More than four in 10 Brits risk medical bill shocks abroad with this one mistake
New research from Go.Compare Travel Insurance has revealed that millions of UK holidaymakers could be travelling without a valid Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) this summer, potentially meaning they lose access to state healthcare while abroad.
According to the research, 42% of Brits do not currently have a GHIC card, while a further 9% admitted they didn’t know what a GHIC card is.*
The findings also highlighted widespread confusion around the purpose and importance of the card. Of those who said they didn’t have a GHIC, 16% said they believed that having travel insurance meant they didn’t need one, while 26% said they didn’t realise they had to apply for the card in advance.
The GHIC is a free card for UK residents that lets you get state-provided medically necessary treatment in Europe and some other countries, either for free or at the local cost. If you fall ill or have an accident abroad, showing your GHIC can help you avoid paying expensive bills for emergency or state healthcare. It can cover emergency treatment, treatment for pre-existing medical conditions, routine maternity care, and emergency care for accidents or illnesses that occur during a trip.
However, while the GHIC can help reduce medical costs abroad, it is not a replacement for travel insurance. There are many protections it doesn’t offer, that certain travel insurance policies can provide – such as cover for private medical treatment, repatriation back to the UK, and costs associated with cancelled, delayed or disrupted trips.
Rhys Jones, spokesperson at Go.Compare, said: “Many travellers are still unaware of what the GHIC card is or mistakenly believe that travel insurance alone is enough. While travel insurance is essential, the GHIC can provide valuable access to state healthcare across many European destinations and could help reduce out-of-pocket medical costs if you become ill or injured abroad.
“Applying for a GHIC is free and relatively straightforward, but it’s important to do it before you travel. Having both a valid GHIC and comprehensive travel insurance in place can help ensure you are properly protected while away.”
UK travellers can apply for a GHIC free of charge through the official NHS website. The card is valid for up to five years and should be checked before travelling to ensure it has not expired.
With summer holidays approaching, Go.Compare is encouraging travellers to check they have both valid travel insurance and a current GHIC before heading overseas.
More information about the GHIC card can be found here: https://www.gocompare.com/travel-insurance/guide/ghic/
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Contact Information
Alex McCormick
Notes to editors
*This should be fine: The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2,000 Nat Rep UK Respondents, aged 18+. The data was collected between 24.04.26 - 27.04.26. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge. We adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles.
For further information please contact:
Front Door Communications at Go.Compare@fdcomms.co.uk
Or you can call on 02920 020360
About Go.Compare
Go.Compare is a comparison website that enables people to compare the costs and features of a wide variety of insurance policies, financial products and energy tariffs.
It does not charge people to use its services and does not accept advertising or sponsored listings, so all product comparisons are unbiased. Go.Compare makes its money through fees paid by the providers of products that appear on its various comparison services when a customer buys through the site.
When it launched in 2006, it was the first comparison site to focus on displaying policy details rather than just listing prices, with the aim of helping people to make better-informed decisions when buying their insurance. It is this approach to comparing products that secured the company an invitation to join the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) in 2008, and it is still the only comparison site to be a member of this organisation.
Go.Compare has remained dedicated to helping people choose the most appropriate products rather than just the cheapest and works with Defaqto, the independent financial researcher, to integrate additional policy information into a number of its insurance comparison services. This allows people to compare up to an extra 30 features of cover.
Go.Compare is part of Future Plc and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
More information can be found here www.gocompare.com or here https://www.futureplc.com/brands/.