EHIC expiring soon? Apply for your UK GHIC now

The UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) replaced the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) following the UK’s exit from the EU.

More than 600,000 EHICs will expire between now and the end of 2022.

You can continue to use your EHIC until its expiry date. However, if your EHIC expires in the next six months, apply for your UK GHIC now and have it ready for your next holiday.

Whilst the government advises that you should always get travel insurance too, it’s worth having a UK GHIC. You can use your card to access medically necessary state-provided healthcare during your trip. 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 can use your UK GHIC, and your existing EHIC if it’s still in date, while visiting:

• a European Union (EU) country
• Switzerland
• Montenegro

A UK GHIC may also become valid in more countries in the future so make sure you check www.nhs.uk/ghic before you travel.

Remember that the card may not cover all healthcare costs and you may have to pay for some services that you would get free on the NHS at home. Cards never cover repatriation costs.

Contact Information

Stuart Hand

Media and Campaigns Officer

NHS Business Services Authority