The European Health Insurance Card gives you the right to necessary treatment in the public healthcare system during a temporary stay in the EU/EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom. You receive treatment on the same terms as people insured by the social security scheme in the country you visit. This means that you may have to pay the same patient charge as they do. The card is free, but it does not replace travel insurance.
This SamfunnPrep guide was checked against official information from Helsenorge and the EU as of 12 September 2026.
Short answer: What does the European Health Insurance Card cover?
The card covers public or publicly affiliated healthcare that becomes medically necessary during a temporary trip. This may, for example, be treatment after an injury, an acute illness or necessary follow-up for a chronic illness. A healthcare provider in the country you visit assesses what cannot wait until you return home.
The card does not cover everything. It does not normally cover:
- treatment from a private provider that is not part of the public scheme
- a trip whose purpose is to receive medical treatment
- transport back to Norway due to illness or an accident
- rescue, cancellation, theft or lost luggage
- patient charges that residents of the country must pay themselves
Helsenorge therefore recommends having travel insurance as well. Also read the guide to travel insurance in Norway.
Who can get the card from Norway?
As a main rule, you must be a member of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme and be a Norwegian citizen or a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland. Family members may also be eligible. Every family member, including every child, needs their own card.
As a main rule, citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland cannot obtain a Norwegian European Health Insurance Card, even if they are members of the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme. There are exceptions, including for certain family members, stateless persons and refugees. The rules governing where the card can be used may also be different for this group.
Your membership, citizenship and circumstances determine your entitlement. A Norwegian national identity number or BankID alone is not proof that you are entitled to the card. If you are unsure, check your personal information at Helsenorge or contact Helfo.
Where is the card valid?
The European Health Insurance Card can be used during temporary stays in:
- the EU countries
- the EEA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway
- Switzerland
- the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland
The scheme also applies in some European territories, but not all of them. Helsenorge has an up-to-date country overview. Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City and the northern part of Cyprus are examples of places where the European Health Insurance Card is not valid. Check the country and any territories before departure.
The card is intended for temporary stays, such as a holiday, study period or short business trip. If you are moving, working permanently or receiving planned treatment in another country, other rules and documents may apply.
Public treatment on the same terms as local residents
The card does not promise free treatment. You receive the same rights and pay the same patient charges as people covered by the public social security scheme in the country. In one country, treatment may be free. In another, you may have to pay a patient charge that is not refunded.
First find a public provider or a private provider that has an agreement with the public scheme. Show the card before treatment if possible. A private clinic may say that it accepts the card, but you should ask for confirmation that the treatment is actually being provided through the public scheme.
The card can cover necessary treatment for a known or chronic illness when the treatment cannot wait until you return home. It may also cover necessary pregnancy and childbirth care when the purpose of the trip is not to give birth or receive planned treatment. For dialysis, oxygen therapy or other treatment that requires available capacity, you should make arrangements with a provider before travelling.
If you want to understand the difference between a GP, an out-of-hours medical service and a hospital at home, read how the Norwegian healthcare system works. Patient charges paid during travel are not automatically included in the Norwegian scheme; also see how the healthcare exemption card works.
How to order the European Health Insurance Card
You can order the card at Helsenorge if you are able to log in digitally. You can also call Veiledning Helsenorge if you cannot use the digital service. Ordering is free.
Helsenorge states as of 12 September 2026 that the card is normally sent to your address in the National Population Register within ten working days. The card is available only as a plastic card, not as a digital card. Therefore, order it well in advance and check your registered address first.
The card is usually valid for three years. The expiry date appears on the card. However, you must still be entitled to the card at the time of travel. A card that has not expired does not grant rights if the basis for the card no longer applies.
Take a picture of the front and back so that you have the details available, but remember that a picture will not necessarily be accepted as the card itself. Keep the original with your travel documents.
If the card does not arrive in time or you have forgotten it
If you are travelling soon and the card has not arrived, Helfo can issue a provisional replacement certificate. It gives the same rights as the card during the period stated on the certificate. Have the information about where the certificate should be sent ready.
If you are already with a healthcare provider, Helfo may in some cases send the certificate directly there. Helsenorge specifies that a provisional replacement certificate can only be issued retrospectively if the treatment has not yet been paid for.
Without documentation, you may be asked to pay the entire bill. Ask for an itemised invoice, receipt, medical documentation and any prescriptions. If you have paid, you can apply to Helfo for reimbursement. As a main rule, the deadline is six months from the treatment date, and the amount is assessed according to the rules in the country of treatment. You may therefore not receive a full refund.
Before the trip: a simple checklist
- Check that each family member has their own valid card.
- Check that the destination and territory are included in the scheme.
- Buy travel insurance that covers transport home and other expenses.
- Find out how to identify public healthcare providers at the destination.
- Save the telephone numbers for your insurance company and Veiledning Helsenorge.
- Keep all documents and receipts if you receive treatment.
The European Health Insurance Card is therefore an important safety net, but not complete travel insurance. The most important things are to order it early, use the correct provider and document all expenses.
At SamfunnPrep, you can learn more about Norwegian public services and terms you often encounter in everyday life. Start a free session when you would like to study at your own pace.
