S1s are issued by the UK. S1s entitle a non-UK resident who is living in a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland to the same healthcare cover as a resident of that country, with the UK remaining responsible for these costs.
Healthcare if you have an exportable benefit
You may be entitled to an S1 if you've been living in an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland since before 1 January 2021, and you receive a UK State Pension, contribution-based Employment Support Allowance or some other exportable benefits.
If you receive a pension from the country that you live in now as well as your UK State Pension, you may not be able to get an S1. The country you live in may be responsible for your healthcare.
If you receive a UK State Pension as well as a pension from an EU member state, but are now living in a different EU state, the country you paid contributions toward your pension for the longest period becomes responsible for your healthcare.
Read more about claiming benefits if you live, move, or travel abroad on GOV.UK.
How to apply for an S1
Contact us to apply for an S1.
Telephone: 0191 218 1999
Telephone from outside the UK: +44 191 218 1999
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm (GMT)
Find out about call charges
Email: nhsbsa.ohsregistrations@nhs.net
You can apply for an S1 up to 90 days before moving to live in an EU country.
You can ask for the form to be sent to your UK address if you need it for your visa application.
For an S1 to be issued, you need to have an address in the EU country you are moving to. This can be a temporary address, but you must contact us and the relevant authority in the country you are moving to, to let them know your new address (if it changes). This prevents important confidential information being sent to the wrong address.
Posted workers
If you're a worker temporarily posted by a UK company to an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland, you may be entitled to health cover funded by the UK in the country you're posted to.
You'll need to apply for a certificate of entitlement known as an S1. S1s show that your state healthcare is paid for by the UK if you live in an EU country or Switzerland.
You can find out more from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC):