EHIC: What It Is, Who Can Use It, and How It Works in Europe

When you travel in Europe and need urgent medical care, the EHIC, the European Health Insurance Card that gives you access to state-provided healthcare in EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Also known as the European Health Card, it’s not travel insurance—but it can save you thousands if something goes wrong. If you’re a UK resident registered with the NHS, you’re likely eligible. It doesn’t cover everything—no private hospitals, no repatriation, no elective procedures—but for emergencies like broken bones, heart attacks, or sudden illness, it works just like local healthcare.

The EHIC, the European Health Insurance Card that gives you access to state-provided healthcare in EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Also known as the European Health Card, it’s not travel insurance—but it can save you thousands if something goes wrong. The NHS, the UK’s publicly funded healthcare system that provides free care at the point of use to eligible residents issues the EHIC to people who pay UK National Insurance. That means if you’re on a UK pension, working, or even unemployed but legally resident, you probably qualify. It’s free to apply, and it lasts five years. But here’s the catch: if you moved to Europe after Brexit, your eligibility changed. Some people still qualify under old agreements, others don’t. And if you’re visiting from outside the UK, you can’t get one—unless you’re an EU citizen living in the UK.

People often confuse the EHIC with private health insurance, a paid plan that covers faster access, private rooms, and treatments not included in public systems. The EHIC only covers what the local public system offers—same as a local resident. So if you’re going to Germany and need a knee scan, you’ll wait in line like everyone else. But you won’t pay the €200 fee they charge tourists. In Spain, you’ll get free emergency care. In France, you’ll pay upfront and claim back later. The rules vary by country, but the card always cuts the cost.

And it’s not just for holidays. If you’re studying, working, or retiring abroad in Europe, the EHIC keeps you covered until you qualify for local healthcare. But don’t rely on it alone. Many people who use the EHIC also buy travel insurance—because the EHIC won’t cover lost luggage, cancelled flights, or a helicopter ride home if you break your leg on a ski slope.

What you’ll find in these posts is real, practical advice from people who’ve used the EHIC, struggled with it, or switched to private care after hitting its limits. You’ll see how it works in practice—from getting a prescription in Portugal to navigating a hospital in Poland. You’ll learn why some people still pay for private insurance even with an EHIC, and how the NHS handles care when you return. There’s no fluff. Just what you need to know before you book that trip, move abroad, or help someone who’s stuck in a foreign ER with no idea what to do next.