Falling ill on a trip in the EU: the European Health Insurance Card
What you’re covered for if you need a doctor or a hospital on a trip to another EU country, what you’re not covered for and what to do if you’re charged.
General information, not legal advice. What you’re entitled to depends on your trip, the country, the carrier and the rules in force. If your case is complicated, check with the relevant authority or a professional. More in the terms of use.
What it is and how to get it
- It proves you have health insurance in an EU country. If you suddenly fall ill during a temporary stay —a holiday, work or studies— you’re treated with the same rights as people insured in that country.
- It’s always free, and you ask your health insurer for it before you travel. Beware of websites that claim to «sell» it: they’re a scam.
- If you’re not a national of an EU country, you can’t use it in Denmark, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, with some exceptions.
What it covers
Any necessary care that can’t wait until you’re back. There’s no closed list: the doctor decides, based on your condition and how long your stay is.
It also covers pregnancy, including an unplanned birth, and chronic conditions. If you need dialysis, oxygen therapy or chemotherapy, arrange it before you travel with whoever will provide it.
What it doesn’t cover
Private healthcare, rescue (for example at a ski resort), repatriation, lost or stolen belongings, and treatment you travel abroad to get. For that you need travel insurance: it isn’t compulsory within the EU, but it’s recommended.
If you’re charged
With the card
You pay the same as someone insured in that country: if it’s free there, you pay nothing. If you have to pay, claim the money back from that country’s body or from your insurer when you’re home; you’re reimbursed under the rules of the country where you were treated.
Without the card, or in private healthcare
They can’t refuse to treat you, but you may have to pay everything, and in some countries you’re charged as a private patient even at a public centre. Back home, your insurer only reimburses what you’d be covered for in your own country, and at most what it would cost there.
If you lose it or it’s stolen
Your health authority can send you a provisional replacement certificate, by fax or email, which gives you the same rights as the card.
What to do, step by step
- Before you travel, ask your health insurer for the card, free of charge, and take it with you.
- If you fall ill, go to a doctor or a hospital in the country’s public system and show the card.
- Keep every bill and medical report.
- If you paid, claim the money back there, from the country’s body, or when you’re home, from your health insurer.
- If you’re unsure what you’ll get back, every EU country has at least one National Contact Point for cross-border healthcare.
Official sources
- Healthcare cover for temporary stays in another EU countryYour Europe (European Commission) · Checked on 6 October 2026
- Unplanned healthcare: payments and reimbursementsYour Europe (European Commission) · Checked on 6 October 2026
- FAQ on healthcare cover for temporary staysYour Europe (European Commission) · Checked on 6 October 2026
Last reviewed: 6 October 2026