The European Health Insurance Card gets you medically necessary, state-provided healthcare on the same terms and at the same cost as locally insured people in the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the UK. The Commission says it is not travel insurance: private care, rescue, the trip home and lost property are not covered.12
What does the EHIC cover?
The card is free and gives access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the 27 EU countries, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland or the United Kingdom. You are treated under the same conditions and at the same cost as people insured in that country, which in some countries may be free.1
For EU citizens, this means any treatment that cannot wait until you get home, whether you are on holiday, on a business trip or studying. The card is issued by your national health insurer and is proof that you are insured in an EU country.21
If you do not have the card, or cannot use it, for instance for private care, you cannot be refused treatment, but you may have to pay upfront and claim the money back once you are home.2
What does it not cover?
| Situation | Covered by the EHIC? | What the Commission says |
|---|---|---|
| Private healthcare | No | The card only works with providers that are part of the public system21 |
| Rescue and repatriation | No | For transport home after serious illness or an accident, you need separate insurance cover2 |
| Costs such as a return flight home | No | Listed among the things the card does not cover1 |
| Lost or stolen property | No | Listed among the things the card does not cover1 |
| Planned treatment, or a trip made to get treatment | No | The card does not cover planned treatment or travel for the purpose of treatment21 |
| Free treatment | Not guaranteed | Some services free at home may not be free elsewhere, because healthcare systems differ1 |
The Commission's own example: a skier hurt on a slope abroad and brought down by mountain rescue had to pay the rescue bill in full, because search and rescue costs are not covered by the card.2
Can everyone use it everywhere on the list?
No. Nationals of countries outside the EU cannot use their EHIC for treatment in Denmark, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, unless they are refugees living in an EU country or are covered as family members of an EU citizen.2
The card is for temporary stays. If you move to another country to live, the Commission says to register with the S1 form instead.1
How do I get one, and what does it cost?
You should not have to pay anything. Get the card from your health insurer before you leave; in some countries it is issued together with the national health card.2
The Commission warns that some rogue websites ask you to pay to order the card. Do not use them; contact your health insurer directly. It also suggests checking with your insurer how far your cover extends to family members.2
What does Japan advise visitors about health cover?
Japan is not on the Commission's list of countries where the card can be used.1
The Japan Tourism Agency strongly recommends that visitors take out private medical insurance with sufficient cover, such as overseas travel insurance, so that they can travel with peace of mind. It adds that some medical insurance can be bought on arrival in Japan.3
We do not recommend any insurer or policy. This is not legal advice.
What this page cannot tell you
- Your own insurer decides the details. The Commission's pages set out the general rules; your health insurer can tell you what your card covers and for whom.
- Costs differ by country. Treatment is on local terms, so what you pay depends on the country's public system; the Commission has country-by-country pages that we did not reproduce here.
- Japan's advice is general. The Japan Tourism Agency recommends insurance but does not say what cover is enough.
- Not medical, insurance or legal advice. We describe what the official pages say; we do not compare or recommend products.
Related: Can you bring your medicines into Japan? · Where does 'roam like at home' work, and where does it stop? · EES and ETIAS: what changes at Europe's borders.
Key takeaways
- The EHIC gives public healthcare on local terms in the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the UK.
- It does not pay for private care, rescue, the trip home or lost property; the Commission says separate cover is needed for transport home.
- Japan's tourism agency strongly recommends private medical insurance for visitors.
- What we would skip: paying a website to 'order' an EHIC; the Commission says the card is free from your health insurer.
Sources
The EHIC rules come from the European Commission's EHIC page and its Your Europe page on health cover for temporary stays (last checked 16 September 2026); Japan's advice comes from the Japan Tourism Agency's guidelines for visitors. All were read on 24 September 2026. See how we research.
- European Commission, Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Health Insurance Card. Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026; re-checked 28 September 2026 at its new address, content unchanged. © European Union, licensed under CC BY 4.0; we summarised it.
- European Commission, Your Europe, Health cover for temporary stays (page last checked by the Commission 16 September 2026). Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026. © European Union, licensed under CC BY 4.0; we summarised it.
- Japan Tourism Agency, 旅行者向け指針「未来のための旅のエチケット」 (travel etiquette guidelines for visitors, section on preparing for illness and injury). Read it. Accessed 24 September 2026. 出典：「旅行者向け指針「未来のための旅のエチケット」」（観光庁）（https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/responsible-traveler/）
Changes made. We summarised the Commission pages (CC BY 4.0) in our own words and built the table from their lists; we translated the Japan Tourism Agency's Japanese text into English. 「旅行者向け指針「未来のための旅のエチケット」」（観光庁）（https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/responsible-traveler/）を加工して作成。Edits by Gallivanting Gadabout. We name no insurer. Not medical, insurance or legal advice.