The short answer? No, and it’s worth understanding exactly why, especially if you have a pre-existing medical condition.
Here’s everything you need to know, in plain English.
What is the EHIC?
The European Health Insurance Card, or EHIC, was introduced to make it easier for people travelling within the EU to access state healthcare without facing unexpected costs. If you had an EHIC and needed to see a doctor in France or Spain, you’d be treated the same way as a local. In countries where that treatment is free, you’d pay nothing. Where locals pay a contribution, so would you.
The EHIC was free to apply for through the NHS and lasted for five years.
When the UK left the European Union, the EHIC was replaced for most UK residents by a new card, but if you still have an EHIC with a valid expiry date, the good news is you can keep using it until that date passes. There’s no need to swap it out early.
What is the GHIC?
The UK Global Health Insurance Card, the GHIC, is the post-Brexit equivalent of the EHIC for most UK residents. Despite the name sounding more global, it’s important to know it mainly covers EU countries.
Like the EHIC, it:
- is completely free to apply for via the NHS website
- lasts for five years
- gives you access to state-provided healthcare in most EU countries on the same basis as local residents
- may cover some routine care for pre-existing conditions, such as dialysis or oxygen therapy, if it’s treatment you’d need during your trip
You can apply directly at the NHS website. One important note: watch out for unofficial websites that charge a fee to process your application. The GHIC is always free – if a website is asking for money just to apply, it’s not the official route.
EHIC vs GHIC: is there a difference?
For most practical purposes, an in-date EHIC and a GHIC give you the same level of cover in EU countries. The key difference is about geography.
Before Brexit, your EHIC also worked in countries like Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland – all part of the European Economic Area but not the EU. Since January 2021, that cover no longer applies for UK nationals using either card. If you’re heading to any of those countries, you’ll need to rely on your travel insurance for medical cover.
In short: if your EHIC hasn’t expired, keep using it. When it does expire, apply for a GHIC instead.
What do the GHIC and EHIC actually cover?
Both cards may cover:
- Emergency medical treatment
- Visits to A&E
- Routine medical care for pre-existing conditions (such as dialysis or oxygen therapy – care you know you’ll need while you’re away)
- Routine maternity checks
What they don’t cover:
- Private medical treatment – only state healthcare
- Medical repatriation – if you’re too unwell to fly home on a standard flight, neither card will pay to get you back to the UK
- Trip cancellation – if you fall ill before you travel and have to cancel, you won’t get your money back through the GHIC
- Lost or stolen belongings
- Travel delays or missed departures
- Personal liability
- Any treatment in countries outside the EU (with some limited exceptions)
This is where the gap really starts to matter.
So do I still need travel insurance if I have a GHIC?
Yes, and we’d say this is especially important if you have a pre-existing medical condition.
Here’s why. The GHIC covers state-provided treatment, but the care you receive may not be equivalent to what you’d get on the NHS. State healthcare systems vary enormously across Europe. In some countries, a hospital stay abroad can still result in costs – medication charges, transport, out-of-pocket fees for procedures. If you need to be flown home with medical support, that can run to tens of thousands of pounds, which the GHIC won’t touch.
According to government data, the average cost of medical treatment in the USA is nearly £10,000, and the GHIC offers no cover there at all.
Travel insurance fills the gaps the GHIC leaves open:
- Emergency medical expenses – including hospital stays, surgery and ambulance costs, with OK To Travel policies offering substantial medical cover
- Repatriation – getting you home safely if you’re too unwell to travel on a standard flight
- Cancellation cover – if you have to cancel your trip because of illness, injury or a bereavement
- Baggage and personal belongings – if luggage is lost, stolen or damaged
- Travel delay and missed departure
- Pre-existing medical conditions – if you declare your conditions when you get a quote and they’re accepted on your policy, they can be covered
That last point is critical. The GHIC may cover some routine care for conditions you already have, but it won’t cover emergency treatment related to an undeclared or unexpected complication. A specialist travel insurance policy, like those from OK To Travel, allows you to declare your conditions upfront, so you know exactly what you’re covered for before you leave home.
The bottom line
Your GHIC (or your EHIC, if it’s still valid) is a genuinely valuable card to carry when you travel to Europe. It can reduce the cost of emergency treatment and gives you access to state healthcare on the same terms as local residents.
But it was never designed to replace travel insurance, and if you have a pre-existing condition, the difference between the two really matters.
Travel insurance covers the full picture: cancellations, repatriation, lost baggage, travel delays, and crucially your medical history, properly declared and protected.
So if you’re ready to travel make sure you get a travel insurance quote from OK To Travel.
Safe travels,
Rosie at OK To Travel
