tarjeta sanitaria europea 1

You are a European citizen and you have moved to a different European country from your home country. Do you know what health care rights you have? Will you be treated in a hospital in a country other than your home country? Do you have the right to be assigned a general practitioner? What happens if you need medication? The answer to all these questions is yes. As a European citizen, you have the right to be treated in a hospital, to see a doctor and to have access to medicines. You get all these rights by acquiring a European Health Insurance Card. But what is the European Health Insurance Card? At People Global Relocation we explain it to you.

What are the functions of the European Health Insurance Card?

The European Health Insurance Card, hereinafter TSE, will allow you full access to the public health mechanisms of your destination country. In other words, it will cover any medical needs during your stay in a foreign European country. However, it will depend on your country of destination whether these medical needs will be at a reduced cost or free of charge. These needs include:

  • Urgent health care, both for accidents and common illnesses.
  • Treatment for chronic or pre-existing illnesses that need to be treated during your stay.
  • Pregnancy and assistance during childbirth.

Who is entitled to the European Health Insurance Card?

To acquire the European Health Insurance Card, the applicant must be covered by the Social Security system of any Member State of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

How to apply for it?

Each country is responsible for issuing and distributing the card in its territory. In the case of Spain, it is currently possible to apply for the first time and to renew it online. In order to make this application, you will be asked for some personal details such as your name and surname, Social Security number or address.

Once you apply, you will normally receive it at your home address within 10 working days. However, you should bear in mind that, in some cities such as Madrid, Barcelona or Valencia, this period can be extended up to 15 days due to a backlog of applications.

The European Health Insurance Card will be valid for 5 years from the date of issue. The expiry date will be indicated on the front of the card.

How to use the European Health Insurance Card?

It is very important that you carry your European Health Insurance Card with you at all times. Whether or not you will be asked for it when receiving medical care will depend on the European country you are in. This is why we recommend that you always carry it with you. Otherwise, you may be charged up to 4,000 euros, depending on the type of medical care you receive.

Here are some examples:

In countries like England, it is not a major problem if you forget your card at home. Here, emergency care is universal and you will be treated without any problems. However, in other countries such as Switzerland, if you do not have your European Health Insurance Card with you and you are not willing to pay for health services, you will be refused any kind of care.

We hope this post has been helpful, and remember that we are available to answer all your questions. You can also read more useful posts like this one on our blog.

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