If you're travelling from the UK to the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, it's worth taking a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) with you, or an existing European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if it's still in date. These cards can give you access to state-provided healthcare on the same terms as a local resident, which can make a real difference to your costs if you fall ill or get injured abroad. They're not a substitute for travel insurance, though, and this guide explains why.
GHIC and EHIC explained
Find out what your Global Health Insurance Card or European Health Insurance Card covers, which countries accept it, and why it's not a replacement for travel insurance.
In this guide
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What are GHIC and EHIC?
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What's the difference between a GHIC and an EHIC?
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Which countries accept a GHIC or EHIC?
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What does a GHIC or EHIC cover?
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What doesn't it cover, and why you still need travel insurance
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How to apply, and how to avoid copycat sites
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Checking your card's expiry date
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Why Post Office?
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Key takeaways
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Common questions
What are GHIC and EHIC?
The UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) is the card most UK residents now apply for when they need healthcare cover for a trip to the EU or certain other countries. It replaced the application route for new European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) after the UK left the EU, though it provides broadly the same access to healthcare.
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is the older of the two cards. If you already hold one and it's still in date, there's no need to replace it with a GHIC until it expires. Both cards work in the same way: they entitle UK nationals to access state-provided healthcare in participating countries on the same basis as a local resident, whether that's free or at a reduced cost.
What's the difference between a GHIC and an EHIC?
For most people, there's no practical difference between the two cards while they're in date. They provide the same access to healthcare in the same countries, and neither one is an alternative to travel insurance.
The real difference is in who can apply for each one now. Most UK residents applying today will be issued a GHIC rather than an EHIC. A new or replacement EHIC is only available to a smaller number of groups, including:
- UK state pensioners living in the EU, and their family members
- UK students studying in the EU or Switzerland
- People from an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who were already living in the UK before 1 January 2021, along with their family members
- UK workers who are temporarily posted abroad by their employer
If you're not sure which group applies to you, the NHS overseas healthcare pages have more detail on eligibility, or you can check when you apply.
Which countries accept a GHIC or EHIC?
Both a GHIC and an in date EHIC are accepted throughout the EU. The 27 EU countries are:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
Since January 2024, reciprocal healthcare agreements mean as long as you're a UK resident, both cards are also accepted in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Australia (if the card was issued in the UK).
There are a handful of other countries and overseas territories which have reciprocal health agreements with the UK and in some of these places you may not even need an EHIC or GHIC. Certain territories will instead require a UK passport or proof of UK residency. Each one works a little differently, but this gov.uk webpage breaks everything down.
What does a GHIC or EHIC cover?
If you fall ill or are injured during a temporary visit to a country that accepts your card, a valid GHIC or EHIC entitles you to the same emergency and medically necessary state healthcare as a local citizen. That often means treatment is free or available at a much lower cost than you'd otherwise pay.
Coverage can vary a little from country to country, and it typically includes things like emergency hospital treatment, GP appointments, and ongoing treatment for a pre-existing or chronic condition if it can't reasonably wait until you're back in the UK. You can check the specifics for the country you're visiting on the GOV.UK website.
What doesn't it cover, and why you still need travel insurance
A GHIC or EHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance, and it's worth being clear about what it leaves out.
Neither card covers private treatment, so if you're taken to a private hospital, you'll need to pay for it yourself unless you have travel insurance in place. Remember, if you're in an emergency situation, you might not be in a position to tell the ambulance driver which hospital to take you to. Whether it's private or not, the nearest option may be what you need.
Medical repatriation, getting you back to the UK if you need to be brought home for treatment, is also not covered. Neither is mountain rescue. And because the cards only apply in participating countries, they offer no help at all if something happens on a trip further afield, such as the US, South America or most of Asia.
They also don't cover any of the wider things a holiday can go wrong in, like cancellation, delayed or lost luggage, or a personal liability claim if you accidentally injure someone or damage property.
A worked example
Say you're on a skiing trip in France and you break your leg. With a valid GHIC, you'd be treated at a French state hospital at the same cost as a French resident, likely free or heavily subsidised. But if your injury needs a mountain rescue team to get you off the slope, or you need to be flown home for further treatment or surgery, your GHIC won't cover either of those costs. That's where travel insurance with a suitable level of medical cover, including repatriation, can be so helpful. In this example, you'd also need to make sure you had travel insurance which covered winter sports.
GHIC/EHIC compared with travel insurance
The below table shows how GHICs and EHICs generally compare to Post Office Travel Insurance. Please note that travel insurance will work differently depending on the provider and cover limits will apply, so always check your policy for details.
| GHIC or EHIC | Post Office Travel Insurance | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Cost of a policy, based on your trip and circumstances |
| Where it applies | EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Australia and some other territories | Depending on your policy, UK, Europe or worldwide |
| State hospital treatment | Covered at local resident rates | Covered, including in countries the card doesn't reach |
| Private treatment | Not covered | Emergency private hospital treatment covered |
| Medical repatriation | Not covered | Covered |
| Mountain rescue | Not covered | Covered |
| Cancellation, lost or stolen baggage and cutting your trip short | Not covered | Covered |
How to apply, and how to avoid copycat sites
Applying for a GHIC or EHIC is free through the official NHS website. You'll need to create an account and provide some basic details to apply. Applicants must be 16 or over; if you're applying for a child under 16, a parent or guardian needs to do it on their behalf.
Third party websites may charge a fee, sometimes called a processing or administration fee, for something that costs nothing through the NHS. These sites are not affiliated with the NHS Business Services Authority, and by law they're required to carry a clear disclaimer stating they're unofficial. It's worth checking the address bar carefully and going directly to the NHS website rather than clicking a sponsored search result, which is often how people end up on one of these sites by mistake.
Checking your card's expiry date
It's worth checking the expiry date on your GHIC or EHIC well before you travel rather than assuming it's still valid. A meaningful number of cards lapse every year, and travelling with an expired card leaves you without the healthcare access it would otherwise provide.
If your card has expired or is close to expiring, you'll usually need to apply for a new GHIC, unless you fall into one of the groups who can still apply for an EHIC (see above). Applications can take a little time to process, so it's worth doing this a few weeks before you travel rather than leaving it to the last minute.
If your card is lost or stolen while you're abroad, you can apply for a Provisional Replacement Certificate online or by phone. This gives you the same cover as your GHIC or EHIC would have, though you can't apply for one in advance, only once you're already away and need it.
Why Post Office?
- Emergency medical cover between £5 million and £15 million depending on your cover level, for treatment your GHIC or EHIC doesn't reach, including emergency care in private hospitals and repatriation
- 24/7 access to an English-speaking doctor by video call if you need medical advice abroad that isn't an emergency1
- Worldwide cover available, so you're protected on trips beyond the countries a GHIC or EHIC reaches
- Over £79 million paid out in claims over the last 5 years
- Kids under 18 with no pre-existing medical conditions go free on all family policies
Key takeaways
- A GHIC or EHIC gives you access to state healthcare in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and some other overseas territories on the same terms as a local resident
- The two cards work in the same way, but most people applying today will be issued a GHIC rather than an EHIC
- Neither card covers private treatment, mountain rescue, medical repatriation or anything outside the countries where it's accepted
- Applying is always free through the NHS website, and it's worth being wary of unofficial sites that charge a fee for the same service
Put cover in place today
Common questions about GHIC and EHIC
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Most people applying for a new or replacement card will now be issued a GHIC instead. New EHICs are only available to a smaller number of groups, including UK state pensioners living in the EU, UK students studying in the EU or Switzerland, and people from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein who were living in the UK before 1 January 2021.
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You can apply for a Provisional Replacement Certificate, which gives you the same cover as your card while you're away. This can only be applied for once you're already abroad and need it, not in advance.
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Yes. Every family member travelling, including children, should have their own card. Applicants must be 16 or over to apply for themselves; for anyone younger, a parent or guardian needs to apply on their behalf.
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For UK nationals, there's no meaningful difference between the two while the card is in date. They give you access to the same healthcare in the same countries. If you already have a valid EHIC, you can keep using it until it expires rather than replacing it early.
1 Medical Assistance Plus is not available for trips taken in the UK, only for international travel. The service allows up to 3 separate medical events per person listed on the policy, and up to 3 appointments per event. All appointment charges are covered by your travel insurance policy. You may need to pay for your prescription upfront and claim on your return home.
Other travel products
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Travel Money
Order foreign currency online or in selected branches. Pick up in any branch or get it delivered to your home.
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Travel Money Card
One prepaid Mastercard™ that stores up to 22 currencies.
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Passport Check & Send
Get your passport application right the first time. We can even complete and submit it for you digitally.
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