UK Ehic offer an online application checking and submission service where we are able to help you ensure your ehic application goes through first time. If you are going abroad within the European Union, then it is highly advisable that you apply for a european health insurance card to not only cover yourself but also your friends and family that you will be traveling with too. You can apply directly on the nhs website for your ehic and it will be completely free of charge. Applying for your ehic should take no longer than a few minutes, and from time of submission to receiving your european health insurance card should be no longer than a week or two at the longest. Having an ehic does not counteract the need for taking out health insurance, you should speak to a specialist about this for further information.