UK nationals who have moved to the European Union after 31 December 2020 will no longer be able to get healthcare from the National Health System (NHS) when they visit the UK, Blevins Franks has revealed.
The restrictions apply to state pensioners as well, even if they paid National Insurance for decades.
The expat advisory firm explained that this is caused by the fact that the NHS has a residence-based qualification system.
Most British expats in the EU will have an S1 form – a healthcare certificate that will grant them healthcare in the EU country they live in – which is covered by the UK NHS.
This means that, without local social security contributions, they are not able to claim a European Health Insurance Card locally to cover them in the UK. They are also not allowed to obtain the newly introduced UK’s Global Health Insurance Card, as they are not resident in Britain, and it is only for use in the EU.
Visits to a general practitioner (GP) or to hospitals’ accident and emergency (A&E) departments should not be charged, but treatment involving a stay in hospital might. The charges will also apply to Brits living in an EU country before 2021 who will be eligible for a state pension in the future and who will get an S1 form later on.
“Treatment on a return to the UK was specifically exempted when the UK was a member of the EU, but now for new arrivals there is no NHS coverage and no ability to get coverage without paying for it,” said Jason Porter, director of specialist expat financial advisers Blevins Franks and head of the company’s European emigration advisory service.
“It will therefore be necessary to buy travel insurance which includes health cover for visits back to the UK.”
Blevins Franks added that the UK has aligned the treatment of recent S1 form holders with British pensions who moved to other parts of the world, as they have not had access to free healthcare in the UK since 2015.
