Apply for Free Healthcare Cover Abroad (GHIC and EHIC)

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 www.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 www.gov.uk/.

Important: 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 www.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.