Each country has different rules about state medical provision. In some, treatment is free. In some you will have to pay some or all of the cost, then claim a full or partial refund.
If you are planning to live or work in one of the reciprocal agreement countries, the arrangements in this section may not apply. Contact HM Revenue and Customs Centre for Non-Residents for details.
List of the countries where patients can ask to be treated under EU requirements
EU Member States (other than UK)
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
Non-EU Member States
- Norway
- Iceland
- Liechtenstein
- Switzerland (E112 route only)
Essential documents:
Evidence of UK residence (e.g. NHS medical card or UK driving licence).
What’s free:
Minor emergency treatment.
What you’ll need to pay for:
Hospital in-patient and out-patient treatment; hospital accommodation; dental treatment; prescribed medicines; ambulance travel.
More information:
‘Family doctor’ type treatment is available at out-patient clinics. There is a charge for this.
Essential documents:
Evidence of UK residence (e.g. NHS medical card or UK driving licence) and temporary entry permit.
What’s free:
Public hospital treatment – this includes renal dialysis, but you must arrange this before leaving the UK. Contact your NHS renal unit for further details.
What you’ll need to pay for:
Treatment at most doctors’ surgeries; prescribed medicines; ambulance travel; dental treatment.
More information:
You will need to enrol at a local Medicare office, but you can do this after you’ve had treatment. Some doctors’ charges may be partially refunded by the Medicare scheme. Claim at the local office before you leave.
Essential documents:
UK passport or NHS medical card if not a UK national.
What’s free:
Hospital treatment; treatment at polyclinics; ambulance travel; prescribed medicines for children and the elderly.
What you’ll need to pay for:
Dental treatment; prescribed medicines.
Essential documents:
UK passport. If you are a UK resident but not a UK national, you will need a certificate of insurance from HM Revenue and Customs Centre for Non-Residents.
What's free:
Hospital treatment; some dental treatment; other medical treatment.
What you'll need to pay for:
Prescribed medicines.
More information:
If you are a national of Bosnia and Herzegovina living in the UK, you will need to show your Bosnian passport and a certificate of UK social security insurance. You can get this from HM Revenue and Customs Centre for Non-Residents. If you are not a UK or Bosnian national but are the dependant of someone who is, you should also apply for a certificate.
Essential documents:
Evidence of UK residence (e.g. NHS medical card or UK driving licence).
What’s free:
Hospital and other medical treatment for people aged 70 or over and school-age children.
What you’ll need to pay for:
Other visitors are charged for all medical services at rates applicable to residents.
Essential documents:
UK passport and NHS medical card.
What’s free:
Medical, dental and hospital treatment.
What you’ll need to pay for:
Medicines supplied by a public pharmacy.
More information:
Recent changes suggest that the state healthcare sector is very limited. Private medical insurance cover is strongly recommended.
Essential documents:
Evidence of UK residence (e.g. NHS medical card or UK driving licence).
What’s free:
- Guernsey/Alderney: hospital in-patient treatment.
- Jersey: hospital in-patient and out-patient treatment plus ambulance travel.
What you’ll need to pay for:
- Guernsey/Alderney: prescribed medicines; accident and emergency hospital treatment; emergency dental treatment; GP and other medical care; ambulance travel.
- Jersey: treatment at a doctor’s surgery; dental care; prescribed medicines.
Sark: all medical treatment.
More information:
- This information applies only if you are staying less than three months.
- There is no out-patient department at Guernsey General Hospital.
- Free treatment at a family-doctor- type clinic is available most weekday mornings at the Jersey General Hospital.
Hospital treatment for Sark residents is provided in Guernsey.
Essential documents:
UK passport. If you are a UK resident but not a UK national, you will need a certificate of insurance from HM Revenue and Customs Centre for Non-Residents.
What's free:
Hospital treatment; some dental treatment; other medical treatment.
What you'll need to pay for:
Prescribed medicines.
More information:
If you are a Croatian national living in the UK, you will need to show your Croatian passport and a certificate of UK social security insurance. You can get this from HM Revenue and Customs Centre for Non-Residents. If you are not a UK or Croatian national but are the dependant of someone who is, you should also apply for a certificate.
Essential documents:
Evidence of UK residence (e.g. NHS medical card or UK driving licence).
What’s free:
Hospital treatment; dental treatment; other medical treatment; prescribed medicines; ambulance travel.
Essential documents:
UK passport. Non-UK nationals need an EHIC.
What’s free:
GP, medical care and dental treatment under the local medical scheme is available at the Primary Care Medical Centre. Hospital treatment in public wards.
What you’ll need to pay for:
Nominal fee payable for house calls; small charge for each item of medicine prescribed under the medical scheme; private dental treatment; nominal fee for limited emergency services at the Primary Care Medical Centre.
More information:
This information only applies if you are staying for less than 30 days. You are not covered if you go to Gibraltar specifically to be treated for a condition that arose elsewhere, e.g. in Spain. If you are a UK state pensioner and go to live in Gibraltar, the Gibraltar authorities will provide medical services on the same basis as a Gibraltar citizen. You won’t have to pay insurance contributions, but you will have to pay prescription charges.
Essential documents:
No documents needed.
What’s free:
Treatment is similar to that provided by the NHS.
What you’ll need to pay for:
Dental treatment; prescribed medicines.
Essential documents:
UK passport. If you are a UK resident but not a UK national, you will need a certificate of insurance from HM Revenue and Customs Centre for Non-Residents.
What's free:
Hospital treatment; some dental treatment; other medical treatment.
What you'll need to pay for:
Prescribed medicines.
More information:
If you are a Macedonian national living in the UK, you will need to show your Macedonian passport and a certificate of UK social security insurance. You can get this from HM Revenue and Customs Centre for Non-Residents. If you are not a UK or Macedonian national but are the dependant of someone who is, you should also apply for a certificate. The agreement applies to all the successor republics.
Essential documents:
Evidence of UK residence (e.g. NHS medical card or UK driving licence).
What’s free:
Treatment at government medical institutions for people aged over 65 and under 16; dental treatment for school-age children.
What you’ll need to pay for:
Hospital in-patient and out-patient treatment; hospital accommodation; most prescribed medicines; dental treatment; ambulance travel.
More information:
‘Family doctor’ type treatment is available at government clinics and the hospital casualty department. There is a charge for this.
Essential documents:
UK passport
What’s free:
Dental treatment for people aged under 16; public hospital in-patient treatment.
What you’ll need to pay for:
Out-patient hospital treatment; treatment at a doctor’s surgery; prescribed medicines; dental treatment.
More information:
Ask the hospital or doctor if a refund is due. If not, claim at the local health office.
Essential documents:
UK passport.
What’s free:
Hospital treatment; some dental treatment; other medical treatment.
What you’ll need to pay for:
Prescribed medicines.
Essential documents:
UK passport.
What’s free:
Treatment in state hospitals.
What you’ll need to pay for:
Prescribed medicines.
Essential documents:
Evidence of UK residence (e.g. NHS medical card or UK driving licence).
What’s free:
Hospital treatment in out-patient clinics during normal clinic times.
What you’ll need to pay for:
Hospital in-patient treatment; dental treatment; prescribed medicines; ambulance travel.
More information:
‘Family doctor’ type treatment is available at the hospital out-patient clinic.
Essential documents:
UK passport. If you are a UK resident but not a UK national, you will need a certificate of insurance from HM Revenue and Customs Centre for Non-Residents.
What's free:
Hospital treatment; some dental treatment; other medical treatment.
What you'll need to pay for:
Prescribed medicines.
More information:
If you are a national of Serbia and Montegro living in the UK, you will need to show your passport from Serbia and Montenegro and a certificate of UK social security insurance. You can get this from HM Revenue and Customs Centre for Non-Residents. If you are not a UK or national of Serbia and Montenegro but are the dependant of someone who is, you should also apply for a certificate.
Essential documents:
Evidence of UK residence (e.g. NHS medical card or UK driving licence).
What’s free:
- All treatment for people aged under 16 and over 65.
- Grand Turk Island: dental treatment (at dental clinic); prescribed medicines; ambulance travel.
- Outer islands: medical treatment at government clinics; prescribed medicines.
What you’ll need to pay for:
Grand Turk Island: hospital in-patient treatment; other medical treatment and treatment at the town clinic.
More information:
There are no hospital services on the outer islands.
Former USSR (Soviet Union)
Essential documents:
UK passport.
What’s free:
Hospital treatment; some dental treatment; other medical treatment.
What you’ll need to pay for:
Prescribed medicines.
More information:
This agreement applies in: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine. It does not apply in Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania or Russia.
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YOU ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED TO CHECK THE FOLLOWING GOVERMENT SITE FOR ANY UPDATES ON THE ABOVE INFORMATION:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthadvicefortravellers/Gettingtreatmentaroundtheworld/index.htm
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