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What is the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)?

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Date30 Jan 2024

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What is the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)? 

Your personal ID for emergency medical services in Europe. Your EHIC is located on the back of your BARMER e-health card. It will assist you in most EU countries to receive emergency medical treatment. The EHIC works the same way as the e-health card – show your card to the doctor and the costs are billed directly to BARMER. But some doctors will ask you to pay upfront, and if this happens, you’ll have to settle the costs directly with the doctor and then send BARMER the invoice for reimbursement.

Important: BARMER can only cover costs if the medical services you receive are also included in the public healthcare system of that country. And we only reimburse the amount that the same treatment would cost in Germany. Medical repatriation as well as search and rescue services are not covered by the EHIC. To protect your financial security, it’s important to take out additional travel health insurance when traveling outside Germany.

In which countries can I use the EHIC?

It depends on your nationality. EU nationals can use their EHIC within the EU and some other EEA countries (Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). However, in most cases, non-EU nationals cannot use their EHIC in Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Lichtenstein – in this case, an additional travel health insurance is essential when travelling to these countries.

Is additional travel health insurance affordable?

Yes, very affordable. Additional travel health insurance costs around 20 euro a year, which can provide you with all the additional cover you need in the case of an accident or illness. If you’re a legal resident of Germany, you have the same right to affordable travel insurance as a German citizen.

How do I find a foreign travel health insurance?

Contact our partner HUK Coburg Health Insurance. Although there are many companies in Germany that offer affordable and reliable travel health insurance, we recommend our partner HUK Coburg Health Insurance. BARMER members enjoy exclusive rates and conditions for foreign travel health insurance and other additional insurances, too.

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