EHIC / GHIC

The EHIC is the European Health Insurance Card, issued to people covered by a state health system in the EU (and, in many cases, the wider EEA and Switzerland). The GHIC is the UK’s equivalent, introduced after Brexit. Both cards let you use public healthcare in another participating country on the same terms as a local — so you pay what a resident would pay, which is sometimes nothing and sometimes a small co-payment.

This matters the moment you cross a border for more than a holiday. Fall ill or have an accident during a temporary stay, and the card covers medically necessary treatment in the public system — including care for chronic conditions, and routine maternity needs that come up while you’re there. It’s tied to where you’re insured, not where you’re a citizen. So the card you hold depends on whichever country’s system covers you right now.

Here’s the catch most people miss: a card is not travel insurance and not a substitute for nomad health insurance. It only works in public facilities, won’t pay for private clinics, won’t repatriate you home, and stops applying once you actually move and stop being covered by the issuing country. It also doesn’t cover trips taken specifically to get treatment. For longer stays or work abroad, your situation may instead be governed by rules around the A1 Certificate, and you’ll usually still want separate travel medical insurance for the gaps. If you’re weighing your options, the insurance picker can help you compare.

Exactly which countries honour the card, what counts as “medically necessary”, and any co-payments all vary by country, so check before you rely on it. This is general information, not advice — confirm details with the official issuer or a professional before you travel or move.

Where you’ll meet this

• Applying for or renewing your free card through your home country’s official health service before a trip.
• Showing the card at a hospital or pharmacy abroad to be charged local public-system rates instead of full price.
• Realising at the doctor’s that the card doesn’t cover a private clinic or your flight home, and reaching for your travel insurance instead.