EU Health Card
An EU health card will allow you to access healthcare in the European Economic Area (EEA) which is state provided. This includes Switzerland, the treatment that you receive will be at a reduced cost or sometimes free of charge. The EU health card also covers any pre-existing medical conditions and maternity care, providing you are not visiting the country to specifically give birth. What cover you receive will depend on the country which you are visiting.
The EU health card is not an alternative to travel insurance as the EU health card will not cover you for any private medical healthcare or costs that you receive such as mountain rescue when visiting ski resorts, being flown back to the UK, or lost or stolen property for this type of cover you will need private travel insurance.
If you do require medical assistance whilst travelling you will need to let the hospital know that you have a valid EU health card, some European Health systems may expect you to pay for your bill when you are treated and then claim back the costs when you arrive back in the UK, please remember to keep all receipts and paperwork as this may be required when making a claim. To make a claim call The Overseas Healthcare team on telephone number 0191 218 1999.
Before travelling please ensure that your card is still valid, the EU health card is valid for 5 years and can be renewed 6 months prior to the expiry date stated on the EU health card. Click here to renew your EU health card for yourself and other family members which include any dependent children and a spouse/partner. Please note that to complete your renewal application for the EU health card we will require you to supply either your National Insurance number or NHS number for yourself and also for your spouse/partner you wish to include. We can use the main applicants NI/NHS number to process any dependent children on your EU health card application.
If you have never had an EU health card you can make an application quickly by clicking here. Once your application has been checked and processed by an agent it can then take between 7-10 working days to receive your EU health card in the post. If you don’t receive your EU health card before you are due to travel please note that you are covered for travel from the date that your application has been processed by our agents. If you travel without your EU health card and require medical assistance you can call the Overseas Healthcare Team where they will provide you with a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC). This will prove your entitlement to the EU health card and will be sent directly to the place of treatment. The Overseas Healthcare Team are open Monday – Friday from 8am to 5pm the telephone number is 00 44 191 218 1999, it may be a good idea to save this number in your mobile phone. When calling you will be asked to confirm your full name, address, date of birth and either your NI or NHS number.