What EU need to do before a trip to Europe TRAVELLING IS CURRENTLY ILLEGAL – BUT YOU CAN STILL START PREPARING FOR FUTURE TRIPS

Travelling abroad is still restricted due to Covid – but if you’re thinking about planning a trip to Europe at some point in the future, you need to make sure you’re ready.

The Brexit Transition period ended on 31 December last year, and that has brought about changes which mean you might have to take extra steps when you plan your trip –

Västra Götaland on the west coast of Sweden is the destination Jade, 33, and her graphic designer husband Tom,

41, usually visit several times a year. “Tom’s parents, Kate and John, emigrated there about 15 years ago. The first time

I visited I fell in love with the breathtaking countryside,” she says. “We bought a small wooden cabin close to my in-laws six years ago and we visit whenever we can.”

But since the pandemic they’ve been unable to travel. “Our one-year-old son Oska was born in 2019 and he’s only been to Sweden once, so you can just imagine how much we’re itching to get back out there with him.” such as renewing your passport and getting a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).

So if you intend to travel, you need to be prepared for the changes to minimise disruption. Renewing your passport can take several weeks – so check it now because you’ll need to have at least six months left on it, and it must be

Jade is looking forward to travel restrictions being lifted and recently renewed their passports, which had expired in March. Jade has applied for a GHIC for herself and Oska too. “We have had to use the Swedish health system in the past so it’s reassuring to know we can still get help there less than 10 years old, even if it has six months or more left.

A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is still valid in the EU as long as it hasn’t expired. If it has, you’ll need to get a GHIC, which gives you the same level of access to healthcare. You don’t need both cards.

Remember, an EHIC or GHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance. if we need it,” she says.

Currently pregnant with their second child, Jade knows they have to keep their travel plans flexible. “Until the government lifts the travel ban we won’t know whether we can visit Sweden before the baby arrives or whether we have to wait until afterwards,” she says.

Either way, she is ready to apply for a passport for the new baby – so it shouldn’t be too long before the new arrival can meet his or her grandparents. “We’ve already chosen the names so we won’t have to delay getting a birth certificate, which is one of the crucial documents you need when you get your child’s first passport.”

Tom is thinking about driving to

Always make sure you have cover that meets your needs, including taking in to account any pre-existing medical conditions.

Read advice on buying travel insurance with the right cover at gov.uk/travel-insurance. Check the latest FCDO Travel Advice at gov.uk, and find out more about visiting the EU at gov.uk/visit-europe-2021.

Sweden next time so they can take their dog, Poppy, on holiday with them. “I’ll fly with the children and Tom can take the dog overland in the car,” Jade says.

With the new baby arriving, she has left him to look into the logistics. “Happily he discovered he doesn’t need an international driver’s permit even though we cross so many borders. He’s already been in touch with the vet to check Poppy’s vaccinations are up to date and to replace her old pet passport with an Animal Health Certificate.

“It was easier than we thought to prepare – and it’ll all be worth it if come late summer the five of us are strolling through the forest on our way to Kate and John’s for a barbecue. Skål!”