Applying For European Health Insurance Card

The European Health Insurance Card, or EHIC, lets people in the EU get medical care from the government. But when the Brexit transition period is over, many things will be different between the UK and the EU, including this widely used European medical card. We’ve listed the most important changes and questions about the EHIC, what these changes mean for British expats in the EU, and how to apply for healthcare abroad and renew your international medical insurance card. Here, you can read about how to get an EHIC card after Brexit.

Are European Health Insurance Cards still valid after Brexit in the UK?

If you already have an EHIC card, which is good for up to 5 years, it will work until the date it runs out. But now that the Brexit transition period is over, the EHIC is being phased out (with a few exceptions) and replaced by the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), which is a new international medical insurance card.

A recent report says that two-thirds of British citizens, or about 32 million people, do not have a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), and three-quarters of the British population says they do not know what health insurance cards cover when travelling.

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How do you renew your European Health Insurance Card?

When a European Health Insurance Card runs out, it is not automatically replaced. You must instead submit an application to renew your card. If you’ve moved or changed your name since you got your last card, you’ll need to contact your local health office. You should fill out the form a long time before you want to travel. You can apply for a new card up to six months before the expiration date on your current one.

The new European Health Insurance Card is not available to most people in the UK. They are being phased out by the UK government. But if you meet certain requirements, you can ask the UK government for a new EHIC. This includes you if you are a citizen of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein and have lived in the UK before January 1, 2021. People with old EHIC and GHIC cards will not be covered in these 4 countries.

Due to a high number of applications, the UK government is taking longer than usual to process new UK EHIC applications. You can apply for a provisional replacement certificate (PRC) if you need emergency care while you’re in another country but haven’t received your card yet.

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Can I renew my international medical insurance card online?

Yes, you can fill out an application online to renew your European Health Insurance Card. At the top of the screen, click on Renew current card.” Then, you’ll be asked to type in the 10-digit ID number that’s printed on your expired card. This number can be found in the bottom left corner of the front of your card. After that, you will be asked to confirm the address where the card will be sent. After this, you will see a screen that tells you that your application to renew your card was successful and that your card will be sent to you.

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European medical card in the UK: GHIC

People who live in the UK most of the time can get a GHIC, or UK medical card. So, if you’re from the UK but live abroad full-time, you probably won’t be able to use the GHIC or an EHIC from the UK, but there are some exceptions.

Some people from the UK who live abroad and some people from the EU who live in the UK will still be able to get a new EHIC from the UK. These things are:

# Students from the UK who have been studying in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland since before January 1, 2021, will be allowed to stay there.

# UK state pensioners with a registered S1 form or E121 workers sent to work in another EU country (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland) by a UK employer and who have been there since before January 1, 2021

# Some people who are both British and European Union citizens and have lived in the UK since before January 1, 2021, will have to leave.

If you are a British citizen living in an EU country, you might be able to use an EHIC from that country when you travel to another EU country. See what the UK government says about how expats can get free healthcare in the EU.

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How does the new European Health Insurance Card work?

The GHIC is the same as the EHIC in how it works. It is a European medical card that gives temporary visitors from the UK access to emergency medical care and routine care (called “medically necessary state-provided healthcare”) at the same cost as a resident of the EU country they are visiting. So, if the care is free, the cardholder will get it for free. If people usually pay for care, they will also have to pay. The GHIC can also pay for regular maternity care (as long as the person hasn’t gone abroad to give birth) and regular care for pre-existing conditions if they need it during a visit. Despite what its name says, the GHIC is only good in the EU and not everywhere else.

Health care that is medically necessary includes the following:

# Treatment for emergencies and trips to A&E

# care for a long-term or already-existing health problem

# routine medical care for conditions that already exist and need to be watched

# As long as you don’t give birth abroad, you can get routine maternity care.

# Oxygen therapy and dialysis for the kidneys

Some treatments, like kidney dialysis or chemotherapy, will need to be set up ahead of time with the right health care provider in the country you’re visiting.

Both the GHIC and the EHIC were made to cover medical care in all EU countries. However, both have some restrictions.

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How much does the UK EHIC cost?

It costs nothing at all. You can apply for a GHIC on the NHS website if you are a UK or Irish citizen living in the UK.

Avoid sites that want you to pay for the Global or European Health Insurance Card.

Do I need a European medical card?

To travel through or to Europe, you don’t have to have either of these health cards. In the EU, not all public health care is free, and you might have to pay for services that are free on the NHS.

But if you have a global or European medical card, you can prove that you are eligible for free medical care in an emergency. Even though you won’t be turned away from emergency care, you could end up with a huge bill. Since these cards are free, they give travellers in the EU a lot of peace of mind.

Please keep in mind that your EHIC or GHIC doesn’t replace travel or health insurance. It may not pay for all health costs, and it never pays for the costs of going home. Make sure you have your card and travel and health insurance.

If you’re abroad and do not have your card with you

If you go to Europe without your current EHIC, UK GHIC, or new UK EHIC and need medical care while you are there, you can get a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC) to show that you are eligible for medically necessary care. The PRC will give you the same coverage as an existing EHIC, UK GHIC, or new UK EHIC until you get back home.

Applying for healthcare cover abroad for family members

Each person in the family needs their own card. When you fill out your application, you can include a spouse, civil partner, durable partner, or children. You must first enter your own information and then apply for any extra cards when asked.

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Can I apply using the online service?

Our online service makes it easy for most people to apply.

If you are in one of the following groups, you will not be able to use the online service to apply and should contact NHS Overseas Healthcare Services:

# If you’re a student from the EU
# If you have an A1 from the UK,
# If you’re an au pair or nanny
# carers Chen and Ibrahim/Teixeira
# Dependent grandparents and grandchildren

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