Planned Healthcare in Europe
Most people receive their healthcare in the country where they live through their healthcare system. There may be times, however, when you would wish to seek the option to receive planned healthcare in another European Economic Area (EEA) country. If so, it is important to ensure that you are fully informed to enable you to make the right choices.
If you are travelling to an EEA country or Switzerland you can access free or reduced-cost emergency state-funded healthcare using a European Healthcare Insurance Card (EHIC) or UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). It is important to note that the EHIC/GHIC will cover you for emergency treatment it does not cover private healthcare or any planned treatments or planned operations.
Information on the status of EHIC/GHIC changes following BREXIT can be accessed on the
Department of Health NHS Choices website. Your EHIC or GHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance. It may not cover all health costs and never covers repatriation costs. Make sure you have travel insurance as well as your card.
Travelling abroad for planned healthcare
If you are thinking of travelling to another EEA country for planned healthcare, European law states that in reasonable cases, this should be paid for by the country that a person normally resides in. This means that if you normally reside in Scotland then you can ask the NHS (National Health Service) in the UK to pay for healthcare in EEA countries. You can only receive funding for treatment and/or surgery that would normally be offered within the NHS in Scotland.
Countries included in the European Economic Area are listed below.
| Austria | Greece | Netherlands |
| Belgium | Hungary | Norway * |
| Bulgaria | Iceland * | Poland |
| Cyprus | Ireland | Portugal |
| Czech Republic | Italy | Romania |
| Denmark | Latvia | Slovakia |
| Estonia | Liechtenstein * | Slovenia |
| Finland | Lithuania | Spain |
| France | Luxembourg | Sweden |
| Germany | Malta | |
* Please see options below regarding these countries and Switzerland
Following the United Kingdom’s exit of the European Union, there is only one way to potentially get NHS funded healthcare in EEA countries and that is the S2 Scheme (formerly known as E112).
S2 Scheme
On 31 December 2020, previous UK S2 funding arrangements ended. From 1 January 2021, new UK S2 applications can be progressed under the new S2 Scheme.
The S2 Scheme covers only state-funded healthcare in an EEA country or Switzerland and if the healthcare is provided under the same funding arrangements that apply to residents of the country you are visiting, this could mean that you have to pay for part of the healthcare costs yourself in the way of a co-payment charge. Further information on the co-payment charge can be accessed on
NHS Inform.
Planned Treatments in Norway, Iceland or LiechtensteinYou may be able to request UK funding for planned state-funded treatment under the S2 Scheme in Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein (as well as EEA countries and Switzerland) if you are:
- an EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic or Liechtenstein national, and you have been living in the UK since before 1 January 2021.
- a UK State Pensioner or receiving some other ‘exportable benefits’, and you have been living in the EEA or Switzerland since before 1 January 2021.
- a "frontier worker" (someone who works in one state and lives in another), and you have been one since before 1 January 2021, for as long as you continue to be a frontier worker in the host state.
- a family member or dependant of one of the above.
How to Apply
Prior authorisation from NHS Tayside is required if you wish to use the S2 Scheme. Requests to use the S2 Scheme after you have received your treatment abroad will not be considered.
If you wish to use the S2 Scheme, the following information should be sent directly to
tay.ooarequests@nhs.scot - Your name, address and date of birth
- Proof of Tayside residency
- National Insurance number (NI number)
- The healthcare which you require
- A letter from your NHS Tayside hospital doctor saying why the healthcare is needed
- The name and address of the state-funded hospital which will provide your healthcare in the EEA country or Switzerland
- The name of the doctor who will be responsible for your safety while receiving the healthcare
- Confirmation that the state-funded hospital will accept an S2
- Dates when the planned healthcare is due to take place
- Arrangements for any NHS follow-up care when you return to Tayside
If NHS Tayside supports your application under the S2 Scheme, we will complete the appropriate paperwork for you (once you have provided the information listed above) and send this paperwork to the UK Overseas Healthcare Team in Newcastle for processing. If the Newcastle team agrees to issue an S2 form, they will send it directly to your home address in Tayside. You should take the S2 form with you to the EEA country or Switzerland where clinicians have agreed to provide your state funded healthcare.
Important Information
It is important for you to know that:
- You will need to pay for the costs of your travel, travel insurance, accommodation and food.
- It is your responsibility to ensure that you have travel insurance which includes comprehensive medical insurance, specifically covering travel for medical treatment.
- It is strongly recommended that you also have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or the new UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) to cover emergency, state-funded healthcare.
- If problems or complications happen, you will have to pay for any additional costs, including additional travel costs e.g. air ambulance.
- You are responsible for ensuring that the healthcare is appropriate and safe within the laws of the EEA country or Switzerland (not under UK or Scottish legislation).
- NHS Tayside cannot vouch for the quality or safety of healthcare you may choose to use in Europe.
- NHS Tayside is not liable for the outcomes of any healthcare received in an EEA country or Switzerland as treatment outwith the UK is not covered by the NHS clinical negligence scheme.
If you have enquiries about the S2 Scheme please contact tay.ooarequests@nhs.scot.
