British travellers believe post-Brexit GHIC card offers better coverage than EHIC

New Which? research found 89% of people didn’t know that the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) covers fewer countries than the old, pre-Brexit European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

For any UK resident travelling in Europe the GHIC – and its predecessor the EHIC – is vital. It allows travellers to access European healthcare for the same cost as locals.

After Brexit, the government negotiated continued access to the scheme. Unfortunately, European Economic Area countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are no longer included, after the UK failed to reach an agreement with them.

However, most respondents to our survey about the card assumed that ‘Global’ meant that it now covered new countries outside Europe. But this isn't the case.

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Not all European hospitals and surgeries know what the GHIC is

Some travellers also told us that they’d been met by blank faces when trying to use the GHIC/EHIC in countries, including Austria, Cyprus, France and Greece.

The GHIC has a different design and colour-scheme to the EHIC, featuring the Union Flag, instead of the plain blue of the old EHIC.

Which? Members, Jon and Martine Walsh, said that they weren’t able to use the GHIC at a hospital in France, after Martine was admitted with flu-like symptoms.

Jon said: ‘Although we proffered the GHIC card, no one recognised it. They insisted on full payment.’

Her treatment cost £299, which they had to pay in full. They were, however, able to make a claim by calling the NHS’s Overseas Healthcare Services (OHS) number on the back of the GHIC.

But, several months later, they're still waiting to be refunded. The OHS has told them that it doesn’t have any power to speed up the process with the French authorities.

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EHIC and GHIC save travellers – and insurance companies – millions

Despite occasional problems, most survey respondents were happy with the care they received on European holidays after using the EHIC or the GHIC.

In some countries, such as Spain, British holidaymakers who suffered from illness or injury were able to access treatment for free. In others, such as France, they could show the card to receive a form that allowed them to reclaim the money from the local authorities.

This money is then reclaimed by European governments from the UK. In 2019, this came to £125m. The highest number of claims were made in Spain, where more than 98,000 people used an EHIC at an average of £536 each. In France, 15,558 people used the card at an average of £1,823 each.

This is part of the reason why travel insurance for travel in Europe is much cheaper than in other countries, such as the US, where no such free healthcare exists.

Your questions about the GHIC answered

Where can the GHIC be used? In all EU countries, plus Switzerland and Montenegro, but nowhere else.

British travellers do have reciprocal health care rights in many countries – Australia, Anguilla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the British Overseas Territories, Faroe Islands, Kosovo, New Zealand, North Macedonia and Serbia. The UK has also agreed a deal with Norway to allow reciprocal treatment there, based on showing showing your passport. You don’t need the GHIC in any of those countries.

Why is the GHIC not actually global? While the GHIC is a successor to the EHIC, the government said when it launched in 2021 that ‘alongside the deal with the EU, the UK is open to agreeing further reciprocal healthcare arrangements that can support UK residents when they travel’. But it's yet to make any further reciprocal arrangements.

Do you have to pay for the GHIC? No, it’s entirely free and you can apply for it directly from the NHS. There are firms that charge you for a GHIC application, claiming that they're providing a service, but these are unnecessary and should be avoided.

Does the GHIC provide free treatment abroad? No, It allows you to get treatment at the same cost as locals. In some countries, such as Spain, this does mean it’s free, but in most others some charge is likely to apply.

Do I need to replace my EHIC with a GHIC? No. Anyone who has a current EHIC can use it until it expires, when they can apply for the new GHIC.

Do I still need travel insurance if I have a GHIC? Yes. The existing EHIC and GHIC covers any ‘medically necessary healthcare’. That includes pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, dialysis or chemotherapy, as well as the more common emergency healthcare. However, it won’t cover the cost of an air ambulance to fly you to the UK or the cost of repatriating your body if you die. It also won’t cover treatment that isn’t medically necessary at the time.

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Can I use GHIC if my card has expired or I forget to take it with me? Yes, If you need treatment while you're on holiday, but don’t have your GHIC, you can apply for a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC). You should do this if your GHIC hasn’t arrived before you go on holiday or if you leave it behind.

Our EHIC vs GHIC article  has more details on the card and how it works.

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