Latest news with #fines
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Can I really be fined €6,900 for going to Spain without travel insurance?
I read a story that said Spain could start issuing big fines of up to €6,900 to British holidaymakers if they cannot produce proof of travel insurance covering medical costs. When I tried to discover if this was true, I hit a brick wall. I thought that a GHIC covered me in Spain and getting travel insurance for extra medical costs was up to me. Could I really be fined when I go on holiday? Jane Denton, of This is Money, replies: In recent weeks, reports have been published suggesting Britons could be fined up to €6,900, or around £5,900, if they go to Spain and are unable to prove they have adequate travel insurance covering medical costs. The reports suggest Britons must have travel insurance that stands to cover all medical costs for the duration of their stay in Spain, or risk a substantial fine. According to some of the articles, the insurance policy must meet certain criteria outlined by the Spanish Ministry of Health, such as covering medical emergencies, hospital stays and other essential services. Some of the media reports include a quote purporting to be from Spain's health minister, emphasising that this measure was designed to ensure that all visitors have the necessary financial resources to cover the costs of medical care, and avoid placing further strain on the country's healthcare system. This is Money has, like you, been working to figure out what is going on and whether the reports are correct. Response from Spain's Ministry of Health Last week, we contacted Spain's Ministry of Health and asked them whether Britons could be fined up to €6,900 if they travel to Spain and are found to be without travel insurance covering medical costs. On Tuesday, we received a response in Spanish, which translates as: 'According to our information, there are no regulations in place requiring British tourists to purchase private health travel insurance to enter Spain as tourists.' However, the department said it still 'highly recommended' that visitors to Spain have travel insurance that includes medical cover, especially if their stay is longer than 90 days or the individual does not have a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). I also contacted Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office about the matter. It said it was for the Spanish authorities to answer questions on the terms they set for people entering Spain. The Government department said it kept its travel advice under constant review 'to ensure it reflects the latest updated information for British nationals travelling abroad.' The FCDO noted that it had longstanding advice that British nationals should purchase appropriate insurance before travelling abroad. The FCDO website does state that Britons could be asked to show proof of their travel insurance at the Spanish border. There is no mention of a potential fine at present. What should British tourists do? To date, it has not been confirmed by authorities in Spain or Britain that you could be fined if you are found to be travelling to Spain without adequate travel insurance. This could change. However, it is always sensible to take out travel insurance providing appropriate medical cover before you travel abroad. The risks of not taking out travel insurance can be extremely serious if things go wrong. Use comparison sites and do your research to ensure you get an appropriate level of cover. The cheapest policies may not be the most appropriate, particularly when it comes to providing adequate cover in case of a medical emergency overseas. If you are going to Spain, read the FCDO's online travel advice for Spain. This covers topics like entry requirements, insurance advice and health insurance cards. The FCDO also has a list of medical providers in Spain where some staff will speak English. If you are in Spain and need to access state healthcare in Spain, you will need a valid EHIC or GHIC card. A GHIC or EHIC covers state healthcare. It does not provide private healthcare cover. With a GHIC or EHIC card, you can get medically necessary treatment in Spain on the same basis as a Spanish citizen. This means that you will get healthcare services for free or at a reduced cost. If you travel to Spain or elsewhere in Europe without a valid EHIC or GHIC, you may need to pay in full for the state treatment or care you receive. A GHIC or EHIC card is not a replacement for travel insurance. The cards do not cover everything, such as mountain rescue or being flown back to Britain via a medical repatriation. The GHIC has replaced the existing EHIC card. If you have an existing EHIC you can continue to use it until the expiry date on the card. Once it expires, you will need to apply for a GHIC to replace it. You can apply for a new card up to nine months before your current card expires. A UK GHIC is free and lasts for up to five years. You can apply for your new card through the NHS website. Avoid using unofficial websites as they may charge you a fee to apply. Britons also need to be careful about their passport when entering Spain. Britons entering Spain must have a passport date of issue less than 10 years before the date you arrive. Your passport also needs to have an expiry date at least three months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area. The expiry date does not need to be within 10 years of the date of issue.
BBC News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Thanet District Council renews bid to issue fines for swearing
A council in Kent is renewing its efforts to introduce fines for people who are caught swearing in District Council last summer applied for permission to enforce a public space protection order (PSPO), which aims to target anti-social behaviour, including foul those plans were rejected amid a threat of a legal authority has reapplied for a PSPO to be introduced in areas including Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate, highlighting issues with swearing, drug use and alcohol. A PSPO makes it an offence to refuse to stop drinking alcohol in public, leave the area or use foul and abusive language if requested by a police or council officer.A fine of £100 can be a statement in support of the order, Ch Insp Ian Swallow said the implementation was a "necessary measure" to reduce crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour in Thanet. 'Reasonable excuse' In a council document presented at a meeting, the authority said there was "ongoing issues with anti-social behaviour" in the said there was overwhelming support for a PSPO among those consulted on the matter, following changes to its previous some of those consulted raised concerns that the PSPO could be used against peaceful protestors, while others were worried that young people may be fined wrongly for gathering in a person said in the council papers: "Whilst I disagree with foul language, I think that it is part of life today in the UK. I don't really see that it could cause harassment, alarm or distress to the majority of people."In response to these concerns, the council highlighted that there was a defence of "reasonable excuse", and that the Human Rights Act remained District Council has been approached for a full statement.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Video shows council's dramatic plan to tackle illegal camping trend: 'Get out'
A major east coast council has continued its crackdown on illegal camping in the area, handing down another 20 fines to travellers caught unlawfully squatting on public land over the weekend. Noosa Council shared footage on Thursday showing an officer approach a camper in the early hours of the morning, waking the tourist who was asleep in a tent atop a 4WD. "Morning, Noosa Council, I need you to hop up, please," the council officer can be heard saying in the video. "I need you to jump out of bed, I need to have a chat," she said, prompting a confused grunt from a man inside. The latest crackdown saw a further 20 people issued fines, bringing the total to 50 in the last fortnight after 30 infringement notices were issued the prior week. Across the last couple of years, the council has embarked on many compliance blitzes, targeting illegal campers who park where they shouldn't, as well as those responsible for leaving council reserves and public areas in a messy state. With the help of Queensland Police, the latest blitz focused on eastern beaches hotspots, including Victory Park at Peregian Beach, where residents continue to report a large number of campers illegally staying overnight. Noosa council vows to defeat illegal camping Director of Regulation and Development at Noosa Council, Richard MacGillivray, said it was working on "several fronts" to curb the frustrating trend. "Information from locals about where the campers are congregating, dumping rubbish and using parks and gardens as toilets continues to guide our enforcement efforts, both jointly with police and our own routine patrols," he said. "We are working with camping website providers and social media platforms to ensure these forums are only circulating accurate information about where travellers can lawfully park overnight in Noosa." Council said it will also be expanding the 10pm to 4am no-parking signage trial at Noosa Spit "into other areas" to curb illegal camping, including Victory Park and Beach Access 50 at Peregian. To ensure the $333 fines are paid, council will explore several enforcement avenues. "International visitors aren't exempt from paying the fines," MacGillivray warned. "If they don't pay, there are means of pursuing that debt through the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) and can be flagged with immigration as they attempt to leave or re-enter the country." Special considerations given to those 'genuinely homeless' MacGillivray said people battling homelessness wouldn't be targeted. "There are occasions where our staff come across local people who are genuinely homeless and living in their cars because they have no other option," MacGillivray said. "Of course, we don't fine people in this situation, we link them with local support agencies that can offer them safe accommodation and other assistance." The council worker said it's the illegal campers seeking a cheap holiday who the authorities are targeting. "Those who think it's OK to leave a mess, disrespect our environment and monopolise our parking areas for long periods," he warned. Illegal car park act highlights big 'problem' in tourist town Tourists at popular beach ignore council 'blitz' on illegal act Locals react after council's big parking change to stop illegal camping Noosa Council offers a range of campgrounds for travellers. The council says they are purpose-built for campervans, offering powered sites, cooking facilities and toilet and bathroom facilities. "It's at these facilities that travellers should be parking up and camping overnight, not our streets," MacGillivray said. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Wall Street Journal
19 hours ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Barclays Fined $56 Million for Money-Laundering Failures
Barclays BARC 0.22%increase; green up pointing triangle has been fined roughly $56 million for lapses in dealings with risky customers, including a client tied to one of Britain's biggest money-laundering cases. U.K. regulators fined the bank more than 39 million pounds, equivalent to $52 million, for failing to detect and manage money-laundering risks in its yearslong relationship with Stunt & Co., a gold firm run by socialite James Stunt. It received a separate £3 million fine Wednesday for its dealings with a failed wealth-management firm, WealthTek.
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Asda fined £640,000 for selling over 100 out-of-date food items
Asda has been fined £640,000 for selling out-of-date food at two of its stores in Cardiff, Wales. Trading Standards officers discovered 115 expired items, some more than two weeks past their use-by date, at the Leckwith and Pentwyn branches. The supermarket faced four charges after food safety officers conducted multiple visits throughout 2024. During one inspection at the Leckwith store on 17 January, 36 out-of-date items were found, including five tubs of spicy mayo dip that had expired seven days prior. A visit to the Pentwyn store in the Cardiff Gate retail park on March 25 found 25 outdated items, while another visit to the store a month later found 48 items, including some that were 12 days out of date. A second visit to the Leckwith store on May 8 found a further six out of date items. Asda was given a fine of £640,000 and ordered to pay £15,115 in costs and a £2,000 surcharge. Asda said the prosecution related to food safety breaches that took place last year, when a different date code checking process was in use. An updated process that had been in place since November 24 involved daily manual checks on all short-life products and twice-weekly checks on every long-life product. An Asda spokesman said: "We regret that out-of-date food was found on sale at two of our Cardiff stores last year and accept that our usual high standards were not upheld. "Since then, we have introduced a new date code checking process across all our stores, whereby every short-life product is checked daily so that customers can always buy the freshest products."
