According to the European Union’s directive on social security systems, any citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA) with a healthcare insurance (in a country of the EEA) are entitled to certain healthcare services in Hungary.
The EEA involves the EU member states and Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland. Switzerland has a special legal relationship, although it does not form a part of the European Economic Area, its contracts with the European Community (EC) and EU member states make free movement of people and workforce possible, thereby creating a similar legal relationship that of EU member countries. Healthcare services can be availed if certain conditions apply.
Healthcare provision for EU citizens with permanent Hungarian place of residency
Citizens who work at and have healthcare insurance at any of the EU member states with a permanent Hungarian place of residency are eligible for all kinds of healthcare services in Hungary with a certificate issued by the foreign insurance company.
The citizen has to request an “S1” form at their own, foreign insurance company, and the certificate will be sent to the country’s government office by the company. Based on this certificate of their social security insured legal relationship, the citizen can avail the Hungarian healthcare services with their assigned TAJ code.
For further information on the certificate issuance, contact the applying foreign insurance company.
Healthcare provision for EU citizens working in Hungary
Foreign EU citizens who work in Hungary are eligible for social security coverage from the establishment of their Hungarian employment status. The social security coverage contribution will be paid by the employer, and the employee will be entitled to all healthcare services covered by social security insurance.
Healthcare provision for EU citizens studying in Hungary
Foreign EU citizens who study in secondary and higher educational institutions in full-time student status and receive a scholarship granted by an international treaty or by the Minister in charge of education and diplomacy are eligible for the Hungarian public healthcare services.
Healthcare provision for EU citizen pensioners with a permanent Hungarian place of residency
Pensioners and their family members in the European Union are entitled to receive healthcare services at their place of residency. Based on this directive, foreign citizen pensioners of the EU with a permanent Hungarian place of residency and receiving their pension from the social security system of any of the EU countries are eligible for the same healthcare services as pensioners with Hungarian citizenship, if the foreign authority issues a certificate of eligibility for receiving medical care.
Healthcare provision for EU citizens without social security covered legal relationship
Foreign citizens who do not have a social security covered legal relationship in any of the EEA countries, and establish a permanent Hungarian place of residency, can be eligible for healthcare services after one year of Hungarian residency status. However, they are obliged to pay monthly social security contribution fee.
For further information, see: Social security covered legal relationship
The applying authorities regarding the social security contribution fee payment are the National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) and the Hungarian government offices.
Healthcare services based on agreements
Agreement-based health care services offer a less broad spectrum of services than health care services provided upon other legal relationships.
Availability of agreement-based health care services:
- among dental services, individuals are eligible only for emergency dental care;
- individuals are not entitled for a refund after emergency medical care provided in a country outside of the EEA;
- individuals cannot avail medical services in another country which are not available in Hungary on the debit of their Hungarian health insurance;
- individuals are not eligible for organ- or tissue transplantation;
- individuals are not entitled to receive elective medical treatments abroad.
The agreement can be established upon previous medical examination of which cost has to be paid by the individual willing to make the agreement, and the insurance does not cover the already existing illnesses detected during this examination.
Further information
For further information visit the a www.neak.gov.hu and the www.eubetegjog.hu websites, or ask for help on the following numbers of the National Center of Patient and Children Rights (OBDK, in Hungarian: Országos Betegjogi, Ellátottjogi, Gyermekjogi és Dokumentációs Központ):
OBDK’s national green number: 80/620-600
weekdays 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.,
OBDK’s international green number: +36-20-999-0025
weekdays 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.,
or in person (upon previous appointment request) at OBDK’s office.
