Healthcare

Registering, the European Health Insurance Card, the S1 form.

In Austria

Checked on 23 October 2026

How do I get health cover when I move to Austria?

In Austria, you do not choose your fund: health insurance follows from your activity. An employee is insured automatically, generally with the ÖGK (Österreichische Gesundheitskasse), a self-employed person with the SVS (Sozialversicherungsanstalt der Selbständigen), and you receive an e-card (health card) which carries your European Health Insurance Card on the back. Without an activity, you need insurance (S1 from your country, private insurance or ÖGK voluntary insurance at €565.25 per month in 2026), because it also conditions your right of residence.

Costs: Employees: 3.87% of gross salary for health insurance, withheld by the employer (2026); ÖGK voluntary insurance: €565.25 per month in 2026 (reduction possible)
Timeframes: Voluntary insurance: in principle a 6-month waiting period for care, unless previously insured

Steps

If you are an employee: your employer registers you with social security; you are insured automatically from the start of the job. You receive your number, then your e-card (see AT-NIF-TOUS-001).
If you are self-employed: compulsory insurance depends on your status (for example, traders who are members of the Chamber of Commerce fall under the GSVG law, managed by the SVS). Check your affiliation with the SVS.
If you are retired and your pension comes from another EU country: ask the body that pays your pension for the S1 form, then register it with the Austrian health insurance.
If you have neither a job nor an S1: you must prove full health insurance to obtain your Anmeldebescheinigung (see AT-SEJOUR-TOUS-001). One of the options is voluntary insurance (Selbstversicherung) with the ÖGK, if you are resident in Austria and not insured anywhere.
Take your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for the temporary stay before you move: it covers care that becomes necessary during a temporary stay, in the public system (Your Europe), but not a lasting move.

Documents

Employee: passport or identity card for your employer; photo for the e-card if you have no Austrian document.
Retired person: S1 form issued by the country that pays your pension.
Voluntary insurance: application to be sent to the ÖGK (ÖGK form).
EHIC from your country for a temporary stay before you move.

Costs and timelines

Employees: health insurance costs 7.65% of gross salary in 2026, of which 3.87% is withheld from your pay and 3.78% paid by the employer, on a salary of up to €6,930 per month (2026 ceiling). With pension (10.25%), unemployment (up to 2.95% depending on salary) and small contributions, your total employee share is around 18%.
Very part-time work: below €551.10 per month in 2026 (geringfügige Beschäftigung), voluntary health and pension insurance is recommended.
ÖGK voluntary insurance: €565.25 per month in 2026; a reduction can be requested if your financial situation is difficult (it applies from the first contribution if you request it at the same time as the insurance).
e-card: insured employees pay an annual Service-Entgelt (service fee), collected every year in November via the employer: €25 for 2026 and €26.85 for 2027 (ÖGK); very part-time jobs are exempt.
Waiting period: with voluntary insurance, care (doctor, medicines, hospital) is in principle only covered after 6 months, unless you were insured or co-insured in Austria (ASVG or B-KUVG) during the 6 weeks just before your application, or for 26 weeks in the last 12 months.

Common pitfalls

Believing that you choose your fund as in Germany. In Austria, the fund depends on your activity.
Arriving with no activity and no insurance. Voluntary insurance in principle comes with a 6-month waiting period: organise your cover (S1, private insurance) before leaving.
Using the EHIC as settling-in insurance. It is for a temporary stay, not for living in Austria: to settle, you need full health cover, also required for the Anmeldebescheinigung.
Former self-employed person: if you were last insured under the GSVG or the BSVG, ÖGK voluntary insurance is only possible 60 months after the end of that insurance.

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA citizens: job in Austria = Austrian insurance; retired and paid by your country = S1; EHIC for the transition.
Swiss nationals: same logic (Swiss EHIC for a temporary stay, S1 if Switzerland remains responsible).
British nationals (including Scots): a third country since Brexit; a NAG residence permit is needed. Employee or self-employed in Austria, you are insured like everyone else (ÖGK or SVS, e-card). Retired with a British State Pension: the United Kingdom can cover your care in Austria with an S1 form, requested from the NHS (Overseas Healthcare Services) then registered with the ÖGK, which gives you an e-card (British government). Those who arrived before 2021 remain covered by the Withdrawal Agreement; others by the protocol of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, close to but not identical with the European rules (European Commission).

Official sources (12) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in Austria.

Checked on 23 October 2026

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

For a Schengen short-stay visa, you must show travel medical insurance covering urgent medical care, emergency hospital treatment and repatriation (including in case of death), valid in all Schengen countries, with at least €30,000 of cover (Visa Code, Article 15). For long stays, the EU directives ask for sickness insurance covering the risks normally covered for nationals of the destination, for example for students, family members, Blue Card holders and long-term residents. The exact proof, and whether you must buy private insurance or can join the public system, depend on the destination.

Who decides: Consulates (Schengen visas); the immigration authority of the destination (long stays)
Costs: Set by insurers; Schengen visa insurance must cover at least €30,000 (Visa Code, Article 15)

Before you act

No promise. The consulate or immigration authority decides whether your insurance is acceptable. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Scams. Buy insurance only from a real, identifiable insurer, and check the policy before paying. A fake or inadequate insurance certificate can lead to refusal of your application.
Ask a professional (the insurer, the consulate or a lawyer) if you have a chronic illness, are pregnant, or are over the age limits of standard policies.
Be honest in insurance forms about your health and your plans.

Steps

Short stay with a visa: buy travel medical insurance that meets Article 15 of the Visa Code (below) for the whole trip; for a multiple-entry visa, it must cover the first trip, and you sign a statement that you know you need insurance for later trips. Exceptions: the requirement may be considered met where adequate cover can be presumed from the applicant's professional situation (for example seafarers, Article 15(6)), and holders of diplomatic passports are exempt (Article 15(7)).
Visa-exempt short stay: insurance is not among the entry conditions listed in the Schengen Borders Code (Article 6), but medical care abroad can be expensive: travel insurance is your choice.
Long stay: read the destination's list for your route. Denmark and Ireland did not take part in the five directives below and are not bound by them (see the recitals of each text), so their rules are purely national. In the other EU countries, the directives ask for insurance "for all risks normally covered for nationals" for:
- students and researchers, valid for the whole planned stay (Directive (EU) 2016/801, Article 7(1)(c));
- family reunification, for the sponsor and the family, if the country requires it (Directive 2003/86/EC, Article 7(1)(b));
- Blue Card and seasonal workers, for periods not already covered through the job (Directive (EU) 2021/1883, Article 5(1)(e); Directive 2014/36/EU, Article 5(1)(b) for stays up to 90 days and Article 6(1)(b) for stays over 90 days);
- EU long-term residents, for themselves and for dependent family members (Directive 2003/109/EC, Article 5(1)(b)).
After arrival: ask whether your permit gives access to the public health system, and from when (see the destination's health fiche).

Documents

An insurance certificate in the name of each person, with dates, cover, amount and territory.
For a Schengen visa: proof that the cover is valid in all Schengen countries and is at least €30,000 (Article 15(3)); for a visa with limited territorial validity covering several Member States, the cover must be valid at least in the Member States concerned.

Costs and timelines

Price: set by insurers. The Visa Code asks you to take insurance, in principle, in your country of residence, or in another country if that is not possible (Article 15(4)).
Check: consulates verify that claims against the insurer can be recovered in an EU country (Article 15(5)).

Common pitfalls

Cover too low or not valid everywhere. For a Schengen visa: at least €30,000 and valid in all Schengen countries.
Wrong dates. The insurance must cover the whole stay or transit (Article 15(3)).
Travel insurance for a long stay. A short-trip policy may not meet the "all risks normally covered for nationals" standard required for long-stay permits, and what each country actually accepts varies: ask the immigration authority directly before you buy.
Gaps between the visa and the permit. Keep cover until you are registered in the public system or have the insurance the permit requires.

What changes by profile

Workers may be covered through their job; the Blue Card and seasonal directives ask for insurance only for periods not covered by, or resulting from, the work contract.
Retirees and people living on passive income follow national rules for national visas (for Portugal, see PT-VISA-TIERS-050).

Official links

Visa Code (consolidated), Article 15: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02009R0810-20240628
Commission, applying for a Schengen visa: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/visa-policy/applying-schengen-visa_en

Official sources (9) ›

These guides give the general rules. Your situation can change the answer: Moovy looks at it with you and tells you when you need a professional.

In Austria

Checked on 23 October 2026

How do I get health cover when I move to Austria?

Costs: Employees: 3.87% of gross salary for health insurance, withheld by the employer (2026); ÖGK voluntary insurance: €565.25 per month in 2026 (reduction possible)
Timeframes: Voluntary insurance: in principle a 6-month waiting period for care, unless previously insured

Steps

If you are an employee: your employer registers you with social security; you are insured automatically from the start of the job. You receive your number, then your e-card (see AT-NIF-TOUS-001).
If you are self-employed: compulsory insurance depends on your status (for example, traders who are members of the Chamber of Commerce fall under the GSVG law, managed by the SVS). Check your affiliation with the SVS.
If you are retired and your pension comes from another EU country: ask the body that pays your pension for the S1 form, then register it with the Austrian health insurance.
If you have neither a job nor an S1: you must prove full health insurance to obtain your Anmeldebescheinigung (see AT-SEJOUR-TOUS-001). One of the options is voluntary insurance (Selbstversicherung) with the ÖGK, if you are resident in Austria and not insured anywhere.
Take your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for the temporary stay before you move: it covers care that becomes necessary during a temporary stay, in the public system (Your Europe), but not a lasting move.

Documents

Employee: passport or identity card for your employer; photo for the e-card if you have no Austrian document.
Retired person: S1 form issued by the country that pays your pension.
Voluntary insurance: application to be sent to the ÖGK (ÖGK form).
EHIC from your country for a temporary stay before you move.

Costs and timelines

Employees: health insurance costs 7.65% of gross salary in 2026, of which 3.87% is withheld from your pay and 3.78% paid by the employer, on a salary of up to €6,930 per month (2026 ceiling). With pension (10.25%), unemployment (up to 2.95% depending on salary) and small contributions, your total employee share is around 18%.
Very part-time work: below €551.10 per month in 2026 (geringfügige Beschäftigung), voluntary health and pension insurance is recommended.
ÖGK voluntary insurance: €565.25 per month in 2026; a reduction can be requested if your financial situation is difficult (it applies from the first contribution if you request it at the same time as the insurance).
e-card: insured employees pay an annual Service-Entgelt (service fee), collected every year in November via the employer: €25 for 2026 and €26.85 for 2027 (ÖGK); very part-time jobs are exempt.
Waiting period: with voluntary insurance, care (doctor, medicines, hospital) is in principle only covered after 6 months, unless you were insured or co-insured in Austria (ASVG or B-KUVG) during the 6 weeks just before your application, or for 26 weeks in the last 12 months.

Common pitfalls

Believing that you choose your fund as in Germany. In Austria, the fund depends on your activity.
Arriving with no activity and no insurance. Voluntary insurance in principle comes with a 6-month waiting period: organise your cover (S1, private insurance) before leaving.
Using the EHIC as settling-in insurance. It is for a temporary stay, not for living in Austria: to settle, you need full health cover, also required for the Anmeldebescheinigung.
Former self-employed person: if you were last insured under the GSVG or the BSVG, ÖGK voluntary insurance is only possible 60 months after the end of that insurance.

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA citizens: job in Austria = Austrian insurance; retired and paid by your country = S1; EHIC for the transition.
Swiss nationals: same logic (Swiss EHIC for a temporary stay, S1 if Switzerland remains responsible).
British nationals (including Scots): a third country since Brexit; a NAG residence permit is needed. Employee or self-employed in Austria, you are insured like everyone else (ÖGK or SVS, e-card). Retired with a British State Pension: the United Kingdom can cover your care in Austria with an S1 form, requested from the NHS (Overseas Healthcare Services) then registered with the ÖGK, which gives you an e-card (British government). Those who arrived before 2021 remain covered by the Withdrawal Agreement; others by the protocol of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, close to but not identical with the European rules (European Commission).

Official sources (12) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in Austria.

Checked on 23 October 2026

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Who decides: Consulates (Schengen visas); the immigration authority of the destination (long stays)
Costs: Set by insurers; Schengen visa insurance must cover at least €30,000 (Visa Code, Article 15)

Before you act

No promise. The consulate or immigration authority decides whether your insurance is acceptable. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Scams. Buy insurance only from a real, identifiable insurer, and check the policy before paying. A fake or inadequate insurance certificate can lead to refusal of your application.
Ask a professional (the insurer, the consulate or a lawyer) if you have a chronic illness, are pregnant, or are over the age limits of standard policies.
Be honest in insurance forms about your health and your plans.

Steps

Short stay with a visa: buy travel medical insurance that meets Article 15 of the Visa Code (below) for the whole trip; for a multiple-entry visa, it must cover the first trip, and you sign a statement that you know you need insurance for later trips. Exceptions: the requirement may be considered met where adequate cover can be presumed from the applicant's professional situation (for example seafarers, Article 15(6)), and holders of diplomatic passports are exempt (Article 15(7)).
Visa-exempt short stay: insurance is not among the entry conditions listed in the Schengen Borders Code (Article 6), but medical care abroad can be expensive: travel insurance is your choice.
Long stay: read the destination's list for your route. Denmark and Ireland did not take part in the five directives below and are not bound by them (see the recitals of each text), so their rules are purely national. In the other EU countries, the directives ask for insurance "for all risks normally covered for nationals" for:
- students and researchers, valid for the whole planned stay (Directive (EU) 2016/801, Article 7(1)(c));
- family reunification, for the sponsor and the family, if the country requires it (Directive 2003/86/EC, Article 7(1)(b));
- Blue Card and seasonal workers, for periods not already covered through the job (Directive (EU) 2021/1883, Article 5(1)(e); Directive 2014/36/EU, Article 5(1)(b) for stays up to 90 days and Article 6(1)(b) for stays over 90 days);
- EU long-term residents, for themselves and for dependent family members (Directive 2003/109/EC, Article 5(1)(b)).
After arrival: ask whether your permit gives access to the public health system, and from when (see the destination's health fiche).

Documents

An insurance certificate in the name of each person, with dates, cover, amount and territory.
For a Schengen visa: proof that the cover is valid in all Schengen countries and is at least €30,000 (Article 15(3)); for a visa with limited territorial validity covering several Member States, the cover must be valid at least in the Member States concerned.

Costs and timelines

Price: set by insurers. The Visa Code asks you to take insurance, in principle, in your country of residence, or in another country if that is not possible (Article 15(4)).
Check: consulates verify that claims against the insurer can be recovered in an EU country (Article 15(5)).

Common pitfalls

Cover too low or not valid everywhere. For a Schengen visa: at least €30,000 and valid in all Schengen countries.
Wrong dates. The insurance must cover the whole stay or transit (Article 15(3)).
Travel insurance for a long stay. A short-trip policy may not meet the "all risks normally covered for nationals" standard required for long-stay permits, and what each country actually accepts varies: ask the immigration authority directly before you buy.
Gaps between the visa and the permit. Keep cover until you are registered in the public system or have the insurance the permit requires.

What changes by profile

Workers may be covered through their job; the Blue Card and seasonal directives ask for insurance only for periods not covered by, or resulting from, the work contract.
Retirees and people living on passive income follow national rules for national visas (for Portugal, see PT-VISA-TIERS-050).

Official links

Visa Code (consolidated), Article 15: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02009R0810-20240628
Commission, applying for a Schengen visa: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/visa-policy/applying-schengen-visa_en

Official sources (9) ›

These guides give the general rules. Your situation can change the answer: Moovy looks at it with you and tells you when you need a professional.

Healthcare

In Austria

How do I get health cover when I move to Austria?

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

The European framework

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by profile

Other topics

Healthcare

In Austria

How do I get health cover when I move to Austria?

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

The European framework

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by profile

Other topics