International Driving Permit - not required for France

[BOAC]

For up to date rulings and regulations see HERE

[PeterR]

3 hours ago, Jaydug said:

 

Yes!!!!   Some members on this forum argue that travel insurance is unnecessary.   They insist that their EHIC is all that's required.

EHIC .......R.i.P.......1/1/2021 ?

[meadowsweet]

6 hours ago, Laurent said:

It was successive UK governments allowing the exploitation of migrant labour by greedy UK companies with no thought to the social problems large influxes of migrant labour into rural parts of the UK would cause that resulted in the brexit vote.

 

Working tax credit also subsidises the payment of dividends to shareholders in the private sector who won't pay a decent wage.  I am sure the likes of Amazon, Tesco, Deliveroo, DHL etc could sacrifice a modest reduction in profit.

 

I remember vividly Teresa May's speech outside Downing Street.  A brilliant speech - but empty and hollow words.

 

"Because not everybody knows this, but the full title of my party is the Conservative and Unionist Party, and that word ‘unionist’ is very important to me.

It means we believe in the Union: the precious, precious bond between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. But it means something else that is just as important; it means we believe in a union not just between the nations of the United Kingdom but between all of our citizens, every one of us, whoever we are and wherever we’re from.  Every time Johnson speaks about Scotland it is a vote for the SNP.  The break up of the Union is now inevitable

That means fighting against the burning injustice that, if you’re born poor, you will die on average 9 years earlier than others.  As is proving with Covid

If you’re black, you’re treated more harshly by the criminal justice system than if you’re white.  Well, we've seen a huge increase in racism and an aggressive stop and search policy targeting innocent people 

If you’re a white, working-class boy, you’re less likely than anybody else in Britain to go to university. No change there

If you’re at a state school, you’re less likely to reach the top professions than if you’re educated privately.  No change there

If you’re a woman, you will earn less than a man. If you suffer from mental health problems, there’s not enough help to hand.  Johnson, when asked about mental health funding referred the questioner to mental health charities.  The mental health sector has seen years of under investment and neglect

If you’re young, you’ll find it harder than ever before to own your own home.  Worse than ever

But the mission to make Britain a country that works for everyone means more than fighting these injustices. If you’re from an ordinary working class family, life is much harder than many people in Westminster realise. You have a job but you don’t always have job security. You have your own home, but you worry about paying a mortgage. You can just about manage but you worry about the cost of living and getting your kids into a good school.

If you’re one of those families, if you’re just managing, I want to address you directly.

I know you’re working around the clock, I know you’re doing your best, and I know that sometimes life can be a struggle. The government I lead will be driven not by the interests of the privileged few, but by yours.

We will do everything we can to give you more control over your lives. When we take the big calls, we’ll think not of the powerful, but you. When we pass new laws, we’ll listen not to the mighty but to you. When it comes to taxes, we’ll prioritise not the wealthy, but you. When it comes to opportunity, we won’t entrench the advantages of the fortunate few. We will do everything we can to help anybody, whatever your background, to go as far as your talents will take you.

We are living through an important moment in our country’s history. Following the referendum, we face a time of great national change.

And I know because we’re Great Britain, that we will rise to the challenge. As we leave the European Union, we will forge a bold new positive role for ourselves in the world, and we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few, but for every one of us.

That will be the mission of the government I lead, and together we will build a better Britain."

 

We are a laughing stock around the world with certain politicians ridiculous nostalgia fest for the Empire and Imperialism.  Our arrogance is beyond belief.

 

[Jaydug]

55 minutes ago, PeterR said:

EHIC .......R.i.P.......1/1/2021 ?

 

Yes!   Making personal travel insurance even more necessary.

[Mr Plodd]

4 hours ago, Jaydug said:

 

Yes!!!!   Some members on this forum argue that travel insurance is unnecessary.   They insist that their EHIC is all that's required.

 

That IS all that’s required until something untoward happens. A pals missus took a tumble off her bike a year back and broke her elbow. The bill from the French health service was around €500 (in addition to what the EHIC covered)  and that didn’t include the surgery they wanted to perform (they returned to the U.K.) 

 

Utter madness to travel without. 

[Lutz]

On 01/12/2020 at 17:25, Woodentop said:

 

UK has never been part of Schengen - if it were you wouldn't need a passport to get from the UK into mainland EU and vice versa. Schengen allows EU citizens to cross all borders in mainland Europe within the EU but you live outside mainland EU - like what we do - you need a passport to get into it but can then travel where you wish within the Schengen zone.

 

 

Your reply suggests that you are not quite clear about the difference between Schengen member states and the EU.

In principle, each EU country sets its own entry requirements covering the need or otherwise of a visa. There is no such thing as an EU visa. The Schengen agreement only applies to visa-free stays up to 90 days and beyond that for certain countries, which have, up to now, included the UK. Otherwise it is up to individual agreements which aren't directly linked to EU membership, so it is perfectly possible that requirements or exemptions from such requirements remain in place after 31st December until possible later changes take effect.

Even within the EU, some means of identification are always required, be it in the form of a passport or an ID card. However, I have never had to submit a passport when entering the UK. My German ID has always been sufficient. Whether this changes after 31st December, is uncertain.

Edited December 4, 2020 by Lutz

[Pheasant]

19 hours ago, Mr Plodd said:

 

That IS all that’s required until something untoward happens. A pals missus took a tumble off her bike a year back and broke her elbow. The bill from the French health service was around €500 (in addition to what the EHIC covered)  and that didn’t include the surgery they wanted to perform (they returned to the U.K.) 

 

Utter madness to travel without. 

This year my wife collapsed with no warning in Spain,I rushed her to a private clinic who rushed her to hospital, I advised ins.co.after three days insurance company rang demanding she be transferred to state hospital,she was still in intensive care so I refused.

nine days later she was discharged,but I had paid 4000 euros as insurance company refused to pay after my refusal to transfer.

the total cost exceeded £15.000.after a long battle ,threats of legal action etc. they eventually paid the full amount ,as everything i did was 100% correct.

My question is!what will insurance companies do if the Ehic card becomes invalid and they can’t push it over to the state hospitals?

[stevew1]

20 hours ago, Jaydug said:

 

Yes!   Making personal travel insurance even more necessary.

 

And expensive !!😡😡😡

[664DaveS]

I tried to renew my EHIC on the government.uk website. 

I could not so it looks like it hasn't  been decided what is happening. Only certain criteria are eligible at the moment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jaydug]

9 minutes ago, 664DaveS said:

I tried to renew my EHIC on the government.uk website.

 

There's a very good chance that you won't be able to use it after the end of the month, and in theory you can still renew it, however the government may have decided to 'pull the plug' on it already.

[664DaveS]

We will see what happens if there is a deal!

We always have travel insurance, daft to go without it.

[fred]

13 minutes ago, Jaydug said:

 

There's a very good chance that you won't be able to use it after the end of the month, and in theory you can still renew it, however the government may have decided to 'pull the plug' on it already.

I didn’t think that there was any chance that the Ehic card would have any validity after the end of the year. Love to be proved wrong though. 

[Jaydug]

25 minutes ago, fred said:

I didn’t think that there was any chance that the Ehic card would have any validity after the end of the year.

 

I suppose it depends on what reciprocal arrangements are agreed.   There's a lot of EU citizens who live and work in the UK that will sometimes need medical treatment.

[Alan Stanley]

Other than announcements already agreed then it is all speculation as to what will apply after 31/12/2020.  However as I read the news this morning the French have ' thrown their teddy out of the pram', and said we are not playing any more.  Perhaps someone should remind them the reason  the E.U. could exist in the first place is because of the actions taken by 'British, Commonwealth , American and Free French and Free European Troops.

 

Tin hat on and proud to wear it 

[CraigP2005]

1 hour ago, Alan Stanley said:

Other than announcements already agreed then it is all speculation as to what will apply after 31/12/2020.  However as I read the news this morning the French have ' thrown their teddy out of the pram', and said we are not playing any more.  Perhaps someone should remind them the reason  the E.U. could exist in the first place is because of the actions taken by 'British, Commonwealth , American and Free French and Free European Troops.

 

Tin hat on and proud to wear it 

Are you sure???

 

Because this sounds like each member state has a voice and is able to enact upon it.  Which appears to be totally contradictory to quite a lot of your posts. 

 

Sooo which one is it? 

[fred]

3 hours ago, Jaydug said:

 

I suppose it depends on what reciprocal arrangements are agreed.   There's a lot of EU citizens who live and work in the UK that will sometimes need medical treatment.

The one time we had to deploy an Ehic card was in Germany.   Lots of confusion because our EHic’s have Welsh on them.  Fortunately  they found a Doctor who had done some training in Swansea, problem solved.  

[Alan Stanley]

54 minutes ago, CraigP2005 said:

Are you sure???

 

Because this sounds like each member state has a voice and is able to enact upon it.  Which appears to be totally contradictory to quite a lot of your posts. 

 

Sooo which one is it? 

Simply the difference between stating what you think will happen as a logical conclusion to human nature and the statement of a fact. Ie what I think is my opinion, what will actually happen is as yet unknown

[Laurent]

3 hours ago, Alan Stanley said:

Other than announcements already agreed then it is all speculation as to what will apply after 31/12/2020.  However as I read the news this morning the French have ' thrown their teddy out of the pram', and said we are not playing any more.  Perhaps someone should remind them the reason  the E.U. could exist in the first place is because of the actions taken by 'British, Commonwealth , American and Free French and Free European Troops.

 

Tin hat on and proud to wear it 

The irony is Alan that the Frenchman who mirrors you ie the social conservative frexity  French patriot will be as fully behind his government standing up for French interests as you are for British interests. I would imagine any patriotic French person would be as supportive of his fishing industry as you are of ours.

 

Those you suggest are throwing their toys out of the pram are exactly like you except they say it in French.

[Alan Stanley]

13 minutes ago, Laurent said:

The irony is Alan that the Frenchman who mirrors you ie the social conservative frexity  French patriot will be as fully behind his government standing up for French interests as you are for British interests. I would imagine any patriotic French person would be as supportive of his fishing industry as you are of ours.

 

Those you suggest are throwing their toys out of the pram are exactly like you except they say it in French.

Not at all.   The British are still sat around the table and to the best of my knowledge they have not introduced a new set of conditions.  Which as I understand it the French, particularly their president have.  As for fishing the French Government is fully entitled to make its own rules in French Waters ( except they aren't because of the E.U.)  Just as we are entitled to make them in what, are our internationally recognized waters.  Well we are now, we were not prior to 1/1/2020.

[Mr Plodd]

Stand by for the French fishermen to start blockading channel ports if they don’t get their way, democracy? What’s that then? 

[iansoady]

23 hours ago, Pheasant said:

My question is!what will insurance companies do if the Ehic card becomes invalid and they can’t push it over to the state hospitals?

They'll hike the premiums of course!

[Wildwood]

It is true that many EU countries do not enforce laws that they do not see as favourable to them. This has always been a problem for us as we have always implemented almost everything to the letter. This has allowed there businesses to run rings round us and will probably continue to do so. 

There is no advantage in EU countries enforcing a 90 day rule without us having to have a free visa when sending us home costs them money and they lose the benefit of our spending.

[Lutz]

On 05/12/2020 at 12:18, Wildwood said:

It is true that many EU countries do not enforce laws that they do not see as favourable to them. This has always been a problem for us as we have always implemented almost everything to the letter. This has allowed there businesses to run rings round us and will probably continue to do so. 

There is no advantage in EU countries enforcing a 90 day rule without us having to have a free visa when sending us home costs them money and they lose the benefit of our spending.

 

The 90 day rule is not an EU rule, but one set by the Schengen agreement. Beyond the 90 days each country sets its own requirements, not the EU.

[CraigP2005]

On 05/12/2020 at 11:18, Wildwood said:

It is true that many EU countries do not enforce laws that they do not see as favourable to them. This has always been a problem for us as we have always implemented almost everything to the letter. This has allowed there businesses to run rings round us and will probably continue to do so. 

There is no advantage in EU countries enforcing a 90 day rule without us having to have a free visa when sending us home costs them money and they lose the benefit of our spending.

Sorry, this old chestnut again about we are the only ones implementing the rules. Speak to others in different EU countries and they are also convinced it's only them that's complying.  In fact you only have to go on this site posted by individuals who spend long periods in France etc to see the amount of rules and regulations over their. So I'm afraid it's the victim card that's been too often wheeled to now put us in the position we now find ourselves.  Who are we going to blame after the 1st January? 

[Jaydug]

On 01/12/2020 at 17:00, Laurent said:

The 90 day rule for a citizen of one EU country to stay in another EU country before having to apply for residency has always existed

 

So (at present) we are going to be allowed to visit an EU country for up to 90 days.   Stay longer, and we need to fork out for a visa to allow a stay up to six months.

I've just been looking on the Government website for foreigners and I see this:

 

Six months for them - three months for us.   Hardly "a level playing-field". ?