When the EU entry-exit system takes effect on 12 October, passengers on Eurostar will be asked if they have pre-booked accommodation, a return ticket, enough money for their stay – and medical insurance.
The requirement for proof of insurance goes beyond the standard demands for travellers entering the Schengen area. It is likely to alarm passengers who have chosen not to take out medical insurance, relying instead on the reciprocal health cover provided by the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).
Border formalities for travellers on Eurostar to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam are “juxtaposed”: outbound passengers go through the Schengen area border at the Eurostar hub, London St Pancras International.
The European Commission in Brussels has made it clear to The Independent that medical insurance is not a requirement for travellers entering the Schengen area – comprising most of the EU plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
But the French Police aux Frontieres, who process travellers at the St Pancras terminal, are applying their nation’s controls.
One of these is a requirement in addition to the standard Schengen rules. It reads: “You must have an insurance certificate covering all medical and hospital expenses for which you may be liable for the duration of your stay in France, as well as medical repatriation costs and expenses in the event of death.”
While this has officially been part of the formalities for “third-country nationals” for years, the question is rarely, if ever, asked by French border guards.
But when the entry-exit system (EES) starts on 12 October, travellers will be asked while registering their biometrics at automatic kiosks if they have medical insurance. The kiosks are also programmed to ask about accommodation, available funds and holding a return ticket.
Should the traveller answer “no” to any of these questions, a Police aux Frontieres officer will be alerted. A passenger who does not meet all the demands could be refused entry.
The requirement came to light as Eurostar unveiled its plans for handling the EU entry-exit system. The rail firm has invested millions of pounds in installing kiosks in three separate areas of St Pancras station to collect biometrics from travellers.
The questions will be posed at the kiosks used for registering passengers for the new digital border scheme.
Eurostar says the questions are:
- Do you have somewhere to stay?
- Do you have a return ticket?
- Do you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay (credit card, cash)?
- Do you have medical insurance?
Alongside insurance, the French authorities also ask specifically about return tickets, even though the Schengen rule is for evidence of any transport booked out of the zone – for example, an onward flight to Asia or a ferry booking to Morocco.
Passengers who are tempted to answer “Yes” untruthfully to any of the questions are warned: “Your answers are binding, you may be asked to provide proof.”
The rule applies equally to Eurostar passengers going to Brussels, Rotterdam or Amsterdam – even though Belgium and the Netherlands have no such requirement for medical insurance.
It raises the extraordinary prospect that British travellers who choose to travel without insurance to Brussels or Amsterdam will be admitted if they fly, but not if they go by rail, passing through French territory for about 20 minutes.
The Independent understands that motorists going on Eurotunnel’s LeShuttle, through the Channel Tunnel from Folkestone to Calais, will not be asked any such questions, even though it is an equivalent juxtaposed frontier.
Reports of a demand for medical insurance for trips to France first emerged in August. But the European Commission was quick to confirm that medical insurance would not be required once EES begins.
Read more: Simon Calder answers your questions on the EU’s new entry-exit system
