Free Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) [NHS]

The Free EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) are being phased out so you can instead get a Glocal Health Insurance Card (GHIC) for free via the NHS website.

You can use an EHIC or GHIC to get state-provided medically necessary healthcare when you’re visiting an EU country.

You can use your card to access medically necessary state-provided healthcare when you’re visiting an EU country or Switzerland.

Medically necessary healthcare means healthcare that cannot reasonably wait until you come back to the UK. Whether treatment is necessary is decided by the healthcare provider in the country you’re visiting.

Medically necessary healthcare includes things like:

• emergency treatment and visits to A&E
• treatment for a long-term or pre-existing medical condition
• routine medical care for pre-existing conditions that need monitoring
• routine maternity care, as long as you’re not going abroad to give birth
• oxygen therapy and kidney dialysis

A UK GHIC and new UK EHIC are completely free of charge. (Beware of unofficial websites, they may charge you a fee to apply).