I wanna pay a French bill

Colcoops

My wee one hurt her hand on holiday in France. We took her to the local hospital where they put in a couple of stitches. I have received a bill for 25 Euros from the hospital. How do i go about sending them the money?

Fatal_Swan

The only option (as far as I'm aware) to make one-off payments in foreign currencies is to get your bank to arrange the payment. The details will vary according to which bank/building society you're with, but in any case they'll charge you for it, usually around £10 or so in addition to the value of the payment. Either the money is paid electronically in the appropriate currency or you'll be given a cheque written out with the correct amount that you can send to the hospital yourself. You might find the following page handy to find out what options your bank provides and how much it's likely to cost:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/moneybox/2481713.stm

sammybo22

Did she have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which everyone should apply for just incase something happens whilst travelling in certain countries within Europe. If she had one I would send the bill back to them with a photocopy of the EHIC card and they should then claim the money back through the government.

Sarahsaver

If u need a latter written in French PM me and I will translate it for you;)
The EHIC should cover the cost, you should present it at the time of treatment. In France you get the bill then claim it back, even if you are a French resident on state benefits, but with an EHIC you shouldn't have to pay at all.
HTH;)

Colcoops

Sarahsaver wrote:

If u need a latter written in French PM me and I will translate it for you;)
The EHIC should cover the cost, you should present it at the time of treatment. In France you get the bill then claim it back, even if you are a French resident on state benefits, but with an EHIC you shouldn't have to pay at all.
HTH;)

Thanks for the advice and the offer. I did present the EHIC at the time of treatment. When I got the bill i thought that it was so cheap that they had taken it into account and the 25 Euros was like an excess or something.

dangers

I received a French medical bill a few years ago. I contacted the French embassy in London who were very helpful, and managed to pay them in Sterling. Hope this helps.

jobbingmusician

Quite frankly for 25 euros I would just get sterling exchanged in a Post Office and stick it in an envelope, well wrapped inside the covering letter (as translated by sarahsaver). After all, there isn't exactly a big notice on the letter saying 'this letter contains money', and for such a tiny amount I would take the risk....:D