CyprusLiving

Just had my Cyprus Medical Card automatically renewed and now I notice that the EHIC card issued by the UK expires next month.

Will a new one be automatically sent out to me?

Many thanks

The answer is No. Ours expired in early December, we just phoned up Newcastle Dept of Health and they posted new ones out. They arrived
in 5 days.
You can apply up to 6 months before the expiry date; but the new ones are valid 5 years from the date of issue.
The number to ring is: 0044 191 218 1999 8.00 am - 5.00 pm M-F
They will want to know your N.I. Numbers and E121 or S1 number/s.
As you are living in Cyprus on a permanent basis the EHIC card they issue you with will be valid in all EU Member
States EXCEPT Cyprus, but including UK.
Such a card would normally be issued by the Country you now live in, and used to be here. But UK and Cyprus have an
arrangement whereby UK issues it.
Newcastle will help you - we found them very helpful, polite, and understanding.
Geoff.

If you live in Cyprus you need a EHIC from Cyprus, not the UK.

Mike Strand wrote:If you live in Cyprus you need a EHIC from Cyprus, not the UK.

Not if you are on a state pension you don't , it has to come from the UK .

Agree with number 6

Trev..

Thank you all and especially geoffreys2 for the detailed information.

Originally my EHIC card was issued by Paphos Hospital and when that expired five years ago I applied to the UK for the current EHICcard and it was duly posted to me.

I shall contact the UK tomorrow.

Thanks

I renewed my EHIC yesterday and wasn't asked for either NI number or E121. They just checked that my name and address was still the same. No problem!!
Pops

I understood that if you had Cyprus residency then it was not possible to use the EHIC (issued in the UK) in Cyprus. That's why one has to register with the Hospital if one wishes to use the General.

Wikipedia makes the arrangement clear, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_H ... rance_Card

In this it says, "The reason for the existence of this card, is that the right to health care in Europe is based on the country of legal residence, not the country of citizenship"

Mike is right, however the OP doesn't actually say which of the two types of EHIC issued by the UK he wants to renew.
My earlier reply was based on the one they issue if you are resident here and no longer resident in the UK - as the OP stated
he is now a resident here.
As I said earlier if he gets one of those he cannot use it here (as you say) but CAN use it in the UK, point being that once
you are resident HERE you are no longer entitled to NHS treatment in the UK if you visit the UK.
For treatment here he needs either to get a Cyprus Health Card if he is entitled to one, or take out private health insurance if he isn't.
The other type of EHIC issued by the UK is for UK residents so no use to the OP anyway, and could not be used here if he had one as
he is now a Resident here.
The contact info I gave in Newcastle is for the first type of EHIC.
Geoff.

Just to clarify I am resident here and have the Cyprus Medical Card for use in Cyprus and needed to renew my EHIC card for use in all other European countries including the UK. When I telephoned earlier today I also updated my address as that changed recently. Thank you Geoffrey.

Well after all you people managing very well with your renewals. it was sod's law that it would all go pear shaped for me.
I got the automated machine with press 1 for this, press 2 for the other, press 13 if you want a human (joking).
However eventually I was asked if my S1 was still valid.... How the hell would I know. I was told to phone another department.... I phoned them with the number given and was told I needed the department for overseas.
The department for overseas told me there was NO expiry date for an S1..... and so the afternoon wore on and my credit on my mobile dwindled.

Eventually I spoke to someone who accepted that there was no expiry date on an S1 an took my new address and said new cards would be with me in a few days.

So I now need to get a Pay as you go card to top up my mobile

Trev.. Better now than I was this afternoon.

Just collected my renewed EHIC card from the PO Box. On the back of the accompanying letter it states:

'The EHIC only proves entitlement to necessary NHS services, including the monitoring and treatment of pre-existing conditions, whilst visiting the UK.
It does not prove entitlement to planned treatment, nor treatment that is deemed necessary before your return to the country where you live'.

For Galexinda: But it is valid in the UK (but NOT Cyprus) and is for those like yourself not normally resident in the UK; whereas an EHIC issued to UK Residents is not valid in UK, but is when visiting Cyprus.
I wish to avoid confusion the UK would call them EHIC (NR) and EHIC (R).
Geoff.

We are permanent residents in Cyprus, so telephoned 0044 218 1999 today to renew our cards and was put through to a very helpful lady who asked for the number on our existing cards (beginning with UK), confirmation of our address, date of birth and said we would have the new cards in around 2 weeks. Simple.
Dee

I just found my card on Monday..... it expired in Sept 2010

geoffreys2 wrote:For Galexinda: But it is valid in the UK (but NOT Cyprus) and is for those like yourself not normally resident in the UK; whereas an EHIC issued to UK Residents is not valid in UK, but is when visiting Cyprus.
I wish to avoid confusion the UK would call them EHIC (NR) and EHIC (R).
Geoff.

I've lost your logic Geoff. Is there a problem here that I've missed?

I am resident in the UK and have a UK issued EHIC. Why should I worry about it not being valid in the UK when I have no need to rely on it in the UK ... I am entitled to NHS treatment by virtue of being resident in the UK. My card is of course valid when I am in Cyprus. So I am covered, one way or the other, in the UK, Cyprus, other EEA countries and Switzerland.

If I was a UK pensioner residing in Cyprus, I understand that my EHIC card would not be valid in Cyprus, my country of residence. But why should that bother me? As a UK pensioner residing in Cyprus I would be entitled to the Cyprus NHS so I wouldn't be put out by the EHIC " not working" in Cyprus. Again, I would be covered, one way or another, for NHS healthcare in all EEA countries and Switzerland.

Have I missed your point?

By the way, do you ever worry that your EHIC has limited global valudity and is not valid in countries outside of the EEA and Switzerland? Russia for example? Well don't worry, although your EHIC isn't valid in Russia, your British passport is. You are entitled to free urgent or immediate treatment in Russian state hospitals under a reciprocal agreement.

Reply to Keving:
Galexina in his post of 21st Jan made it clear he was a permanent resident here in Cyprus.
Your post states you are a UK resident.
Thus his EHIC will be a different one from yours.
There are two types issued by the UK, depending on residency.
Good news about Russia, another facet Comrade Putin has a grip on it seems.
Geoff.