Get healthcare cover for travelling abroad

Important

There is no deadline to apply for a UK Global Health Insurance Card or a UK European Health Insurance Card. If you have an existing European Health Insurance Card, you can continue to use it until it expires.

Use this service to:

  • check if you're eligible and apply for cover
  • replace a lost, stolen, or damaged card

If you're eligible, you'll receive a card that can be used to get cover for emergency treatment abroad. This will be either a:

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

We'll let you know what you're entitled to during your application.

What these cover

Both cards give you access to state-provided healthcare abroad for things like:

Both cards provide the same cover but the countries they are valid in can change. Check our website to see where you can use each card (opens in a new tab).

Information:

A UK EHIC or UK GHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance. It may not cover all health costs and never covers repatriation costs. You should make sure that you have travel insurance as well as a UK EHIC or UK GHIC.

Applying for cover

Most people can apply for cover using our online service, but you may need to contact us depending on your circumstances. Find out who can apply for cover (opens in a new tab).

If you already have a card

Your card will remain valid until its expiry date. When your current card expires, you'll need to apply for a new one.

You can apply for a new card up to 9 months before your current card expires.

If you need treatment abroad and do not have your card with you

If you do not have a UK GHIC or UK EHIC and need emergency treatment abroad, you can still get help with paying for your treatment.

A Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC) will entitle you to the same level of cover as a UK GHIC or UK EHIC, even if you do not have your card with you. This also covers you if you applied for a UK GHIC or UK EHIC and it has not arrived yet.

You can only apply for a PRC from the time you need treatment. A PRC can provide cover for treatment that has already taken place, but one cannot be issued in advance.

Check our website for more information and how to apply for a PRC (opens in a new tab).

Before you start

You'll need:

  • your National Insurance number
  • the National Insurance numbers of any other people, including your partner, you're applying for who are 16 years old or over

Depending on your circumstances we may also ask for your NHS number, if you have one.

Important: Timeout warning

Your session will time out after 30 minutes of inactivity.

Start now
How we use your information

To process your application, we may share your information (where appropriate) with:

  • Indesser, Equifax, and LexisNexis, who are third party data providers acting on our behalf who will make a UK residency check
  • NHS Digital to validate EU Settlement Scheme status

For more information about how we use your information, read our privacy notice (opens in a new tab).