Guides › Package Holidays and Hotels › Ill Abroad: Using Your GHIC or EHIC
Ill Abroad: Using Your GHIC or EHIC
A UK GHIC or EHIC gives you access to medically necessary state healthcare in many countries, including emergency treatment and care for existing conditions. Not all state healthcare is free: you may pay the same charges as local residents. The card does not cover getting you back to the UK because of illness, injury or death.
At a Glance
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
What the Card Covers
What It Covers
A UK GHIC or EHIC gives access to medically necessary state-provided healthcare, including emergency treatment, treatment and routine monitoring of long-term or pre-existing conditions, routine maternity care (unless you travel to give birth), oxygen and kidney dialysis (some treatments must be arranged in advance). Not all state healthcare is free; you may pay the same charges as residents, which cannot be refunded. It does not cover transporting you back to the UK due to illness, injury or death. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- Before you goCheck your card is validAnd take it with you
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 5
Check your GHIC or EHIC is valid before you travel.
Step 2 of 5
Show it at state hospitals and clinics, not private ones.
Step 3 of 5
Keep receipts for any charges.
Step 4 of 5
Contact your travel insurer for anything the card does not cover.
Step 5 of 5
Use only the official NHS service to get a card.
(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)
Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right
Your options, in order, and when each one applies.
Your Travel Insurer
For costs the card does not cover.
Good to Know
Small things that make your complaint stronger.
Copycat websites charge for cards: the official NHS application is the one to use.
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Lead reviewer
Luke Marley
Founder and Lead Reviewer
Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.
Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.
Last checked: 13 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.
Sources and official links
- faq.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/knowledgebase/article/KA-26795/en-us Checked 13 October 2026