European Health Insurance

Health insurance will cover individuals for any accidents and illnesses they may have during their stay in another country. It’s just one of the ways of staying safe when studying abroad in Europe, read below for more information.

Do I need Health insurance abroad?

Did you know that health insurance is mandatory for each and every citizen living in Switzerland? That means if you intend to live in the country for longer than three months then you must purchase your own health insurance. This includes students on degree courses that last longer than three months at a time, which is most likely.

What is a European health insurance card?

If you a UK citizen your health insurance is the National Health Service – NHS – and that is valid for the whole continent. You do need to obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) (sometimes referred to as an NHS European health insurance card or the E11 European health insurance card) which proves you are covered by health insurance in your home country, and you cannot be refused treatment.

If you do not have or lose your EHIC card at the time of an unplanned medical incident, then you may need to pay for the costs upfront and be reimbursed later (make sure you keep all of the receipts) and make sure you have the most up-to-date European health insurance card UK.

You will also need to keep an eye on your European health insurance card renewal date as well. You must remember to renew European health insurance card, otherwise, you will struggle to do anything at all.

If you a UK citizen your health insurance is the National Health Service – NHS – and that is valid for the whole continent.

Unplanned Healthcare

This means that if you unexpectedly fall ill or are involved in an accident, the country which you are currently situated cannot refuse to give you treatment. However there is a big difference between unplanned healthcare and planned medical treatment, this can refer to going overseas to undergo treatment for surgery which is not covered by your health insurance.

How much does the EHIC card cost?

The EHIC is free of charge, and you can apply for or renew your card online.

Your European health insurance card replacement should not cost you any money at all, so if you’ve been paying, well...maybe have a look into that.

Is my NHS European health insurance card renewal free?

Yes, it is!

You should, therefore, be aware of websites that charge you a fee for renewal as these are a scam, you should be getting a free European health insurance card, not a paid one. You should always look into renew European health insurance card free.

How do I renew my European health insurance card?

So how do I renew my European health insurance card?

When it comes to your European health insurance card renew, you can register for a renewal of your EHIC card for free on the EHIC website, wherein you will be able to apply for the card free of charge, just make sure you remember your European health insurance card login.

This is is also useful for a lost European health insurance card. Just make sure that you report a European health insurance card lost when filling out renewal reasons when you’re renewing European health insurance card.

The EHIC is free of charge, and you can apply for or renew your card online.

You need to do research when searching for how to renew my European health insurance card.

What does the EHIC card mean?

The EHIC card will enable you access to state-provided healthcare in European Economic Area Countries (EEA), including Switzerland at a reduced cost or sometimes for free. It will cover treatment until you return to the UK. It can also cover treatment for pre-existing medical conditions and routine maternity care, providing the reason for your health visit in another country is not specifically to give birth. You can check what is covered in each country in this country-by-country guide.

What do I do if my European health insurance card has expired?

We recommend looking into a renewal of the EHIC card and filling out your European health insurance card application and getting it looked at.

Your European health insurance cards are so important, so if you have a European health insurance card expired, we recommend you get on with renewing and looking into activating your card renewed, same if you have lost European health insurance card.

How do I apply for an EHIC card?

You can apply via the official EHIC online application form (EHIC application form). However, beware of unofficial websites which state you have to pay for them as it is false.

You can also apply by phoning 0300 3301350, or download the application form and return it to the NHS Business Services Authority, there are plenty of ways to apply for European health insurance card.

What do I need to apply for an EHIC card?

A main applicant for the EHIC must be a resident in the UK, and of British, other EU/EEA or Swiss nationality to be eligible for the card. You can provide a National Insurance (NI) or NHS number, for example, as it can help to prove certain applicants are entitled to hold an EHIC.

However, residents of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are not eligible for an EHIC Card. If you live in another EEA country, and you receive a state pension, or any other benefit paid to you when you move abroad, you may be entitled to a UK-issued EHIC card.

We recommend looking into a renewal of the EHIC card and filling out your European health insurance card application and getting it looked at.

Is there anything that my EHIC card doesn’t cover?

There is a number of things that your EHIC card doesn’t cover and general European health insurance will need to be considered for that reason.

There are a few things to consider first though, such as:

• Non-EU nationals can’t use their EHIC card for medical treatment in Denmark.
• Croatian nationals cannot use their EHIC card in Switzerland
• The card will not help you with rescue and repatriation – it can’t bring you back home free of charge if you fall seriously ill, or suffer an incapacitating accident while in another EU country.
• You will need separate insurance cover for this which we recommend.
• The EHIC card does not cover you for private healthcare or any costs related to planned treatment in another EU country.

Obviously, a European health insurance card (EHIC) is extremely useful, but it’s worth remembering the limitations of the card and how it cannot always bail you out of any issues you have.

Do I need any other type of cover?

We do recommend purchasing additional health insurance coverage for the dates you are studying abroad in case of emergencies. You should make sure your additional health insurance will cover any places you intend to travel and any activities you may take part in e.g. swimming, surfing or mountain climbing.

Rescue and save policies is another service which can incur high costs without insurance, for example, if you were out on a tour guide and fell into a well, the local services would need to come to rescue you, and you would be charged for these services. You should always have a look at some health insurance before flying abroad as a matter of self-preservation.

Students studying abroad should carry their EHIC card and any information regarding their health insurance with them at all times in case of emergencies. In some cases, you may receive health care when abroad but will be charged, if this is the case you can apply to receive the rebate from the NHS in the UK after you are out of hospital or once the care has finished its course. It’s important to have a study abroad back up plan, don’t rely on a course/university/country, keep your options open, there are lots of places to study in Europe.