Brexit and your policies

I’m an Aviva customer. Do I need to do anything?

If you bought insurance from us in the UK and are currently – and will continue to be – permanently resident in the UK, your cover will not be affected and will remain valid. As the majority of our customers are resident in the UK, most policies won’t be affected by what happens at the end of the transition period.

If you no longer live in the UK or you’re thinking of leaving the UK in the near future, your policies may be affected.

We’ve been monitoring developments and speaking with regulators to make processes as smooth as possible. We’ll keep a close eye on the situation and update our website if any significant changes come up. You should keep checking back here for more details, especially if any changes are due to happen with any of the policies you hold with us. You should take independent financial advice if you’re unsure as to whether you need to take any action.

I bought a policy from Aviva UK, even though I am permanently resident in an EEA country. What’s the impact of the UK’s exit from the EU on my policy?

Some of our customers bought their policy from us while permanently resident in an EEA country, or have risks (like insured homes or premises) in EEA countries. We’ve transferred most of these policies to our business in Ireland.

If this affects you, we’ll already have written to you and there’ll be no change to the way your policy works, the way you contact us, or the level of service you receive.

You can get more information about the transfer of policies.

What's a Green Card?

A Green Card is issued by the driver’s insurer. It acts as evidence that the driver has the minimum legal cover needed for the country they’re visiting whilst driving outside the UK.

Do I need a Green Card to drive in the EU?

No, you don’t need a Green Card to drive in the EU.

From 2 August 2021, the UK became part of the Green Card Free Circulation Area (GCFCA) again, which is made up of all 30 European Economic Area (EEA) countries, as well as Andorra, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Switzerland, and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. This means you no longer need to carry a Green Card when driving in these countries. 

Will my car insurance allow me to drive abroad?

Yes. If you have motor insurance with us, and your vehicle is normally kept in Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands or Isle of Man, you’re covered to drive in:

EU Countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden

EEA countries not in the EU: Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway

Other countries:  Andorra, Serbia, Switzerland, Bosnia & Herzegovina

British Overseas Territory: Gibraltar

Where can I get more information?

The Government’s published guidance on driving in the EU after the UK’s exit from the EU at www.gov.uk/driving-abroad

Other than the EU, which countries does my car insurance cover me to drive in?

Beyond the borders of the EU, our Motor Insurance cover is limited to: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Andorra, Serbia, Switzerland, and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar.

You don’t need a Green Card when driving in these countries.

Is my driving licence still valid in the EU?

This depends on where you’re going so check the rules of the country you’re travelling to. See the government website for more info.

Can I still travel to the EU?

Yes, as long as you have the right documents.

Check what passports, visas and documents you may need – this may have changed. You should check the current advice from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office or the country you’re planning on travelling to.

If you’re driving your car abroad, you may need a Green Card and an international driving permit (see the motor insurance section on this page for more information). You won’t be covered if you need to claim because you haven’t got the necessary documents when leaving the UK. 

Will there be any changes to my travel insurance?

No, we’re not currently planning to make any changes due to Brexit.

Will my insurance cover me for travel delays and cancellations due to Brexit?

Yes, in some cases. 

If you can’t fly because of Brexit (remember that the Government expects flights will carry on as normal), then you should speak to your airline about getting a refund. If your policy covers airspace closure, you can claim, and we’ll help you cover the costs of travel arrangements or accommodation. This cover might be an optional addition to your policy.

You won’t be covered if you need to claim because you haven’t got the necessary documents when leaving the UK. 

Your insurance will still cover you for flight delays, but you won’t be covered if you miss your flight because there were delays checking in or getting through security. So you‘ll need to make sure you allow time for any possible delays.

Will my European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) still be valid after Brexit?

If you already hold a UK-issued EHIC, this will be valid until the expiry date.

Once your EHIC has expired, you’ll be able to replace it with a Global Health insurance Card (GHIC) which gives you access to free or reduced cost state-provided healthcare if you need medical treatment during a temporary visit to the EU. 

Just so you know, there are a few groups of individuals who still need to apply for a new EHIC. Please refer to NHS guidance for more information.

With the GHIC, you can access treatment at the same cost that residents in that country pay. But it’s important to remember that some country’s state healthcare isn’t free so you may need to pay towards your treatment. If you have valid travel insurance, you may be able to claim back this cost from your insurer.

Having a valid EHIC/GHIC doesn’t affect the cover you get through your travel insurance.

To apply for a GHIC, you should visit the NHS website and search for GHIC.

A GHIC is free so don’t trust unofficial websites which charge you to apply for one.

Do I need to buy any insurance to replace the EHIC?

You should consider buying travel insurance for a number of reasons. Medical costs are likely to be the main reason, even if you have a valid EHIC or GHIC. As long as your travel insurance claim is accepted, we’ll cover your emergency medical costs.

Even though the EHIC/GHIC may cover some or all emergency treatment costs, it won’t cover the cost of bringing you back to the UK for medical reasons.

If you do decide to buy travel insurance, it’s important that you understand your cover. If you have pre-existing medical conditions you should make sure that your medical declaration is up to date. As always, check your policy booklet and find out what you need to disclose. We’ll screen your medical conditions and confirm if they can be covered..

I used to live and work in the UK and during this period my pension fund was created. I'm now resident in the EU. What will happen to my pension?

Some customers bought their policy in the UK and have now permanently relocated or may, in the future, permanently relocate to a different country within the European Union (EU) / European Economic Area (EEA). If this applies to you, your pension fund in the UK will still be protected and regulated in line with UK regulations. 

There may be some things you can’t do with your pension and when you retire. This will depend on the rules of the EU nation where you’re now resident. For example if you’re resident in France, there may be certain things we won’t be able to do in relation to your pension such as voluntary lump sum payments. 

You should take independent financial advice if you’re unsure about what to do. 

I’m a UK citizen resident in an EU/EEA country. What will happen to my State Pension now the UK has left the EU?

The Government looks after your State Pension. 

You can carry on receiving your UK State Pension if you move to live in the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you can still claim your UK State Pension from these countries.

Your UK State Pension will go up each year in the EU in line with the rate paid in the UK.

You can also count relevant social security contributions made in EU countries to meet the qualifying conditions for a UK State Pension.

For full details on the State Pension after Brexit, visit the government website.

Will I still be able to auto-enrol EU nationals into my Aviva workplace pension scheme?

Yes. As an employer, you’ll still need to automatically enrol all eligible workers who usually work for you in the UK. That’s because current regulations allow anyone who is a UK resident to apply to join a pension scheme – there are no regulations based on nationality.

Will there be any change to the way I can manage my life, critical illness or income protection insurance policies now the UK has left the EU?

Currently we allow cover to continue where a customer relocates temporarily or permanently to a different country within the EU/EEA during the term of their policy. But there will be some restrictions on changing your existing policies. 

We’ve been monitoring developments and speaking with regulators to make processes as smooth as possible. We’ll keep a close eye on the situation and update our website if any significant changes come up. You should keep checking back here for more details, especially if any changes are due to happen with any of the policies you hold with us.

In all EU territories, there’ll be restrictions on increasing the level and length of your cover. In addition, you won’t be able to renew policies or receive any further cover.

We’re aware that, for policies taken out before 1 January 2021, not all our policy options will still be available for customers in France. For example, you won’t be able to change your premiums or continue with a policy that fails a premium review. You won’t be able to lower the level or length of your cover either. We’ll write to you if this impacts you. If you’ve taken out a policy on or after 1 January 2021 and move to France, we’ll have to cancel your policy.

You should take independent financial advice if you’re unsure about what to do.

Have Aviva changed their residency criteria for customers to be eligible to apply for life, critical illness or income protection policies now the UK has left the EU? 

No. We’ve not changed our eligibility criteria for these policies. The customer (and policyholder if this is someone different) needs to be living in the UK (and for income protection, have the right to work in the UK) to apply for one of these policies.

Is Aviva strong enough to withstand market movements following the UK’s exit from the EU?

We have a significant surplus capital and because of the diversity of the funds we invest in, we’re confident that we’ll be able to continue to meet our commitments to you.

How will the UK’s exit from the EU affect my pension or investments?

We can’t predict what impact, if any, a future deal will have on financial markets.

Your policy offers a range of different funds you can invest in and you can track the performance of your funds regularly by logging onto MyAviva. You can also call us using the number on your most recent statement.

You should take financial advice before making any decision relating to your particular investments with us.

We’re monitoring developments and speaking with regulators to minimise any challenges that may come up. We’ll always aim to provide the service you expect. We’ll update our website with more information, so you should keep checking back here as more details are announced.

Will you be able to make a payment to me overseas?

We make international payments into non-UK bank accounts. We think we’ll still be able to do this for cross-border payments. It’s possible that new transaction charges may be brought in for you and for us – but this is still uncertain. 

Depending on what’s agreed during the trade deal negotiations, there may be changes to the way payments from UK into non-UK bank accounts are regulated or taxed by the country where the person receiving the payments is based. 

We don’t yet know what the approach of these regulators or tax authorities will be. We’re monitoring developments and will update our website with more information, so you should keep checking back here as more details are announced. We’ll always aim to provide the service you expect.

What happens if I'm a customer resident in one of the EEA countries listed and making and/or receiving payments through a UK bank account?

If you’re a customer in any of the below EEA countries, you should contact your UK bank to see if they’re planning to make changes to your UK bank account due to the UK leaving the EU at the end of 2020. Your UK bank may have already been in contact with you.

You’ll need to let us know if the bank details we hold have changed so that we can carry on making/receiving payments for your policies.

EEA countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Also, Switzerland.