Among a series of measures aimed at cutting the costs of the NHS, one of them has been a game changer for British people under pensionable age who settle in another European country.

S1 form british retirees abroad in europe

The S1 form is a certificate that gives the bearer access to public healthcare in another country member of the European Economic Area (EEA). On 1st July 2014, the UK changed the conditions of entitlement of the S1 form; British people under the legal retirement age (age 65 for men and age 60 for women), became ineligible to apply for this form, meaning that they can no longer access free state healthcare in their new country of residence.

The categories of British people (or long-term NIC contributors) that remain entitled to the S1 form are: UK state pensioners (over the legal retirement age), people on certain benefits (e.g. long term disability benefit) and posted workers (those working abroad for a company based in the UK for more than two years).

The S1 form gives British residents in other EEA countries access to state healthcare. This access is on the same terms as the nationals of that country, except that they are not required to pay any local healthcare related taxes while their S1 form is valid; this is due to the fact that they are still contributing to their previous country of residence.

For early retirees, the NHS no longer reimburses other European countries for their healthcare costs; they have to subscribe to that country’s healthcare system, on the same basis and under the same conditions as a local resident or national. In some European countries you will need to have a national insurance number or a social security number in order to sign up to the local system. However in some countries, like Sweden, a minimum residency is required before being able to apply for a social security number. This leaves early British retirees under the obligation to take out a private medical insurance for at least the first year of their expatriation. While in other countries, private medical insurance was previously simply highly recommended in the past in order to ensure a better level of cover this may now be the only option for many early British retirees.

Please note that in some countries, if you do not have an S1 form it may be compulsory to sign up to the local health system depending on your status.


Expat Assure can help you to find the international medical cover best suited to your needs. Feel free to contact us directly or fill in a form online to request your insurance comparison.

1 Comment

Submit a Comment

 

Get in touch

 

Call us on +44 (0)20 3137 2857

We are open from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday

Request a comparison

Request an insurance comparison

Fill in a form and we will call you back

Our partners

We build partnerships with reputable insurance companies who are long-established in the expatriate insurance industry. All the international insurance companies we work with have both individual and corporate plans. Find out more about our partners here.

partners

Latest tweets

To mark National Fitness Day, we are launching ‘Fitness for Everyone’, with @itn Business to promote physical activity, to benefit your health and wellbeing – physically, mentally and socially. Read more here https://www.ukactive.com/news/lets-get-physical-ukactive-and-itn-business-make-fitness-for-everyone-this-national-fitness-day/

#FitnessforEveryone #FitnessDay #ITNBusiness

Today is National #FitnessDay ‼️

A day to celebrate and highlight the role physical activity can play on keeping our mental strength & resilience healthy.

Join in by getting active in whichever way suits you & share with us #FitnessUnitesUs

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220607/New-injectable-therapy-helps-repair-spinal-cord-injuries-with-dancing-molecules.aspx @NewsMedical #healthcare #innovation

April is Stress Awareness Month 🤯

Millions of us are experiencing high levels of stress and it is damaging our health.

Find out more about our mental health cover 👉 https://bit.ly/3K4MvJQ

#stressawarenessmonth #insurance #health #mentalhealth #stress #IPMI #expats

Today is #WorldHealthDay!
Environmental factors - including climate change - claim 13 million lives every year.
Stop burning fossil fuels like oil, coal and natural gas for a #HealthierTomorrow

More: https://bit.ly/WorldHealthDay2022

Load More

Latest articles

Inez Cooper

Inez Cooper interview for Expat Assure

Today, Expat Assure meets William Russell, an international insurance intermediary founded in the UK in 1992.  With headquarters near London and regional offices in Brussels and Hong Kong and customers in over 160 countries, it is a family-owned independent company...
NHS immigration health surcharge Visa Royaume Uni Surcharge médicale pour les étrangers au Royaume-Uni

An immigration health surcharge for long stays in the UK

Visitors staying for more than 6 months in the UK must pay an ‘Immigration Health Surcharge’. Since Brexit, European citizens are also included.

Brexit: UK residents can still access healthcare in Europe with the GHIC

This article answers common questions you may ask yourself regarding access to healthcare in Europe after Brexit.

Canada

Are you researching an expat health insurance for Canada? It is important to find out about the local healthcare system first.

Germany

Are you moving to Germany? Read our expat guide on the German healthcare system and your different options of expat health insurance in Germany.