EHIC

What is the EHIC ?

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is an insurance coverage document essential for citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland travelling or temporarily staying in another Member State. The card gives you the right to healthcare in the following countries :

The EHIC is a personal document, registered and free of charge. Every member of the family must have his own card, including the children.

*The EHIC is valid in Australia, even though this country is not part of Europe. More information can be found here.

**The card is not valid in the Turkish part of Cyprus.

What is the purpose of the EHIC ?

The EHIC can be used to demonstrate that you are insured and that the medical care you have received during your temporary stay abroad can be financed under the same conditions as for an insured person from that country.

The card is only valid in the PUBLIC health system.

Attention, the EHIC :

• cannot be used for private medical costs;
• is not an alternative to travel insurance such as MUTAS;
• does not cover repatriation or loss/theft of property;
• does not cover your costs if you travel specifically to obtain medical treatment;
• is not a guarantee that the services will be free of charge. Health systems vary from country to country, and services that are free in your country may need to be paid in another country.

What information is available on the EHIC ?

The European Health Insurance Card contains only the surname and first name of the cardholder, his personal identification number, his date of birth and the expiry date of the validity period of the card. There are no medical records on it.

What is the period of validity of the card ?

Tickets delivered in Belgium are valid for 2 years. The validity date is on the lower right corner of the card.

How is the EHIC used ?

• Present your EHIC to the PUBLIC health care provider/hospital : 
  • Show your EHIC to prove that you are covered by your country's health insurance. In most cases you will not have to pay the full amount of the medical care. The medical costs will be arranged directly between the health authorities of the country where you reside and your health insurance fund. You may still have to pay a personal share. Check with your health insurance fund if there is a possibility of an additional refund a posteriori.
• If the EHIC is refused because : 
  • the hospital/provider is not part of the public health sector 
  • the care is not covered by the EHIC (planned care, not reimbursable, …) 

we advise you to keep all original medical documents (cash cards, doctor's orders and medical records, etc.) and to submit a refund application  a posteriori  for your health insurance fund.

Important: As a member of the Mutualités Neutres, you automatically receive urgent medical assistance thanks to Mutas. In case of hospitalisation, all you have to do is call Mutas within 48 hours. More information about this service can be found here.

How do you get your EHIC ?

If your contribution under the compulsory health insurance is correct, you can apply for this card free of charge from your health insurance fund in various ways.

Online request :

1. Online request online ticket office of your health insurance fund.
2. See the section dedicated to the EHIC.
3. Follow the instructions to complete the online request form.
4. Check that you have provided all the required information.
5. Once the application has been submitted, your EHIC will be sent to you by post at the address you have provided. In your online ticket office, a PDF version of the document will also be available for information.

Personal request :

Contact your health insurance fund :

• by phone
• by email
• or make an appointment in an office of your health insurance fund

What should you do if you forget/lose your EHIC ?

If you have forgotten or lost your card, you can ask your health insurance fund to fax or e-mail you a certificate of replacement of the EHIC. This certificate gives you the same rights as your card.

What if I travel without the card and need medical care ?

The fact that you are not in possession of your card doesn't prevent you from receiving medically necessary or urgent medical care during your trip. Without the card, you will need to pay the bills and then submit a reimbursement request to your health insurance fund. Make sure to keep all the evidence and documents (invoices, payment receipts, prescriptions, medical reports, etc.) that prove you received medical care. More information on this is available here.

Being abroad doesn't mean you can’t order a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). For more information, you can check here.

Remember that if you are affiliate at the Neutrale Ziekenfondsen, you can rely on emergency medical assistance abroad through our MUTAS alarm center.

Please note that the criteria for eligibility for MUTAS travel assistance are outlined in Article 34 of the statutes of the National Union of Neutrale Ziekenfondsen and are available here.

What can I do if my health insurance fund does not want to provide me with an EHIC ?

A European health insurance card, or in the absence of a provisional replacement certificate if the card is not immediately available, will be delivered to you on condition that your compulsory insurance is in order at your health insurance fund. 

If not, you can appeal by lodging a complaint with SOLVIT.

Legislation

Article 19, paragraph 1 and Article 27, paragraph 1 of Regulation 883/2004 of April 29, 2004: regarding the right to healthcare abroad.

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32004R0883

Article 25, Section A, Paragraph 3 of Regulation 987/2009, 16/9/2009: regarding the document (EHIC).

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32009R0987

Interesting links

INAMI :

INAMI -  Vacances dans l’Espace économique européen (EEE) ou en Suisse (Text only available in Dutch or French)

European Commission :

European Commission - European Health Insurance Card

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