right. I haven’t looked at that one.”
That could mean British pensioners living in France with existing health problems visiting from the UK would face expensive health insurance costs, although a bilateral medical deal may be made with France.
Earlier this year Martin McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the Commons Health Select Committee he checked possible insurance costs for a week in France for a 70-year-old with typical health conditions and it “came out between £800 and £2,500”.
However, he said that was probably factoring in the Ehic, and so after Brexit the cost could be more.
Working age Britons in France would be expected to be able to continue to have French Ehics, for travel in Europe, including to the UK, however British pensioners in France currently receive theirs from the UK.
Pensioners are also entitled to use the NHS on visits back to the UK, although this is linked to their holding S1 health forms showing the UK is responsible for their healthcare costs – which could also be at risk as the S1 is another EU scheme.
With the start of the Brexit process now confirmed, experts highly recommend that Britons in France apply for cartes de séjour. In particular, those who have lived in France on a stable basis for at least five years are entitled to ‘permanent’ cards marked: Citoyen UE/EEE/Suisse - Séjour permanent.
This card proves you have acquired a right to stay in France and gives you the same social security entitlements as a French person.
There remains some legal uncertainty over the effect of loss of EU citizenship after Brexit, on this right, but experts believe these cards will be of considerable benefit, not least because they will represent a simple way to prove that you have been a long-term legal resident.
To obtain a carte de séjour you have to apply to your prefecture, supplying documents to prove your uninterrupted legal residence in France for a period of at least five years (small gaps are allowable but France should have been your main home).
