European Health Insurance Card
The European Health Insurance Card, or EHIC, is a non-transferable document that allows its holders to access a series of medical services in a European country different from the one they reside into.
Every EHIC is valid in a total of 32 nations which means all the 27 Countries that are part of the European Union with the addition of European Economic Area countries (Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland) plus Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Applying for a European Health Insurance Card
In order to obtain an EHIC applicants are required to be either a citizen or a legal resident of one of the 32 countries, as listed above, participating in the scheme.
The European Health Insurance card is therefore not accessible to visitors coming from a third country.
Each participating country runs its own application system as EHIC cards are issued by a country’s national health insurance provider and these will usually provide three main ways to submit the application:
- Via telephone
- Online
- In person
The Validity of EHIC card may vary depending on the issuing country and on specific details about its holder.
Since the document is strictly personal and non-transferable each person, children included, are required to hold one.
How does the EHIC work?
What the European Health Insurance Card does is to basically give access to state-provided healthcare services during one’s a temporary stay in any of the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland or the United Kingdom. Such services, when required by the EHIC holder, are provided under the same conditions and at the same costs (if any) as for people that are insured in that country.
Should EU citizens or legal residents find themselves in need of medical care while abroad, they will simply need to show their EHIC card at any public hospital or medical center in the participating country they are visiting.
Once the medical or admin staff confirm that all the EHIC information is correct and up to date, the traveler will be attended and receive treatment like any local patient.
It is essential that travelers remember to have their EHIC original card with themselves all times.
It is also important to notice that holding a valid EHIC does not always allow the EU citizen/resident to receive free medical attention since the costs will depend on the specific regulations of the country the person is visiting.
On a standard basis if a healthcare service is provided without costs to citizens of that one country, then EHIC holders will also have the right to receive free treatment while if such country imposes fees for specific treatments, then EHIC holders will also be required to pay for the same amount without any surcharge.
EHIC coverage and exclusions
EHIC provides holders with the right to receive basic medical care and treatment should such a necessity arise while the person is on a temporary visit in one of the participating countries.
Any EHIC holder is generally entitled to receiving:
- General public healthcare services including treatment for a pre-existing medical condition (if any)
- Routine maternity care with the exclusion of those arriving in the country with the specific intention of giving birth.
Should the need to remain in the country arise, EHIC bearers are covered for up to three months if they are simple visitors while students attending school or college in a participating nation can be covered for up to a full academic year.
Since EHIC is linked to public health providers of the 32 participating countries the card does not give access to medical treatment in private facilities.
Also, since the program is not a private insurance scheme, it does not include cost connected to returning the cardholder to the country of residence, cost of body repatriation in case of death and cost of any medical treatment if this pursuing the named treatment was the original reason for travel.
European Health Insurance Card validity
EHIC’s validity is not the same to all holders; its validity may depend on the regulation of the participating country that issues the document.
Other factors that may affect the validity of the card are:
- Whether the EHIC holder is currently receiving public funds
- Whether the person has recorded financial difficulties
- Whether the card holder is a foreigner residing in the EU, EEA, or Switzerland instead of being a local citizen
The EU Health Insurance Card’s validity is not related to the length of the treatment the person is entitled to receive. In principle, healthcare coverage while abroad in Europe is guaranteed for 3 months while students enrolled in a school or university in a participating country can be covered for up to a full academic year.
EHIC and the United Kingdom
Before February 2022, the United Kingdom’s National Health Service was issuing EHIC to British citizens and resident; after Brexit became official and the United Kingdom has left the EU, the issuance of such documents has stopped.
Program’s new applicants, or with an expired card, from the UK must then now get a GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) which will entitle them to access European healthcare services in the EU and EEA countries. UK citizens and residents who hold an EHIC which is still valid can are entitled to use it until its expiration date.
On the other hand EU issued EHICs are still valid and accepted by the UK National Health System (NHS) and it guarantees holders the same standards of healthcare services and care granted to UK citizens and residents.
Despite the fact that EHIC and GHIC are mutually recognized, UK and EU institutions alike strongly recommend travelers to also subscribe a private health insurance to cover them during the time of their stay abroad.