European health insurance card
Persons insured by the Estonian Health Insurance Fund, who are staying temporarily in another Member State, receive required health care on equal terms to insured people living in such country.
Medical necessity must incur during a stay in another country; it should be medically justified, and the doctor has to take into account the expected duration of the stay and nature of health care.
Medical necessity also includes pregnancy-related consultations and giving birth in another state for family reasons or under extraordinary conditions and services required for chronic illnesses, such as kidney dialysis, oxygen therapy, specialized care of asthma, echocardiography in chronic autoimmune diseases, chemotherapy-related illnesses).
To receive medical treatment, a patient should provide to medical institution their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), or a replacement certificate and an identity document. The right to receive health services on the basis of the EHIC is only in these medical institutions that belong to the public health care system (it does not include private clinics). If a person receives medical care in relation to accident at work or occupational disease, they are compensated on the basis of formal certificate E123 or DA1.
NB! Please note that the EHIC does not cover all costs that may accompany necessary medical care. The patient shall pay the self-liability fees (visitation fee, in-patient fee, co-payment, etc.) according to local rates. EHIC does not cover transnational transport costs or private doctor fees. We recommend concluding a travel insurance contract at a private insurance company. Depending on the insurance conditions, this contract will ensure the reimbursement of the patient’s personal expenses. This service is provided by private insurances and the Health Insurance Fund does not regulate this field. Using the European health insurance card or its replacement certificate is not allowed if the person does not have health insurance. In Estonia, health insurance is verified with an identification document.
Sample of the card (.jsp)
Samples of the cards of other countries (.jsp)
The EHIC allows receiving necessary medical treatment in the following countries:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain, Netherlands, Croatia, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, France, Sweden, Romania, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, Great Britain, Switzerland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Hungary.
How to apply for a card?
EHIC and its replacement certificate can only be applied for by persons with valid health insurance. EHIC will be delivered within 10 days. EHIC is free of charge
The card can be applied for:
- through the citizen portal http://www.eesti.ee,
- by bringing an application personally to a customer service office,
- by sending an application to the Health Insurance Fund’s customer service office via regular mail,
- by sending a digitally signed application to the Health Insurance Fund by e-mail to info [at] haigekassa.ee (info[at]tervisekassa[dot]ee).
The application form in Estonian is available on the Health Insurance Fund’s website, offices of Eesti Post, and at the Health Insurance Fund’s customer service offices.
You can order EHIC via regular mail to a specified address, to your address in the population register, or have it delivered to a Health Insurance Fund’s customer service where you can collect it from. After submitting an application for a EHIC you need to confirm it. EHIC can be applied for by a person who is at least 15 years old and has a passport or an ID card. A parent or a representative can apply for the card for a child of under 19 years of age. When represented by another person, according to the law, it is possible to order the card by submitting an application on paper or a digitally signed application to the Health Insurance Fund. An application must be accompanied by a document certifying the right of representation.
EHIC is issued to persons under 19 years of age with the validity period of 5 years, but for no longer than up to becoming 19 years old. EHIC is issued to persons at least 19 years old with the validity period of 3 years, but for no longer than for the presumable duration of the person’s health insurance.