Important advice regarding medical assistance while traveling abroad

Recently, there has been coverage in the media of cases where Icelandic tourists have suffered financial damage after seeking medical help abroad. In some cases, costs may have been borne by individuals for whom the European Health Insurance Card was not presented. In other cases, healthcare services that are not covered by the ES card have been consulted. On this occasion, Iceland Health would like to remind you of important information about the rights of health insured individuals when travelling.

European Health Insurance Card

The European Health Insurance Card entitles you to essential healthcare when travelling within the EEA, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, provided that the service is provided by public or contractual healthcare institutions. Further information and application for the card can be found here.

On the same page there is also clear information about where the card is valid and where not, what services are not covered by the card and what to consider if an accident or illness occurs outside the EEA.

In case of an emergency, you should always contact the emergency number of the country in question (112 within Europe).