Remember the blue EHIC card in your wallet? Post-Brexit, it’s been replaced — and if you’re travelling to Europe, you need to know how to get a GHIC card in the UK. The UK Global Health Insurance Card gives you access to state-provided emergency healthcare in the EU (and a few other countries) on the same terms as locals. It’s free, it’s easy to get, and travelling without one is an unnecessary risk. Here’s everything you need to know.

What the GHIC Actually Is (and Isn’t)

The GHIC (UK Global Health Insurance Card) replaced the EHIC for most UK residents after Brexit. It entitles you to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during temporary stays in EU countries — plus Switzerland, and with some variations, a few others.

What it covers:

• Emergency treatment and treatment for pre-existing conditions that can’t wait until you’re home.
• Routine maternity care (but not travelling specifically to give birth).
• Oxygen and dialysis (arrange in advance with the provider).
• Treatment at state facilities on the same cost basis as locals — which is free in some countries, subsidised in others.

What it does NOT cover:

• Private healthcare — and in some countries, ambulances and mountain rescue default to private providers.
• Medical repatriation — getting you home by air ambulance (£25,000+). This alone justifies insurance.
• Non-urgent treatment you could wait for.
• Anything outside the covered countries — the USA, Thailand, Australia: GHIC is useless there. (Heading further afield? Our guide to whether UK citizens need a visa for Thailand covers entry rules for one of Britain’s favourite long-haul destinations.)
• Stolen/lost property, cancellations, or any non-medical travel issue.

The golden rule: GHIC + travel insurance, not GHIC instead of insurance. Our travel insurance guide explains the full picture.

How to Get a GHIC Card in the UK: The Application

It’s free and takes about 10 minutes online:

1. Go to the official NHS application page. Search “apply GHIC NHS” or go via the NHS GHIC application pages. Only use the official site — scam sites charge £30+ for a free card. The real one costs nothing, ever.
2. You’ll need: your full name, address, date of birth, and NHS number (or National Insurance number). Most UK residents can find their NHS number on prescriptions, GP letters, or the NHS App.
3. Apply for each family member separately — including children. Everyone needs their own card.
4. Wait for delivery: cards typically arrive within 10-15 working days. Apply at least 3 weeks before travelling.
5. It’s valid for 5 years. Check expiry before each trip — an expired card is the same as no card.

If you still have an EHIC

UK-issued EHICs remain valid until their expiry date (for most people — some categories need the new GHIC). Check the expiry: if it’s still in date, it works like a GHIC in the EU. When it expires, apply for a GHIC. EU-issued EHICs held by UK residents are a different matter — check the NHS guidance for your situation.

Who’s eligible?

Most UK residents are eligible, including:

• UK nationals living in the UK.
• EU nationals with settled/pre-settled status.
• Students studying in the EU (with some additional paperwork for long stays).

Some groups (posted workers, S1 holders, certain dual nationals) have different arrangements — the NHS site has a checker if you’re unsure.

Using Your GHIC Abroad

• Present it at state healthcare facilities. Ask for state treatment specifically — “la sanidad pública” in Spain, etc. Hotels and tourist reps sometimes direct you to private clinics (which may pay them commission) — insist on state facilities where possible.
• You may still pay upfront in countries with co-payment systems (France famously charges, then reimburses). Keep all receipts — you can claim reimbursement via the NHS Business Services Authority.
• Emergency numbers: 112 works across the EU. Save it, and know that GHIC doesn’t replace calling your insurer — call your travel insurer’s emergency line for anything serious; they coordinate care and repatriation.
• Carry it with your passport, not buried in luggage. A photo on your phone is a useful backup, but the physical card is what providers want to see.

Common GHIC Mistakes

• Paying for it. It’s free. Any site charging a fee is a scam or an unnecessary middleman.
• Assuming it replaces insurance. It really, really doesn’t. Repatriation alone makes insurance essential.
• Forgetting the kids. Each child needs their own card — apply for the whole family in one session.
• Travelling with an expired card. Check dates. Set a calendar reminder for renewal.
• Not declaring pre-existing conditions to your insurer because “the GHIC covers it”. The GHIC covers emergency state treatment; your insurer covers everything else — but only for declared conditions.

GHIC for Students, Posted Workers and Longer Stays

Standard tourist rules don’t cover everyone. UK students studying in the EU can use a GHIC for medically necessary treatment during their studies, but should also register with the local health system for full coverage — your university’s international office will guide you. Posted workers (employed in the UK but working temporarily in the EU) need an S1 or specific documentation rather than relying on a standard GHIC — talk to HMRC before departure. Long stays (over 90 days) move you from “visitor” to “resident” territory, where GHIC coverage ends and local health registration begins. And cruises deserve a special mention: onboard medical centres are private and expensive, and GHIC doesn’t apply at sea — comprehensive travel insurance with high medical limits is essential for cruise holidays. When in doubt about your category, the NHS GHIC pages have an eligibility checker that takes two minutes.

One more group to mention: UK citizens who also hold EU citizenship (dual nationals living in the UK) should check which card applies to them — in some cases an EU-issued EHIC from their other country of nationality is the correct document, not a UK GHIC. The rules depend on where you’re insured for healthcare, not just what passports you hold. If this is you, spend five minutes on the NHS eligibility checker rather than guessing — it’s a small detail that matters at a foreign hospital reception.

The Practical Takeaway

Getting a GHIC card in the UK means: apply free on the official NHS website (never pay), allow 3 weeks for delivery, get one per family member, and carry it with your passport. Then buy proper travel insurance anyway — the GHIC handles state emergency care, insurance handles everything else. Ten minutes of admin for five years of European health cover. There’s no reason not to.