Free GHIC and EHIC
Don't forget to take this card on holiday with you! This allows you to access state healthcare when visiting certain countries that recognise it.
Remeber the EHIC card you used to take on your holidays? Well it still exists, just under a slightly different name! The European Health Insurance Card is now known as the Global Health Insurance Card and it's free to apply for.
You can apply for the card here
What the card covers
- Emergency treatment and visits to A&E
- Treatment or routine medical care for long-term or pre-existing medical conditions
- Routine maternity care, as long as you're not going abroad to give birth
What it does not cover
- Being flown back to the UK (medical repatriation)
- Treatment in a private medical facility
- Ski or mountain rescue
Do I need travel insurance if I have an EHIC or GHIC card?
Yes, you should still take out travel insurance as the card does not cover everything and every destination. For example, stolen items, lost luggage, delays etc would not be covered.
Where you can use the card?
You can use a UK GHIC when you're visiting:
- Acountry in the European Economic Area (EEA) – see a list of EEA countries on GOV.UK
- Montenegro
- Australia
- Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man
- St Helena, Tristan and Ascension
- You can use a UK GHIC in Switzerland if you're one of the following:
a British national a Swiss national an EU citizen a refugee a stateless person a family member of someone who holds one of the above nationalities or statuses
The UK government is trying to expand the use of the UK GHIC in further countries, so ensure you check where is covered before you travel.
UK EHIC
You can use a UK EHIC when you're visiting:
- a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) – see a list of EEA countries on GOV.UK
- Switzerland
**Getting healthcare in another country ** Unless the UK has a healthcare agreement with that country, you will have to pay for any treatment yourself.