What is the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)?
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is a card that entitles you to free or reduced-cost medical treatment in European Union (EU) countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The EHIC covers you for most medical treatment that may become necessary, including treatment for pre-existing medical conditions. It also covers you for routine maternity care, as long as you’re not going to the country to give birth. The EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance. It will not cover any private medical healthcare or costs, so you should make sure you have both an EHIC and a good travel insurance policy in place before you travel.
What does the EHIC cover?
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is a free card that gives you the right to access state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in another European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland. It covers emergency medical treatment and other necessary medical treatment when you are travelling in one or more of these countries.
There are a few things that the EHIC will not cover:
- Treatment that is not medically necessary
- Treatment that is only available privately
- Planned treatment or treatment for an ongoing medical condition
- Treatment for which you have already been referred to a specialist outside of the country you are visiting
- Routine dental treatment
- Routine check-ups
How can I get EHIC?
You can get an EHIC card from your national health service or insurance company if you don’t already have one.
You should expect anywhere from one to two weeks for the processing and delivery of your European health insurance card.
In most cases, the EHIC will remain valid for a number of years. This information can be found on the back of each card.
Please note that if you change your habitual residence to another country, you should use the S1 form instead of the EHIC to receive medical care in your new country of residence.