Which medical insurance should I get before moving or working in Slovakia?
Public health insurance is mandatory, and private health insurance in Slovakia.
National health insurance is generally mandatory for all individuals who have a permanent residence permit in the Slovak Republic. A foreign citizen who has obtained a permanent residence permit in Slovakia must take out national health insurance within 8 days.
National health insurance is also mandatory for individuals who do not have a permanent residence permit in Slovakia but meet one of the following conditions:
Employed by an employer with a registered office or permanent representation in Slovakia, or representing the organizational component of a foreign business in Slovakia and receiving a predetermined monthly income from this activity at the minimum wage; Performs or has the right to perform independent business activities in Slovakia; A student from another European Union country or a foreign student studying in Slovakia on the basis of an international agreement; A dependent child under the age of 18 who holds a valid residence permit in the territory of the Slovak Republic or is entitled to stay in the territory of the Slovak Republic (in the case of a child born in the territory of the Slovak Republic to one parent with a valid residence permit from the date of application for a residence permit for that child) and has at least one legal representative or a person appointed by a court order to take care of the child has national health insurance in Slovakia.; Engages in paid sports activities for a sports organization based on a professional sports contract.
Why is health insurance necessary in Slovakia?
First, you must provide the foreign police with documents proving that you have insurance, without which you cannot obtain a residence permit or permanent residency in Slovakia.
Second, having insurance will allow you and your family to avoid significant expenses when you have health problems. As you know, healthcare in Slovakia is paid. With insurance, you can receive quality and timely medical treatment at your own expense or through insurance that covers all your costs.
In Slovakia, there are state health insurance and private health insurance (commercial).
Foreigners usually have private health insurance (commercial). It cannot be done everywhere, but only in a few places, especially authorized for it, the insurance companies of Slovakia’s Union zdravotná poisťovňa.
Emergency insurance policies cover all emergency treatment cases. If it requires tests, hospitalization, consultations with different doctors, it is also paid by the insurance company comprehensive treatment (your family doctor) – including coverage for both emergency treatment and routine visits to the doctor, routine tests not related to an ambulance. The patient can have a regular treating doctor (family doctor or pediatrician, všeobecný lekár).
When contacting the insurance company, they may recommend a facility where you can receive treatment without paying for your visit yourself. If you contact such an institution, all costs will be covered directly by the insurance company. To do this, before the doctor’s visit, you need to call the customer service of the insurance company and then consult with the doctor. This option may or may not be available (so you need to pay everything to the doctor yourself first, and then receive compensation from the insurance company).
The cost of private insurance ranges from 850 to 1200 euros per person for 12 months.
