In the UK, many cities have their own airports. For example, Leeds has Leeds Bradford Airport, making it convenient for people to travel to nearby European countries/regions. But what happens if you get sick or have an accident during your trip? This is where the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) comes in handy.
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What is GHIC?
The UK has close ties with European countries, and many people living in the UK travel and work in other European countries. Therefore, the NHS introduced the GHIC, which allows cardholders to receive medical services in European countries at a lower cost or even for free.
The NHS also has another similar health insurance card, the UK European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). However, after the UK left the EU on January 1, 2021, the EHIC has been gradually replaced by the GHIC. Hence, we will not discuss the EHIC much today.
Applicable Countries
Cardholders can receive local medical services in the following countries:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Republic of Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland (only UK nationals, Swiss nationals and EU citizens)
Available Medical Services
Cardholders can access the following services in the aforementioned countries:
- Emergency treatment and A&E services
- Follow-up and treatment for chronic illnesses
- Routine medical care for pre-existing conditions that require monitoring
- Routine maternity care, although not for giving birth in the country
- Oxygen therapy and dialysis
Application Fee
There is no application fee, and you don’t even have to pay postage. The card will be mailed to your home.
Eligibility
You can apply if you meet one of the following conditions:
1) Legally reside in the UK and do not have medical coverage in any EU country or Switzerland;
2) Currently reside in an EU country or Switzerland and hold a UK-issued S1, E121, E106, or E109 form (these forms are only available to citizens of EU countries or Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland);
3) Currently reside in an EU country or Switzerland and hold a UK-issued A1 document (A1 documents are also only available to EU country citizens); or
4) Are a family member or dependent of one of the eligible individuals mentioned above.
You can decide whether to apply or not according to your own needs.
How to Apply
First, you need to have your NHS number and NI number ready, then you can apply online at:https://services.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/cra/start
Follow these steps to apply:
1) Scroll to the bottom and click "Start"
2) Select “Apply for healthcare cover abroad”
3) Select “UK”
4) Select “No”
5) Were you ordinarily resident in the UK on or before 31 December 2020? Answer according to your actual situation.
6) What is your nationality? Answer according to your actual situation.
7) Are you studying, or do you intend to study in the EU, Switerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein? Answer according to your actual situation.
8) The system will determine whether you need to apply for an EHIC or GHIC. Generally, you will apply for the latter, then click "Continue" to proceed with the application
9) Enter your First Name and Last Name
10) Enter your date of birth
11) Enter your home postcode, then click “Find Address” and select your full address from the drop-down menu
12) Enter your NHS number
13) Enter your gender
14) Do you plan to permanently move to another country in the next 5 years? Answer according to your actual situation.
15) Enter your National Insurance number
16) Enter your email.
17) Enter your contact phone number (optional, you can click "Continue" directly)
18) Do you want to add anyone else to your application?
19) Do you want to add a spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner?
20) If so, enter your partner’s First Name and Last Name
21) Enter your partner’s National Insurance number?
22) Do you live with your partner?
23) Enter your partner’s date of birth
24) Confirm that the information for your partner is correct, then click "Continue" to proceed
25) Do you want to add any children to your application?
26) Enter your child’s First Name and Last Name, whether the child lives with you, and the child’s date of birth
27) Do you want to add another child to your application? If so, answer “Yes” and enter the child’s information
28) Confirm that the information for the child is correct, then click "Continue" to proceed
29) Finally, check that all the information on the application is correct, then click "Accept and send"
30) After submitting the application, a confirmation letter will be sent to the applicant’s email.
It takes about two weeks to receive the card, and each person receives their own card.
Conclusion
Please note that the GHIC does not replace travel insurance. It only allows you to pay local rates for medical services, so it is not necessarily free. Additionally, if you get sick abroad and need special arrangements to be transported back to the UK for treatment, such as an air ambulance, the card does not cover these costs. In some places, calling an ambulance incurs a fee, which is also not covered by the card. Therefore, it is best to purchase travel insurance for your trip to be fully covered.
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(The above information is for reference only. Please refer to the official website for everything.)
