Welcome to the Official Government website for EHIC

A valid EHIC gives card holders the right to access state-provided healthcare on temporary stays in other European Economic Area (EEA) countries or Switzerland. Treatment should be provided on the same basis as it would be to a resident of that country and is provided either at reduced cost or, in many cases, for free. The EHIC covers treatment that is medically necessary until the card holder returns home. This includes treatment for pre-existing medical conditions.

The EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance. It is important to have both an EHIC and a valid private travel insurance policy in place before you travel.

Entitlement to an EHIC (in all EEA countries) is based on insurability under EU law, and not on a person's nationality. The UK operates a residency-based healthcare system which means that insurability in the UK is generally determined by residency and not by the past or present payment of National Insurance contributions or UK taxes.

If you are ordinarily resident in the UK then it is likely that you will be considered to be insured by the UK under EU law and will be entitled to a UK EHIC.

For full eligibility criteria, please click here

Registration

For security reasons, to use this website to apply for your EHIC you must create an account using your name and email address. You will also need to choose a password.

The person registering must be at least 16 years of age. As the main applicant, you can apply for an EHIC for yourself, your partner and any dependent children you have.

If you are under the age of 16, a parent or guardian will need to register as the main applicant. They must enter their details first and apply for any additional cards when prompted.

You can use the EHIC Services Portal to order a new EHIC or to renew an EHIC up to six months before the expiry of an existing card. You can also order an EHIC for your partner and any dependent children you have.

You cannot use the EHIC Services Portal to get a replacement of a lost or damaged EHIC. If you need a replacement card, please email us at nhsbsa.ehicenquiries@nhsbsa.nhs.uk

Step 1 - Register to use the website by creating an account using your name and email address. You will also need to choose a password.

Step 2 - We will send you an email with a link to activate your account. Please remember to check your Junk folder as the email might be treated as spam by some providers. Click on the link in the email or copy and paste it into a browser.

Step 3 - Log into the EHIC Services Portal using your email address and password once you have activated your account.