When travelling abroad, immediate access to healthcare may be necessary.

The European Health Insurance Card is mandatory in order to receive healthcare from providers in the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, Montenegro, Serbia and the Republic of North Macedonia.

Who is concerned

All persons enrolled for health and maternity insurance in Luxembourg, who require medical services or urgent medical care while abroad in:

• an EU country;
• an EEA country;
• Switzerland;
• Montenegro;
• Serbia;
• the Republic of North Macedonia.

Prerequisites

The European Health Insurance Card must be valid.

Before leaving on holiday, it is therefore necessary to check the date of validity on the European side of the Luxembourg social security card.

How to proceed

Unscheduled care

In the case of an unexpected illness or an accident in a Member State of the EU, the EEA, Switzerland, Montenegro, Serbia or the Republic of North Macedonia, insured individuals are entitled to the same care as that available to residents of the country of stay.

Such unplanned care may be outpatient or hospital care and does not require prior authorisation. The European side of the social security card allows insured individuals to contact healthcare providers in the country of stay directly.

The European Health Insurance Card cannot however be used for treatments abroad that are planned in advance.

Reimbursement for expenses incurred

When healthcare delivered abroad is necessary, insured individuals may be reimbursed immediately by the health insurance fund in the country in question, at the rates applicable there.

To have their expenses immediately reimbursed, the insured individual must submit the receipted bills to the relevant body in that country.

Reimbursement if the European card is lost or forgotten

Insured individuals must pay the fees for the medical care in advance, and then request reimbursement from the competent health insurance fund in Luxembourg.

To have their expenses reimbursed, they must present the receipted bills, on which the care is described in medical terms (and not codes), in English, French or German.

The competent health insurance fund will determine the cost of the bills with the foreign health insurance fund, and the insured individual will be reimbursed at the rates and prices of the country where the care as delivered.

Healthcare services delivered by non-contract providers, or services not provided for in the country that the insured individual visited, will not be reimbursed.

At the insured individual's express request, healthcare expenses may be reimbursed at Luxembourg rates and prices.

Who to contact