SA29. Your social security insurance, benefits and healthcare rights in the European Economic Area
Medical services
29. Other EEA countries
You usually have to pay into a state sickness insurance fund or a private healthcare scheme to be covered for healthcare in most other EEA countries. This depends on the law of the country you go to. The contributions you pay usually cover you for both cash sickness benefits and healthcare.
To help you meet the rules of the other EEA country, the UK national insurance contributions you paid when you were self-employed or working for an employer may be used. You may need form E104. This tells the other country about times when you were insured in the UK. You can get it from HM Revenue and Customs.
The UK can only cover you for healthcare in another EEA country if sections 30-37 apply to you. If you remain insured in the UK, you will be able to get healthcare under the other country's scheme as though you were insured there. But you may have to pay part or all of the costs of some services which are free of charge under the NHS.