School trip abroad - GHIC card

[UnhealthyCopingStrategies]

Does anyone know if you can apply just for a child's health card or is it only possible to do linked to their parent. Just looking into this for the first time due to overseas trip next year.

Thanks in advance.

I had to get a linked one for DS but that was a couple of years ago.

I think you need to have an NI number to apply for one, which presumably rules out anyone under 16 having an individual application.

They are free though and, from memory, get issued pretty quickly so it shouldn't be too much hassle to get one yourself and add DC as a linked person.

I had to do this for my DS a few months ago, and yes I found that it had to be linked to an adult account.

Just apply for one for yourself and add children on there too. Everyone then gets their own GHIC

It's linked but they get their own card.

Thanks all, was just double checking I read that correctly. They said online it's approved in 24hrs and card(s) sent in 2 weeks.

We've just renewed one in our household and yes those timescales sound right if not quicker.

I applied for DD's at the end of last week and it arrived a couple of days ago.

@UnhealthyCopingStrategies if you have an existing ghic then you can apply to add a child one onto your details

https://faq.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/knowledgebase/article/KA-26804/en-us

If you don't have one you would do your application and add your child's details to that.

Great, thanks all