The TL;DR
What happens to your healthcare depends on whether you're going away for a while or moving to live abroad:
Going for a few weeks or months, and keeping your home in the UK? You still count as living here, so you keep the NHS and can use your free UK health card (GHIC) on trips to Europe. Take travel insurance too.
Moving abroad to live? You lose your automatic right to free NHS hospital care, and your UK health card usually stops being yours to use. Your cover then comes from your new country's state system, private health insurance or, for UK State Pensioners in Europe, a form called an S1.
Either way, the NHS is based on where you live, not your passport or National Insurance record.
This guide walks you through what you keep, your options, how to choose, what to sort before you leave and what to watch out for. Each section points to the guide that covers it in depth.
Covered in this article
1. Can you still use the NHS when you go abroad? 🏥
It depends on whether the UK is still where you live. Free NHS hospital care depends on being "ordinarily resident" here, which means living in the UK on a settled basis. Your passport, your National Insurance record and staying on your GP's list don't count. There's no fixed number of days: what matters is where your life is based.
If you're going for a few weeks or months and keeping your home, work or family base in the UK, you're still resident. You keep the NHS, and you can use your GHIC for necessary state healthcare on trips to Europe. Travel insurance covers the rest, such as getting you home.
If you're moving abroad to live, you lose your automatic right to NHS care, and your health cover needs to come from your new country (sections 2 and 3).
Once you've moved abroad, here's what that means for the NHS:
Visiting the UK: anyone can see a GP or use A&E for free. Most other hospital care is charged, usually at 150% of what it costs the NHS, so you'll need insurance for your trips home.
UK State Pensioners living in Europe: if you have a UK-issued S1 registered in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you can use the NHS in England like a UK resident when you visit. This has applied since 1 January 2024. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own rules.
Moving back for good: you'll most likely be entitled to NHS care from the day you arrive, but a hospital may ask for proof that you live here again.
We checked this guide against GOV.UK and the NHS in October 2026. Rules change, so always check the official source before you act.
2. Your health cover options, and what each one is for 🧭
Most people end up with one main source of cover, plus insurance for trips. Find yours in the table.
Option | What it is | Cost (as of Oct 2026) | Read next |
|---|---|---|---|
🏥 Local state healthcare | Your new country's public system. You usually join by working there and paying into its social security; some countries let residents pay in instead | Usually through your social security contributions. Where you can pay in instead, costs vary by country: in Spain, for example, it's €60 a month under 65 and €157 from 65 | |
🇪🇺 S1 form | The UK pays for your state healthcare in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland. Mainly for people getting a UK State Pension; it can cover your dependants too | Free | |
🛡️ International health insurance | Private cover for day-to-day and hospital care where you live. Most residence visas require it if you don't have state cover | Quote-based, rising with age and level of cover | |
🧳 Travel or nomad insurance | Cover for emergencies on trips, for a set length of time. Not meant for living abroad | Cheaper, but trip lengths are capped | |
💳 GHIC | The free UK card for necessary state healthcare on visits to Europe and a few other places. Only for UK residents, with some exceptions (section 5) | Free, valid for up to 5 years |
Costs and rules as of October 2026. We check them every April.
3. Which situation is yours? 🎯
The right cover depends on why you're going and how long for.
Your plan | Focus on |
|---|---|
🧳 Going for a few weeks or months, keeping your UK home | Travel insurance that covers the whole trip (check its maximum trip length), plus your GHIC for state healthcare in Europe |
💼 Working for a local employer, or setting up locally | Joining the state system through your social security payments, and insurance to cover you until you're registered |
🏖️ Retiring to Europe on your UK State Pension | Getting an S1 for you and any dependants, registering it in your new country, then getting a new UK health card for travel |
⏳ Retiring early or living on savings | Private health insurance until your State Pension starts, as most visas require it. In some countries you can pay into the state system after a year |
🌍 Working remotely and moving between countries | Nomad insurance that covers every country you'll visit, including trips back to the UK |
👨👩👧 Moving with children | Family cover that includes routine care and vaccinations, and your children's vaccination records |
Moving with children? Our guide to working abroad with kids covers why families need international health insurance for a move.
What's stopping you from living your dream remote life?
Take the two-minute quiz and we'll show you which route out of the UK fits your situation, what's standing in your way, and the guides to read first.
4. What to sort before you go 📋
Build in time: insurance quotes, medical questionnaires and an S1 application can each take weeks, so start a few months before you leave.
Check what your visa needs. Many residence visas set rules for your health cover. Spain, for example, asks for a policy from an insurer authorised to work in Spain that covers everything its public system does, and won't accept travel insurance. Get the exact wording from the consulate before you buy.
Arrange cover that starts the day you arrive. Declare any existing health conditions: insurers may exclude them or make you wait. Some international plans also stop taking new customers in their mid-50s.
Apply for an S1 if you get a UK State Pension. For an EU country you can apply online up to 90 days before you move; for Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein you contact Overseas Healthcare Services. Register it in your new country, then apply for a new UK health card for travel.
Sort your medicines. GPs usually prescribe up to three months' supply. Taking more of a controlled drug may need a Home Office licence. Take your prescription details so a local doctor can prescribe the same thing.
Tell your GP you're moving. They'll remove you from their list. Before they do, save your NHS number, download your records and get copies of your vaccination history, including your children's red books.
Our guide to the NHS trap covers the GP question and what to save before you leave.
5. The UK-specific catches ⚠️
These are the health mistakes people most often make when they leave the UK.
Your GHIC usually stops being yours. The UK health card is only for people who live in the UK. The main exceptions are UK State Pensioners with a registered S1, who get a new UK card for travel, and students studying in Europe. Once you've moved, use your new country's card instead. The card is free, so ignore websites that charge to apply.
Travel insurance isn't for living abroad. GOV.UK is clear that it's "not intended for permanent residence abroad", and annual policies often cap each trip at 31 to 55 days, depending on the plan. Once you've moved, you need cover designed for where you live.
Staying on your GP's list won't keep you in the NHS. Your right to free hospital care depends on where you live, not on being registered. If you stay on the list, you could end up being charged for hospital care you thought was free.
An S1 covers your partner only through you. A spouse or partner listed as your dependant is covered because of your S1, so their cover can end if yours does, for example if you die. If they'll get a UK State Pension themselves, they should apply for their own S1 when they reach State Pension age.
Bring proof when you come back. You'll most likely be entitled to the NHS from the day you return to live, but a hospital may ask you to show you've moved back, so keep a tenancy agreement or utility bill handy.
6. Where to go next ➡️
Start here: The NHS Trap That Catches Almost Every UK Nomad Out covers who the NHS covers, the GP question and how to get back into the NHS when you return.
Choosing insurance: Healthcare as a UK Nomad: GHIC, the NHS, and the Right Insurance
Retiring early on a pension or savings: The Best European Visas for Living on Passive Income, which compares health insurance for residence visas
Moving with children: Working Abroad With Kids: Six Bases That Actually Work
Moving to a specific country: our Country Guides starter guide lists every country we've covered, with what's different in each
Alongside your health cover: our Pensions and Retirement and Country Guides starter guides.
Frequently asked questions ❓
These are the questions UK movers ask again and again, on British Expats, Expat.com, MoneySavingExpert and Mumsnet.
Can I stay registered with my GP after I move abroad?
No. You should tell your GP you're moving so they can take you off their list, and staying registered wouldn't keep your right to free hospital care anyway. When you visit the UK, you can still see a GP as a temporary patient.
Can I use the NHS for free when I visit the UK?
Partly. Seeing a GP and A&E are free for everyone, but most other hospital care is charged, so take insurance for trips home. UK State Pensioners with an S1 registered in Europe can use the NHS in England like a UK resident.
Can I still use my GHIC once I live abroad?
Usually not, as it's only for people who live in the UK. If you have an S1, you can get a new UK card for travel. Otherwise, once you've joined your new country's health system, use the card it gives you.
Can my husband or wife be covered by my S1?
Usually, yes, as your dependant, if they don't have cover of their own. Their cover depends on yours, so if they'll get a UK State Pension, they should apply for their own S1 when they reach State Pension age.
What health insurance do I need for a residence visa?
It depends on the country, so get the exact wording from the consulate before you buy. Many ask for full private cover from an insurer allowed to sell policies there, and won't accept travel insurance. Spain, for example, wants a policy that covers everything its public system does. UK State Pensioners moving to the EU can often use a registered S1 instead.
Can I get health insurance with an existing condition, or when I'm older?
Usually, but expect to pay more. The insurer may exclude the condition or make you wait before it's covered, and an exclusion can mean a policy isn't accepted for a visa. A specialist broker can help you compare.
Is travel insurance enough if I'm living abroad?
No. It's designed for trips, with a cap on how long you can be away, and doesn't cover the day-to-day care you'll need where you live.
If I move back to the UK, can I use the NHS straight away?
Most likely, yes, from the day you return to live. Register with a GP, and keep proof that you've moved back in case a hospital asks for it.
Official Resources 📎
Always check current rules with the official source, as they change.
Our other starter guides 🧳
Disclaimer
This guide provides general information only and does not constitute medical, insurance or legal advice. Healthcare rules and insurance terms change frequently. Always check current rules with official sources and read the full terms of any policy before you buy.
