European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

With the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), people with statutory health insurance can receive medical services throughout Europe. The card is valid in all EU countries as well as some other European states. Those with statutory health insurance in Germany do not need to apply for the EHIC. It is printed on the back of the insurance card.

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) has standard features throughout Europe. This guarantees that the card can be recognized and used in all European member states. With it, the insured person can receive treatment under the public system (hospitals and doctors) in other EU countries. However, the EHIC is not valid with healthcare providers from the private sector.

Those who have left their EHIC at home must quickly contact their statutory health insurance company in their home country and request a “Provisional Replacement Certificate of the European Health Insurance Card” (PEB). This replacement certificate can also be sent at short notice by fax or e-mail. The patient then presents the PEB to the attending physician in the host country.

Please note: An EHIC can only be obtained by those with statutory health insurance in an EU member state. Those who have private health insurance within the EU or come from a country that is not a member of the EU cannot obtain an EHIC. These persons must fall back on private forms of insurance.

Treatment with the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
Presentation of the EHIC is sufficient to receive medical treatment in any EU country as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, in the event of an accident or acute illness. You are then entitled to all medically necessary services during your stay. The patient's statutory health insurance provider reimburses the costs incurred.

In Germany, patients must fill out the “Patient Declaration of European Health Insurance” form on which they choose the German statutory health insurance fund which will initially pay for the medical services and then settle with the health insurance fund in their home country. You can select any statutory health insurance fund. The doctor will provide you with the “Patient Declaration of European Health Insurance” form and help you to fill it out.

Here you can find the “Patient Declaration of European Health Insurance” form.

No planned treatments with EHIC
In cases where insured persons have consciously decided to receive treatment abroad (as opposed to acute illnesses arising while abroad), the insured persons must clarify with the statutory health insurance provider beforehand whether it will cover the costs. This also applies to chronically ill patients where the illness requires special medical monitoring or necessitates special treatments or equipment (for example, dialysis treatments). The EHIC only covers immediate and necessary medical care (for example, broken legs, acute tooth pain, viral infections, and similar emergencies) and ongoing care for chronic conditions such as diabetes.

The EHIC is valid in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) in other languages
German: Europäische Krankenversicherungskarte (EHIC)
English: European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
French: Carte européenne d’assurance maladie (CEAM)
Spanish: Tarjeta Sanitaria Europea (TSE)

Bulgarian: Европейска здравноосигурителна карта (ЕЗОК)
Danish: Forelægger et europæisk sygesikringskort (EHIC)
Greek: ευρωπαϊκή κάρτα ασφάλισης ασθένειας (EΚΑΑ)
Italian: Tessera Europea di Assicurazione Malattia (TEAM)
Croatian: Europsku karticu zdravstvenog osiguranja (EHIC)
Dutch: Europese gezondheidskaart (EHIC-pas)
Polish: Europejską Kartą Ubezpieczenia Zdrowotnego (EKUZ)
Romanian: Card european de asigurări sociale de sănătate (CEASS)
Czech: Evropského průkazu zdravotního pojištění (EHIC)
Hungarian: Európai Egészségbiztosítási Kártyával (EHIC)

Provisional Replacement CertificateThose unable to present their EHIC may present the Provisional Replacement Certificate as a substitute. The health insurance company issues the Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC) in the visitor's home country.

German: Provisorische Ersatzbescheinigung (PEB)
English: Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC)
French: Certificat provisoire de remplacement (CPR)
Spanish: Certificado Provisional Sustitutorio (CPS)

Bulgarian: Удостоверение за временно заместване (УВЗ)
Danish: Provisorisk erstatningsbevis (PEB)
Greek: Πιστοποιητικό Προσωρινής Αντικατάστασης (ΠΠΑ)
Italian: Certificato Sostitutivo Provvisorio (PEB)
Dutch: Voorlopig vervangend ziekteverzekeringsbewijs (PEB)
Polish: Certyfikatem Zastępczym (PEB)
Romanian: Certificat provizoriu de înlocuire a CEASS (PEB)