To apply for a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), go to the NHSBSA overseas healthcare portal at overseas-healthcare.nhsbsa.nhs.uk, complete the online form with your personal and National Insurance details, and wait for the card to arrive by post within 15 working days.1NHS. Applying for Healthcare Cover Abroad (GHIC and EHIC) The application is free, it is done entirely online, and the card is normally valid for up to five years.
Who Can Apply
Eligibility is based on residency, not nationality. You qualify if you are ordinarily and legally resident in the United Kingdom and do not already have healthcare cover provided by an EEA country or Switzerland.1NHS. Applying for Healthcare Cover Abroad (GHIC and EHIC) If you live in the UK and maintain a permanent home here, you can apply regardless of where you were born.
UK residents temporarily studying in an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Montenegro can apply for a student GHIC that covers them for the duration of the course, and it also provides cover in other eligible countries beyond the country of study.2NHS Business Services Authority. Can I Apply for a UK Global Health Insurance Card (UK GHIC) if I’m a UK Resident Studying in a European Union (EU) Country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Montenegro?
One boundary to be aware of before you start: a separate UK EHIC still exists for people with rights under the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, such as holders of a UK-issued S1, E121, E106, E109 or A1 form living in the EEA or Switzerland since before 1 January 2021, and certain EEA or Swiss nationals resident in the UK since that date.1NHS. Applying for Healthcare Cover Abroad (GHIC and EHIC) If that applies to you, the same online service issues the EHIC instead. Everyone else applies for the GHIC.
What to Have Ready Before You Start
Gather the following details before you open the form. The session can time out if you pause too long partway through, and re-entering everything is avoidable if you prepare first.
- Your National Insurance number, which is nine characters in the format two letters, six digits, and a final letter (for example, QQ 12 34 56 A). You need one for yourself and for any dependants aged 16 or over.3GOV.UK. NIM39110 – National Insurance Numbers (NINOs): Format4NHSBSA. Get Healthcare Cover for Travelling Abroad
- Your NHS number if you are registered in England, Wales, or the Isle of Man. This is a 10-digit number, and the form may or may not ask for it depending on your circumstances.5NHS England. The NHS Number
- Your CHI number if you are in Scotland: a 10-character Community Health Index number.6Public Health Scotland. CHI Number – Search the Data Dictionary
- Your Health and Care number if you are registered in Northern Ireland.
- Your current UK home address, since this is where the card is posted.
Not every applicant sees the same fields, because the portal tailors questions to your circumstances.4NHSBSA. Get Healthcare Cover for Travelling Abroad Having all the numbers above to hand covers you either way.
Completing the Online Form
Start at overseas-healthcare.nhsbsa.nhs.uk.4NHSBSA. Get Healthcare Cover for Travelling Abroad The service first runs an eligibility check and then walks you through the application itself.
Enter your full legal name and date of birth exactly as they appear on official records. Then provide your National Insurance number, followed by whichever health service number the form requests based on where you live. Enter your posting address carefully. A typo in the address is the most common reason a card fails to arrive.
Before final submission, the portal shows a review screen with everything you have entered. Check the spelling of your name and the address in particular. Once you confirm, a confirmation email arrives within minutes. Keep it in case you later need to contact NHSBSA about your application.
Adding Dependants in the Same Application
You can include a partner, children, or other dependants in the same session rather than filing separate applications. Each person needs their own name and date of birth entered, and anyone aged 16 or over needs their own National Insurance number.4NHSBSA. Get Healthcare Cover for Travelling Abroad Line up each dependant’s health service number in advance so a search partway through does not push you past the timeout.
After You Submit
Once approved, the card should reach you by post within 15 working days.1NHS. Applying for Healthcare Cover Abroad (GHIC and EHIC) Apply well ahead of any planned trip rather than in the final week before departure. The card itself is a standard plastic card printed with your name, date of birth, and a unique identification number that overseas providers use for billing.
Renewing an Expiring Card
You can renew through the same NHS online service, and you can submit the renewal application up to nine months before your card expires.7NHS Business Services Authority. How Do I Renew My UK Global Health Insurance Card (UK GHIC) or UK European Health Insurance Card (UK EHIC)? The steps are the same as a first-time application. Cards are usually valid for five years, and once the old one expires you need the new one in hand to receive covered treatment abroad, so start the renewal early.8NHS Business Services Authority. How Do I Apply for Healthcare Cover if I’m Travelling Abroad?
Only Apply Through the Official Site
The GHIC is free at every stage. Any website that asks you to pay a fee to process or fast-track the application is unofficial, and the NHS warns directly against these copycat sites.1NHS. Applying for Healthcare Cover Abroad (GHIC and EHIC) Start from overseas-healthcare.nhsbsa.nhs.uk or follow the link from the official NHS page. If you have already paid a third party, contact your bank; you may be able to recover the charge through a chargeback or dispute.
If You Need Cover Before the Card Arrives
If you are already abroad and need treatment before the card reaches you, you can apply for a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC), which gives the same level of state healthcare cover as the card. A PRC can only be issued at the point you are actually receiving treatment, not in advance.9NHSBSA. Apply for a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC)
You can apply online through the NHSBSA service or by calling Overseas Healthcare Services on 0191 218 1999, or +44 191 218 1999 from outside the UK, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.10NHSBSA. Contact Overseas Healthcare Services You will need your email address, your National Insurance number if you know it, and the name and email address of the hospital or clinic treating you. The PRC covers state facilities only; private treatment and pharmacies are not included.