What Does the GHIC Card Cover? Full Guide for UK Travellers
Before you travel to Europe, it’s worth understanding exactly what your GHIC card does — and doesn’t — cover. Here’s the full breakdown.
What the GHIC Covers
Your GHIC entitles you to medically necessary state healthcare in EU countries at the same cost as a local resident. That means:
Emergency Treatment
Any medical emergency — accidents, sudden illness, injuries — is covere at state hospitals and clinics. You won’t be turned away and you won’t be charged more than a local would pay.
GP and Hospital Visits
Need to see a doctor while abroad? Your GHIC covers state GP appointments and outpatient hospital visits for necessary care.
If you have a long-term or chronic condition — diabetes, heart disease, epilepsy, asthma — the GHIC covers treatment related to it while you’re away. You don’t need to be in an emergency situation.
Maternity Care
Urgent maternity care is covered, including situations that arise unexpectedly during travel. Planned births abroad are not included.
Prescriptions
In many EU countries, the GHIC reduces the cost of prescription medication to the local resident rate.
Where It’s Valid
Your GHIC works in all 27 EU member states:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
What the GHIC Does NOT Cover
It’s equally important to know the limits:
✗ Private hospitals or clinics
✗ Medical repatriation (flying you back to the UK)
✗ Non-urgent or elective treatment you travel specifically to receive
✗ Lost or stolen belongings
✗ Holiday cancellations
✗ Travel to non-EU countries (e.g. Turkey, Morocco, USA)
This is why you should always have travel insurance alongside your GHIC — they cover very different things.
GHIC vs Travel Insurance — Do I Need Both?
Yes. They complement each other:
• GHIC → covers your healthcare costs at state facilities abroad
• Travel insurance → covers repatriation, private treatment, cancellation,
lost luggage, and everything else
Having both means you’re properly protected. Neither alone is sufficient.