Before Departure
Make sure that you have a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which you will present to the medical provider when receiving medical treatment. If you suffer from a chronic illness and you know that you will need specific care during your stay (e.g. a dialysis), we highly recommend that you prearrange it with a medical provider in Slovakia.
Warning for Tourists Travelling to Mountain Resorts
Mountain rescue service and air transport from the slopes are not covered by public health insurance and therefore the European Health Insurance Card cannot be used.
When taking out travel insurance, make sure that it does cover the risks associated with skiing and high-mountain tourism.
Additional submission of Provisional Replacement Certificate (replacing EHIC)
If for some reason (loss, theft) you do not have a European Health Insurance Card with you during your stay in Slovakia, you can contact your Czech health insurance fund at any time to issue a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC) temporarily replacing the European Health Insurance Card. You can request the PRC yourself, via the local carrier of health insurance or via the hospital (in case of hospitalization). You are entitled to receive the PRC.
Healthcare in Slovakia
Mountain rescue service is not covered by public health insurance. We recommend additional insurance for mountain tourism.
EHIC is accepted by healthcare facilities that have a contract with one of the Slovak public health insurance funds.
At the doctor’s office, you will be asked to choose one of his contracted insurance funds.
A referral from a general practitioner is required for specialized outpatient care. Patients usually do not pay for treatment by a specialist.
In case of dental treatment, only the costs of the standard material used are covered; if you require the use of a superior material, you will have to pay the price difference yourself. The doctor must inform you in advance about the additional payment.
Medicines will be prescribed by your general practitioner. You can pick up your prescribed medication at any pharmacy. Medicines are divided into three groups – fully reimbursed, partially reimbursed and not reimbursed.
Medical care and medicines provided during hospitalization are not charged.
The ambulance transporter charges EUR 0.10 per 1 km for transport associated with the provision of medical care. It is paid directly to the transporter after the transport has been carried out. No fee is charged for urgent medical transport.
You can find contractual facilities of Slovak health insurance funds on the following links:
First aid: 112 nebo 155
You pay the following co-payment for treatment:
- Medicine and medical devices € 0,17 per prescription + different amount of co-payment depending on the category of medecineEmergency service – € 2,0 (unless hospitalization follows), emergency doctor visit at home € 10Hospital emergency – € 10(not if you were sent to the hospital after being examined by the outpatient emergency department, nor if there is no outpatient emergency department in the region – in these cases the co-payment is € 2,0)
- Outpatient emergency: Mon – Fri: 16.00 – 22.00, Sat – Sun: 7.00 – 22.00. After 22.00 only emergency services in hospitals
- Dental emergency – € 2,0
- Accompanying person – € 3.30/night (except for persons accompanying children under the age of 3 years, nursing mothers and persons accompanying persons under the age of 18 years undergoing cancer treatment)
- Transport Health Service (except for acute transport)– € 0,10 per km per person.
Reimbursement of costs
If you paid for the health care in cash, contact your Czech health insurance fund with the original invoices. Your Czech health insurance fund will assess whether you are entitled to reimbursement of the costs and in what amount.
Incapacity for work
If you want to claim Czech sick leave due to incapacity for work in the country of residence, contact the attending physician who will issue you a certificate of temporary incapacity for work. If the attending physician does not issue this certificate in Poland, contact the relevant Polish institution.
As soon as possible, send to your employer (self-employed persons the relevant District Social Security Administration (OSSZ) a confirmation of temporary incapacity for work with the expected duration of it together with the form “Application for sick leave in case of incapacity for work in another EU member state”, which can be freely downloaded here.
Where to get more information about the access to healthcare:
- Úrad pre dohlad nad zdravotnou starostlivosťou (liaison body for Slovakia for the area of health care and health insurance)
Žellova 2, 829 24 Bratislava 25, SK
tel.: +421-2-208 56 226
www.udzs-sk.sk - Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa, a. s.
Ružová dolina 606/10,825 21 Bratislava 26, SK
tel.: +421 2 208 25 460, 2 208 25 580
www.vszp.sk. - DÔVERA zdravotná poisťovňa, a. s.
Cintorínska 5, 949 01 Nitra, SK
tel.: +421 377 722 278, 0850 850 850
info@dovera.sk, www.dovera.sk. - Union zdravotná poisťovňa, a. s.
Karadžičova 10, 814 53 Bratislava, SK
tel.: +421 220 811 811, 0850 003 333
www.union.sk.
If you go to Slovakia for planned health care, you will get detailed information from the national contact point:
http://www.nkm.sk/
tel.: +421 2 20856 789.
Contact at Czech embassy:
- Embassy of the Czech Republic in Slovakia
Hviezdoslavovo nám. 8, Bratislava 810 00, P.O.Box 208, SK
tel.: +4212/59203303, nouzová linka: +421/903287003, +421/903747006
fax: +4212/59203330
bratislava@embassy.mzv.cz, www.mzv.cz/bratislava
(Aktualizováno 30.5.2024)