A UK GHIC or UK EHIC gives you access to all medically necessary state healthcare on the same terms as a resident of the country you're visiting.
Travellers who have a valid UK GHIC or UK EHIC:
- are not required to provide proof of their private travel insurance in a state healthcare facility
- have the right to insist their UK GHIC or UK EHIC is accepted for medically necessary state funded treatment
If the treatment facility asks you to sign a form or disclaimer, check you’re not waving the right to use your UK GHIC or UK EHIC.
Make sure you have private travel insurance, a UK GHIC and UK EHIC does not cover every possibility. You may have to pay statutory healthcare charges that a resident of that country would pay, such as prescription costs. You cannot have these charges refunded.
A UK GHIC or UK EHCI does not cover the cost of transporting somebody back to the UK due to illness, injury or death.
Read more about what the UK GHIC and UK EHIC covers.
If you have a UK GHIC or UK EHIC and it's still not accepted for state funded medically necessary treatment, you can contact us using our online webform for information about how to claim a refund.