EHIC Cards
Press release from the British Consulate general in Barcelona
31 March 2010
YOUR BASIC GUIDE TO THE EUROPEAN HEALTH INSURANCE CARD (EHIC)
There has been a lot of discussion recently about healthcare rights and some confusion about the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), the little blue cards that used to be known as E111 forms. Here is a brief guide to EHIC entitlements which should answer some of your questions. Of course, if you still have doubts about EHIC use, you can visit www.nhs.co.uk, ukinspain.fco.gov.uk or contact your local Pension, Benefit and Healthcare Team based at the British Consulates in Alicante and Malaga.
EHIC
| Who can get an EHIC? | What does the EHIC cover? | Where can you use the EHIC? | Where can you get the EHIC from? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resident in UK | Everyone. | All necessary treatment. This means any treatment which allows you to continue with your temporary stay in comfort. | State run hospitals, health centres and local GPs in any EEA country outside of UK e.g. Spain. | · online: UK National Health Service www.ehic.org.uk |
| Resident in Spain | People paying social security contributions in Spain or in receipt of a Spanish benefit and their dependants. | All necessary treatment. This means any treatment which allows you to continue with your temporary stay in comfort. | State run hospitals, health centres and local GPs in any EEA country outside of Spain e.g. UK | Local Social Security Office (Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social). The Spanish EHIC is called a “Tarjeta Sanitaria Europea” |
| Resident in Spain | People registered for healthcare in Spain on an E121 form (mainly UK State Pensioners or people in receipt of long term incapacity benefit) or an E109 form and their dependants. | All necessary treatment. This means any treatment which allows you to continue with your temporary stay in comfort. | State run hospitals, health centres and local GPs in any EEA country outside of Spain e.g. UK. You will need to present your UK issued EHIC to access NHS services. | Before 01/05/10, your local Social Security Office in Spain. |
A few other things to remember about EHICs:
- Residency in this instance refers to your centre of interest. This can be defined by where you spend most of your time, where you work or where you have your main ties.
- EHICs offer access to treatment on the same basis that health care is normally provided to nationals of that State.
- Most EHICs issued by the UK are sent to UK residents, and some of the letters that usually accompany a UK resident’s EHIC have been sent to UK citizens living abroad. The letters have now been adapted, and all cards issued in the future to those living abroad should be catered towards an international audience.
- If you are not eligible for a European Health Insurance Card, it is advisable to take out private health insurance when travelling abroad.
For more information on this press release please contact:
Sally Aston, Consular Communications Officer, British Embassy Madrid, 917 146 475, sally.aston@fco.gov.uk
