NHS in England: travelling to Europe for medical treatment

If you're thinking about having medical treatment in another European country, it's important to understand how it works and the risks involved.

If you don't follow the correct procedures, you may have to pay the full costs of your treatment.

It is also important to discuss your plans with your GP before making any final decisions about travel or medical arrangements.

Your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) does not cover going abroad for medical treatment. The EHIC is for emergency treatment that becomes necessary while you're abroad.

Find out what the EHIC covers.

However, you may be able to access NHS-funded healthcare in another European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland if you fulfil certain eligibility criteria. There are two possible routes described below. The criteria vary depending on the access route.

The S2 route

This is a direct funding arrangement between the NHS and the state healthcare provider in the country of your choice. Please note that even with the S2 route some countries may require you to pay a proportion of the costs. If you wish to use this route, you must get prior authorisation from NHS England before receiving treatment.

Find out about S2 route eligibility criteria.

The EU Directive on cross-border healthcare: the EU Directive route

This is a funding arrangement between you and the NHS. Using this route means you will have to pay the costs of your treatment abroad upfront and then claim eligible costs from the NHS when you return.

For some treatments you'll need to get prior authorisation from NHS England before receiving treatment. Find out what types of services require prior authorisation (PDF, 72kb) – this is not necessarily a definitive list.

Find out more about the EU Directive eligibility criteria.

Although applying for funding prior to treatment is not mandatory for all treatment abroad, we recommend you contact NHS England on england.europeanhealthcare@nhs.net or apply for funding before treatment in all cases. This will enable NHS England to confirm your eligibility and the funding or reimbursement process.

Do your research

Going for medical treatment abroad isn't easy and your GP or NHS England can only do so much to help you. You will have to make the arrangements yourself, including finding a healthcare provider and making all the travel arrangements. This means it's important to do some research and gather enough information to make an informed choice.

You should consider:

• any language barriers
• whether you know enough about the people who will treat you and the facilities available
• communication between medical staff abroad and in the UK, such as exchanging medical records and arranging aftercare back home
• how to make a complaint if things go wrong – the NHS is not liable for negligence or failure of treatment

You'll need to be aware of how your aftercare will be provided when you return home and understand the conditions under which you will be treated abroad.

You should also ensure you have adequate insurance. Most travel insurance policies will not cover you for planned treatment abroad, so you may need specialist cover.

We've created a check list that should help you get organised and provide you with information about the risks involved.

How to contact the relevant health commissioner

• England – contact NHS England on 0300 311 22 3 or england.contactus@nhs.net
• Wales – contact your local health board
• Scotland – contact your local NHS board
• Northern Ireland – contact the health and social care board

What is the EEA?

The European Economic Area (EEA) is a free trade zone between the countries of the European Union (EU), Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. Your EHIC will also cover you for healthcare that becomes necessary during a trip to Switzerland.

However, if want to go to Switzerland for treatment, this must be authorised in advance under the S2 route. It is not possible to claim funding for treatment in Switzerland under the EU Directive route.

Going outside Europe for treatment

Neither the S2 route nor the EU Directive route applies to treatment outside the EEA, except for treatment in Switzerland under the S2 route. However, if you want to have treatment outside the EEA, such as in Canada or the US, speak to your local clinical commissioning group (CCG).

Find your local CCG.