GESY eligibility

Thee should be one on the MRC1

I have my UK pension but can't see where to find online S1 form?  Any ideas?

I phoned the DWP

I recvd an email from NHS with a link to download the S1. If DWP do not help try NHS Business Services Authority +44 191 218 1999

In my letter they said that I was no longer eligible  for UK health treatment and needed to de register with my doctor. Make sure I have health insurance if I visit the UK as well lol

That's strange as I had my UK EHIC reissued 2020 valid for 5 years ...

I knew about the inability of accessing a NHS GP ... but am sure emergency treatment while in UK as a visitor is still available...  Not for non-uk residents accessing NHS as they would had they been UK residents

You can still apply for a Cyprus issued ehic though

But as everyone says Ehic/ Ghic are no substitute for travel medical / insurance

S1 and other Health cover documents are administered by the Overseas Healthcare Team. You can contact them by any of these methods:

Post:

Overseas Healthcare Team

Room M0135

Durham House

Washington

Tyne and Wear

NE38 7SF

Phone: 44 191 2181999 between the hours of 8am and 5pm (United Kingdom time).

E-mail: OVERSEAS.HEALTHCARE@DWP.GSI.GOV.UK

@phildraper Your comment prompted me to checkout our cards.... - we eventually found our cards and OH card was due to expire later this year... so we applied for the renewal and this is the reply we literally just got ...

Your UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) application has been successful

OHS reference number: xxxxxxxx

Dear xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx

Thank you for your application for a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).

Your application has been successful.

We’ll post your new card to the address you provided in your application. You’ll usually receive it within 15 working days and can use it as soon as you receive it.

It may take longer to receive your card at busier times of the year, but you can still get healthcare cover abroad without your card. See the section titled ‘Getting treatment abroad if you do not have your card’ for more details.

If you have added anyone else to your application, you’ll receive a separate email for each person to advise you about their UK GHIC.

Using your UK GHIC abroad

You can continue to access healthcare in your country of residence using your S1 entitlement. However, you should use your UK GHIC when you’re travelling abroad. This will provide you with access to medically necessary, state-funded healthcare at the same rate as a resident of that country. Check our website to see where you can use your card.

To use your UK GHIC, you’ll need to present it to the treatment facility you are attending. You may need to pay a co-payment or patient contribution, depending on the country you are receiving treatment in.

Check the GOV.UK foreign travel advice for the country or territory you’re planning to visit.

Your UK 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.

Getting treatment abroad if you do not have your card

If you need state-funded treatment while visiting another country and do not have your card with you, a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC) can provide the same cover temporarily.

You can only apply for a PRC from the time you need treatment. A PRC can provide cover for treatment that has already taken place, but one cannot be issued in advance.

Further information

For general enquiries, you can use our online Knowledge Base, visit our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter.

You can also find out more about your data rights and how we use your information.

Kind regards

Overseas Healthcare Services

Mine (EHIC) is still valid till 2025 so will apply for the GHIC when it becomes due...

@toon looks like more mixed messages then. But as you mentioned health insurance is probably best. I am sure if in an emergency I rock up at the A&E they will treat me without asking where I live. I am not expecting to go to the UK for a hip or knee replacement as it will be far faster in Cyprus :-/

Emergency treatment is free to anyone in UK ....

I will also check the health card situation as I still have one with my passport. If expired I will apply online for a GHIC

I Recvd an email from NHS with a link to download the S1. I guess this is a result of HMRC using the details from the P85 I completed when I left the UK  Dec 2022. If you have not recd it you can call NHS.

I found this when I was trawling my emails for information...

GESY - IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR S1 HOLDERS ie UK State pensioners & their dependents

Regarding GESY, to avoid being asked for contributions, those who are S1 holders are requested please to send an email to one of the following addresses quoting:

Full name

Date of birth

ID no

Email to the Medical Card Department in the Ministry of Health to Mr Soteris Stratis (sstratis@moh.gov.cy) or Mrs Tasoula Michael (tmichael@papd.mof.gov.cy) for a confirmation letter to certify that you are not subject to contributions for GESY according to the General Health System Law of 2001.

Married couples should please send one email showing details of both husband and wife.  A confirmation letter will be issued addressed to the husband, or pensioner in the marriage.

It is important to apply for this letter to avoid problems with the tax department trying to claim contributions.   If you have neighbours/friends who do not have internet/email, could you please assist them by applying on their behalf.

The letter will apply for an indefinite period.

At long last eventually got my missus registered and enrolled into Gesy after 6 weeks backwards and forwards emails personal visits and phone calls...  We had done this 4 years ago and for some reason it got cancelled so had to go through a nightmare of a re-evaluation process and all because data input was incorrect  ...

So check all the details 

@Toon Thanks for this information. I emailed the people you mentioned in the post yesterday evening with the needed information and received a response by 09:30 the next morning with the exemption letters attached. How is that for service?

@MacGeorge8035 glad to be of service kind sir

@Toon I received a follow up email which I have include below which says you no longer need to get an letter form the MoH to get an exception from contributing to GESY if you are a holder of an S1. What I find strange is I did get sent a letter telling me and my wife that we were exempt from paying contributions to GESY.

email from MoH

”Dear Sir/Madam,

Please note that White Medical Card holders can use the information on their white medical card for the tax declaration and they will be able to be excluded from GeSY contributions.

If you still need a confirmation for GeSY contributions exception, because you are deducted GeSY contributions from an authority other than the Tax department, please contact us again and give details.

Best regards,”

When I complete my tax return I have to include my tax exemption number in the exemption certificate in order not to have 2.65% gesy tax applied to my declared income

I guess this is just another change to an ever-changing set of rules etc... The 2022 online taxisnet tax returns arent as yet available to complete..  but when they are I will try inputting the white medical card information in the section regarding gesy contributions see what preview shows up

@phildraper  missus finally received her new UK issued  GHIC card this morning.. .

@toon I applied online and recvd a email saying they needed more info and when I replied not had a response yet!

@Toon hope you are well Toon, we have been to the doctors surgery today to register for Gesy but were told as we only have temporary residency we cannot apply until we have been here 5 years and have full residency 😪😪

Gesy eligibility depends on employment  and paying social contributions or on being on state pension. Are you on state pension if so then your gesy healthcare will be covered by UK NHS .. if not then you will need to pay for private healthcare until you are and at the earliest 5 yrs residency  as thats when you can apply for permanent residency and automatically entitled to apply for gesy

@Toon my husband is retired and recieves uk state pension

Then they must accept you both as being paid for by the UK state NHS for healthcare

You must get your. Form S1 from UK DWP and have your married spouse included in yo ur form S1.... and that includes a UK issued ehic / ghic

Applied for mine on the 26th July 2023 and status is still showing pending lol

@phildraper

Yep it seems nothing can happen until the powers that be issue residency certs cards