GHIC expired and you’re travelling soon?
GHIC expired and travelling soon? Renew free via the NHS, and use a Provisional Replacement Certificate if you need care before the card arrives.
On this page
The GHIC has a talent for expiring quietly in a drawer, discovered the week before a holiday. The good news: this is the rare travel-document panic with a built-in safety net.
If the trip is more than ~3 weeks away
Apply now on the official NHS site — free, ten minutes, one application for the whole family. Cards arrive within about 15 working days of approval. Check every family member’s expiry while you’re there: cards are issued per person, and the dates rarely match.
If the trip is sooner
- 1Apply anyway, todayThe card may well arrive in time — and the application being in the system makes the fallback smoother.
- 2Travel as plannedThere’s no requirement to carry the card to board anything; it only matters if someone needs treatment.
- 3If treatment is needed: get a PRCContact NHS Overseas Healthcare Services (someone at home can do it for you) — they issue a Provisional Replacement Certificate to the hospital, giving the same cover as the card.
The renewal habit worth keeping
You can renew in the final months before expiry, and the new card runs up to 5 years. Put each family member’s expiry date somewhere shared — this is a five-yearly date defended by no reminder letter, and the PRC safety net works a lot better as a backup than as a plan.
In short
Free card, official NHS site only, ~15 working days. Travelling sooner: go anyway — the PRC covers treatment mid-trip. And check the kids’ cards today; one of them is probably already expired.
Frequently asked questions
How does the PRC actually work?
If you (or a family member) need treatment abroad without a valid card, you — or someone at home on your behalf — contact NHS Overseas Healthcare Services, who can issue a Provisional Replacement Certificate directly to the treating hospital. It gives the same cover as the card for that treatment.
Does every family member need their own card?
Yes — including babies. You can add family members within one application, but each person gets their own card with their own expiry date, which is exactly how one child’s card quietly expires two years before everyone else’s.
Is a GHIC a substitute for travel insurance?
No. It entitles you to medically necessary state healthcare on local terms (sometimes with local co-payments) in the EU and a few other places — it doesn’t cover repatriation, private hospitals, cancelled trips or lost bags. Carry both; they solve different problems.
I still have an old EHIC — is it valid?
UK-issued EHICs remained valid until their printed expiry date. If yours has run out, the replacement is the GHIC — same application, same £0.
Sources & last checked
- Apply for a free UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) — NHS
- Healthcare when travelling abroad — GOV.UK
Last checked against official sources: 17 August 2026.