Applying for healthcare cover abroad (GHIC and EHIC)

There are 2 types of cover available.

You can apply for either:

a UK Global Health Insurance Card (UK GHIC)
a UK European Health Insurance Card (UK EHIC), if you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement

Find out more about the Withdrawal Agreement on GOV.UK

For most people, the UK Global Health Insurance Card (UK GHIC) replaces the existing European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for new applications.

Apply for a new UK EHIC or UK GHIC

A UK GHIC and new UK EHIC are free of charge. Beware of unofficial websites, they may charge you a fee to apply.

Before going abroad, make sure you check the latest COVID-19 travel guidance on GOV.UK.

Important

There is no deadline to apply for a GHIC or EHIC. If you have an existing EHIC, you can continue to use it until it expires.

If you have an existing EHIC

If you have an existing EHIC, it will remain valid until the expiry date on the card.

You can apply for a new card up to 6 months before your current card expires.

Information:

It’s currently taking longer than usual to process new UK EHIC and GHIC applications due to high demand. We’re working to resolve this and will process all applications as soon as possible.

If you need emergency treatment while you’re visiting another country and haven’t received your card, you can apply for a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC).

How to use your card

You can use your card to access medically necessary state-provided healthcare when you’re visiting an EU country or Switzerland.

Medically necessary healthcare means healthcare that cannot reasonably wait until you come back to the UK. Whether treatment is necessary is decided by the healthcare provider in the country you’re visiting.

Medically necessary healthcare includes things like:

emergency treatment and visits to A&E
treatment for a long-term or pre-existing medical condition
routine medical care for pre-existing conditions that need monitoring
routine maternity care, as long as you’re not going abroad to give birth
oxygen therapy and kidney dialysis

You’ll need to pre-arrange some treatments with the relevant healthcare provider in the country you’re visiting – for example, kidney dialysis or chemotherapy.

Check the Foreign Office country guides on GOV.UK for information on how to access treatment in the country you’re visiting

Not all state healthcare is free within the EU and Switzerland and so you may have to pay for services that you would get for free on the NHS.

Information:

Your EHIC or GHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance. It may not cover all health costs and never covers repatriation costs. Make sure you have travel insurance as well as your card.

If you’re abroad and do not have your card with you

You can get a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC) to prove your entitlement to medically necessary healthcare if you travel to Europe without your existing EHIC, UK GHIC or new UK EHIC and need treatment during your visit.

If you need a PRC outside opening hours, you should call as soon as possible the next working day.

The PRC will give you the same cover as an existing EHIC, UK GHIC or new UK EHIC until you return home.

When calling for a PRC, you’ll need to give:

your National Insurance number
your name
your address
your date of birth
the name of the treatment facility
the email address for the specific department of the organisation providing your treatment

To apply for a PRC contact NHS Overseas Healthcare Services.

Someone else can apply for a PRC on your behalf.

Where you can use your card

You can use a UK GHIC or existing EHIC while visiting:

an EU country
Switzerland (only UK nationals, Swiss nationals and EU citizens)

A UK GHIC may become valid in more countries in the future. Check this page before you travel.

You can only use a UK GHIC in Switzerland if you’re a UK national, a Swiss national, a citizen of an EU Member State, a refugee, a stateless person, or a family member, dependant or survivor of someone who holds one of these nationalities or statuses.

You may be asked for proof of your nationality or your status when using your UK GHIC in Switzerland.

You can use a new UK EHIC (identifiable by a Union flag hologram in the top-right corner) while visiting:

an EU country
Norway
Iceland
Liechtenstein
Switzerland

The EU countries are:

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.

Who can apply for a UK GHIC

You may be eligible for a UK GHIC if you meet 1 of the following criteria:

you’re legally living in the UK and you do not have healthcare cover provided by an EU country or Switzerland
you’re living in the EU or Switzerland with a registered S1, E121, E106 or E109 form issued by the UK
you’re living in the EU or Switzerland with an A1 document which is issued by the UK
you’re a family member or dependant of an entitled individual already listed