I’m a European student, am I automatically covered for health insurance in the UK?

If you entered the UK before 31 December 2020

If you applied for and received Settled or Pre-settled status then you will be eligible for free healthcare in the UK.

European nationals do not automatically have free healthcare coverage, nor free access to the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. The only exception to this is if you are an Irish passport holder, which means that you can access the UK’s NHS system in the same way as a British citizen without obtaining any additional documentation or insurance.

EEA nationals who have obtained a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from their country of residence prior to coming to the UK will have access to the NHS without being charged for treatment from a GP and/or initial, non-specialist hospital treatment.

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) healthcare webpages have more details on which types of treatment you would be entitled to under the NHS in England.

Am I eligible to apply for the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

To be eligible for an EHIC you must be insured by or covered by a state social security system in any EU member country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. The European Commission’s EHIC webpage has more information on applying for an EHIC.

If you do not hold a valid EHIC card or are ineligible for one, then you might be asked to pay for your medical treatment and therefore, we strongly recommend that you ensure you are covered by an insurance policy that includes coverage of medical expenses.

If you are on a programme of study of 6 months or more

If you are on a programme of study of 6 months or more, you will need to apply for a Student Visa to enter the UK. As part of the visa application process, you are required to pay what is called the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS). Once you receive your Student Visa you then have access to health care under the NHS.

In some cases, EU nationals who apply for a Student Visa after 31 December 2020 may be eligible to get a refund of the IHS they have paid.

To get a refund for Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

You must meet the following criteria below:

You're a full-time student in UK higher education
Your visa started on or after 1 January 2021
You have an EHIC issued in an EU community
You do not work in the UK

You should consider carefully your healthcare needs before deciding whether to apply for a reimbursement. If you intend to apply for a refund of your immigration health surcharge payment, you should use your EU EHIC for medically necessary treatment during your studies.

Once you have received your reimbursement, you may have to pay for any NHS healthcare you receive that is not deemed medically necessary.

If you obtain an immigration health surcharge reimbursement, you should not work in the UK. Working in the UK is very likely to invalidate your EHIC and you will need to be prepared to pay for any NHS healthcare you receive.

Important to know: If you obtain an immigration health surcharge reimbursement, you should not work in the UK. Working in the UK is very likely to invalidate your EHIC and you will need to be prepared to pay for any NHS healthcare you receive.

If you are on a programme of study of 6 months or less and enter the UK as a visitor you should ensure that you obtain health insurance before you enter the UK.

Important to know: Take a look at UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) webpage on healthcare for EU/EEA/Swiss students in light of Brexit.

Keywords: health care, insurance EHIC European Health Insurance Card

I’m a European student, am I automatically covered for health insurance in the UK?

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