Healthcare abroad
Getting medical help abroad
Nobody plans to see a doctor on holiday, but around one in twenty trips ends up needing one. Where you are decides who pays: in Spain your GHIC gets you treated like a local, in Thailand the hospital wants a payment guarantee first, and in the USA a broken ankle can cost more than a new car.
Search any country to see how healthcare works there for a UK visitor, or read the basics below. This is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call the local number first and sort out the paperwork later.
The four kinds of cover
Our healthcare filter sorts every country by what happens to a UK visitor who needs a doctor.
Your free UK Global Health Insurance Card gets you state healthcare on the same terms as locals. You still need travel insurance for private care and getting home.
A UK agreement covers medically necessary treatment in public hospitals, usually with your passport. Anything private, planned or ambulance-related may be charged.
No UK agreement. You pay for everything, and private hospitals may want a guarantee or deposit before treating you.
Treatment is among the most expensive in the world. A short hospital stay can cost tens of thousands of pounds without cover.
Where your UK cover works
- GHIC countries
All 27 EU countries plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Show your free GHIC at a state hospital or GP and you're treated like a local, paying what they'd pay, which may be nothing.
- Also accepts your GHIC
Montenegro, Gibraltar, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man accept the GHIC too. In Australia you can enrol in Medicare for public hospital care, using your passport.
Read the guide → - UK reciprocal deals
New Zealand, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia give urgent state care to UK visitors. Here you show your UK passport, not a GHIC.
- Everywhere else
No deal at all. You pay the full cost, often up front, and private hospitals may refuse to start until an insurer guarantees the bill. Travel insurance is the only safety net.
What the GHIC does and doesn't cover
Covered
- Emergency treatment in a state hospital, A&E or state GP
- Care that can't wait until you get home, such as a broken bone or a bad infection
- Existing conditions that flare up while you're away
- Routine maternity care, unless you went to give birth
- Kidney dialysis or oxygen, if you arrange it in advance
Not covered
- Private hospitals and clinics, including ones hotels often call
- Flights home or medical repatriation, which can cost thousands
- Mountain rescue and ski-slope evacuation
- Treatment you travelled abroad on purpose to get
- Patient charges locals pay, which you pay too
If you fall ill abroad
- 1Call the local emergency number
112 works across Europe and in many other countries. Say where you are, then what's wrong.
- 2Ring your insurer's helpline
Before you agree to a private hospital, if you can. They'll guarantee payment and tell you which hospital to use.
- 3Show your GHIC or passport
In a GHIC or reciprocal country, say you want state care and show the card at the front desk.
- 4Keep every receipt
Prescriptions, taxis, consultation fees. You need originals to claim back the costs.
- 5Claim when you're home
Charged in a GHIC country? The NHS Overseas Healthcare Services team may refund you.
Taking medicine abroad
Some everyday UK medicines are controlled or banned in other countries. Codeine is restricted in the UAE, stimulant ADHD medication is banned in Japan, and Greece strictly regulates antibiotics. Before you pack:
- Check the rules with the embassy of the country you're visiting, at least a month before you travel.
- Keep medicine in its original packaging, with your name on the pharmacy label.
- Carry a GP letter or copy of your prescription listing the generic names, not just the brands.
- Pack it in your hand luggage, with a few days' extra in case of delays.
- Don't rely on local pharmacies for refills. UK prescriptions aren't accepted in many countries, and fake medicines are common in some.
Healthcare guides for popular trips
Places where getting treated works differently enough that it's worth reading before you fly.
GHIC works in state hospitals and health centres. The catch is hotels calling private doctors who won't take it.
Read the guide →GHIC works in state hospitals, but some islands are short of ambulances and serious cases are flown to Athens.
Read the guide →No UK deal and huge bills. Hospitals may ask for a deposit, so send them to your insurer first.
Read the guide →Private hospitals are excellent and expensive, and won't start without a guarantee of payment.
Read the guide →No UK deal, so insurance is essential. The FCDO warns about cosmetic and dental procedures after British deaths.
Read the guide →Insurance essential. Hotel doctors have overcharged tourists, and some common medicines are controlled.
Read the guide →Good private hospitals in resorts, but many want payment up front. Rural care is limited.
Read the guide →UK-standard hospitals, but you can be stopped from leaving the country with an unpaid medical bill.
Read the guide →Local care can be poor and evacuation can cost tens of thousands. Rabies is a real risk.
Read the guide →Good private hospitals in major cities. Specialist care is limited elsewhere, and air pollution peaks Oct to Feb.
Read the guide →UK visitors can enrol in Medicare for public hospital care. Ambulances and private care aren't covered.
Read the guide →The private clinic trap
It's the most common complaint the FCDO hears from holidaymakers in Spain, Greece and Egypt. A hotel or tour rep calls a doctor, an ambulance takes you to a private clinic, and you're handed a bill your GHIC doesn't cover. If your insurer wasn't told first, they may refuse to pay it.
The fix is simple. If it isn't a life-threatening emergency, ring your insurer before you go anywhere, and ask to be taken to a state hospital if you want to use your GHIC.
Before you travel
- Apply for a GHIC on the NHS website. It's free, takes about two weeks and lasts five years. Other sites charge for it.
- Buy travel insurance when you book, not when you pack, so cancellation for illness is covered.
- Declare every medical condition to your insurer, even ones you think are minor.
- Check the medicine rules for your destination and pack a GP letter.
- Check vaccinations with TravelHealthPro or your GP 6 to 8 weeks before you go.
- Save the local emergency number and your insurer's 24-hour line in your phone.