The European Health Insurance Card is a card holder entitlement to healthcare in the United Kingdom and Switzerland. The cardholder shall pay the same fee for the health service as for persons covered by the national social security system. The card is only valid for public healthcare providers, not private institutions.
Example:
If a person requires hospitalisation in the EEA during a trip abroad and presents the European Health Insurance Card, only the patient part is paid.
If an individual does not present a European Health Insurance Card, then one night in a hospital abroad can be very costly. Applications may be made for payment participation upon returning home.
The card is generally valid for three years at a time, and for five years for pensioners with old age or disability. You may apply for a new card with 6 months remaining in the validity period of the current card.
If the card is lost within the period of validity, applications may be made for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) valid for 3 months.
Rights
Who is not entitled to a European Health Insurance Card?
Citizens of EEA countries, United Kingdom or Switzerland who are resident and insured with health insurance in Iceland
Spouses and children of citizens of EEA countries, the UK and Switzerland who are resident and insured in Iceland
Who is not entitled to a European Health Insurance Card?
Persons with nationality outside the EEA countries who are not family members of EEA nationals are invited to apply for a declaration of insurance in Réttindagátt.
Application process
Individuals apply for the card, the card is sent to the applicant's domicile and it takes 10-14 working days for the card to be received.
Card validity period
The European Health Insurance Card is generally valid for three years at a time or five years for recipients of old-age and invalidity pensions, and is not re-issued during the period of validity.
Applications may be made for a new European Health Insurance Card with a validity period of 6 months or less.
The card is invalid if the cardholder is no longer considered health-insured in Iceland, e.g. due to emigration or work abroad.
A card which has expired is prohibited on guarantee at the time it is accepted.
European Electronic Health Insurance Card
Applications for an electronic European Health Insurance Card are made through Ísland.is..
The individual must be valid for the application of a European Health Insurance Card.
The electronic card can be downloaded during the application process, but the card also appears in Iceland.is' digital mailbox.
Children's electronic cards appear in the child's digital mailbox.
Guardians can access children's mailboxes by changing the user in the top right-hand corner.
The period of validity of the electronic card is 3 months.
Electronic cards are inter alia useful when
European Health Insurance Card is lost
Application for a European Health Insurance Card at short notice
Requests for the European Health Insurance Card should be sent to the e-mail address
It should be noted that the European Health Insurance Card does not guarantee repatriation to Iceland due to illness. Travel insurance can be purchased from insurance companies covering repatriation.
European Health Insurance Card
Service provider
Iceland Health