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Guidance

Apply for healthcare cover in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland (CA8454)

How to apply for the healthcare entitlement certificate (S1) for your dependents or for you and your dependents if you are taking maternity, paternity or adoption leave in the listed countries.

Updates to this page

From:
HM Revenue & Customs
Published:
2 November 2020
Last updated:
25 April 2025
Show all updates

  1. Information about who should use the form and who should not use the form has been updated.

  2. The print and post form has been added in the 'how to apply' section.

  3. We have replaced and updated the existing form to apply for a healthcare entitlement certificate. This covers you or any of your dependents if you are taking maternity, paternity or adoption leave in, or for any dependents living in, one of the listed countries.

  4. Change to the application process for applying for a certificate of coverage where you will now also receive a healthcare entitlement certificate if you qualify. Removed mariner section as an applicant does not need to provide this any longer. A new section has been included so that you can check when you can expect a reply from HMRC after you've applied.

  5. Information about applying for healthcare certificate (including a Portable Document S1, E106 or E109) in the EU, European Economic Area, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland has been added.

  6. Information about applying for healthcare cover in the EU, European Economic Area or Switzerland if you're a student or you're retired has been added.

  7. Changes have recently been made to this page under the section headed ‘How to Apply’. The changes relate to any additional information you may need to provide with your CA8454 application.

  8. More information about what you need to include has been added to the 'If you’re a mariner' section.

  9. This has been updated following the announcement of the UK’s deal with the EU. Use the online service or postal form to apply for a Portable Document S1, E106 or E109 in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland or Liechtenstein.

  10. First published.

Who should use this form

You should use form CA8454 if you need an S1 for:

  • your dependents who live in an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland and you’re only working in the UK

  • your dependents who live in an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland and you’re working at least some of the time in any of those countries, and you have a certificate of coverage (PDA1) that shows you do not need to pay social security contributions in the country you are working in

  • yourself and your dependents and you’re on maternity, paternity or adoption leave, or soon will be, and will live during this period in an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland and before this you were working and living in the UK

When not to use this form

Do not use this form if you only need an S1 for yourself and you are either:

  • living and working in an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland
  • living in an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland and only working in the UK

In these circumstances you should apply for a certificate of coverage and if eligible you will automatically be issued with an S1.

Find more information about National Insurance if you work abroad including certificates of coverage and how to apply.

What you’ll need

If you or an agent complete the application you will need to tell HMRC if you:

  • have changed your name and, if so, what your previous name was
  • are a national of the EU, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland or Liechtenstein and if you have an EU Settlement Scheme status
  • have more than one nationality ― you will need to give details about how you got each one
  • have a family member who is a national of the EU, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland or Liechtenstein ― you will need their details including their relationship with you
  • have the client reference number ― if you are an agent

If you are an agent

If you are an agent working on behalf of your client, your client needs to fill in an authorising your agent (64-8) form.

You should submit the completed form with your CA8454 application form.

How to apply

Apply online

You’ll need to sign in to use this service. If you do not already have sign in details, you can create them when you first apply.

You do not have to fill in the form in one go. You can save your answers and return later.

Start now

Apply by post

  1. Get all of your information together before you start. You will fill this form in online and you cannot save your progress.

  2. Fill in the form on screen.

  3. Print and post it to HMRC, using the postal address shown on the form.

This file may not be suitable if you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader). If you need a more accessible format, email different.format@hmrc.gov.uk and tell us what format you need. It will help if you tell us what assistive technology you use. Read the accessibility statement for HMRC forms.

Email HMRC to ask for this form in Welsh.

What happens next 

We’ll confirm and send a healthcare cover certificate if you’re eligible for this period abroad.

Check when you can expect a reply

You can check when you can expect a reply from HMRC about the application that you have submitted.

Sign up for emails or print this page

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