What EU need to do before a trip to Europe
”We’ve been visiting Lanzarote for 20 years
– not just because of the fabulous weather, but because of the fantastically warm welcome we have received each time we arrived. In 2018, we finally took the plunge and bought our bungalow and we’re really missing the island.
We want to be well prepared for when we can travel. We’ve already renewed our passports because we didn’t want to leave it late, as there’ll probably be a huge rush in renewals. We would never travel without insurance and we always buy a family annual insurance which covers us at home or abroad so that we are safe for all journeys. Now we have everything in place and are hoping to get out there soon.”
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.”
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 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
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!”