Overview
- The NHS Business Services Authority reports that 1,960,640 EHIC and GHIC cards will lapse in 2025
- The GHIC grants UK residents necessary state healthcare in the European Economic Area and selected partner countries on the same basis as local patients
- These cards exclude costs such as repatriation, cruise treatments and winter sports medical fees, making separate travel insurance crucial
- Applications and renewals are free via the NHS website and typically take up to 15 days, with provisional replacement certificates available if a card has not arrived in time
- Since 2016 the UK has spent over £800 million covering treatment costs for Britons abroad, underscoring the cost-saving value of maintaining valid health cards