Healthcare

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

In Hungary

Checked on 23 October 2026

How do you access the public healthcare system when you settle in Hungary?

In Hungary, public health insurance is run by the NEAK (Nemzeti Egészségbiztosítási Alapkezelő, national health insurance fund), and everything goes through your TAJ number (társadalombiztosítási azonosító jel, social security number), issued free of charge by the government office (kormányhivatal) of your place of residence. If you work in Hungary, you are insured through your job; if you are a retiree or posted worker with an S1 form, you have it registered in Hungary; if you are not covered on any basis, you pay a health contribution of HUF 12,300 per month in 2026, after one year of declared residence. Your European health insurance card (EHIC) is for a temporary stay, not for settling.

Costs: First TAJ card free; health contribution of HUF 12,300 per month (HUF 410 per day) in 2026 if you are not insured on any other basis
Timeframes: TAJ card: 60 days at most, immediate or within 8 days if the file is complete (NEAK)

Steps

Register your stay and your address with the OIF (see HU-SEJOUR-TOUS-001): to request your TAJ card, you need your registration certificate (regisztrációs igazolás) and your address card (lakcímkártya). If you do not work, the OIF already requires health insurance covering care, or a declaration that you have the resources to pay for it.
Identify your situation:
- employee in Hungary: you are insured through your job. Before your first day, your employer can request your TAJ number from the government office for its registered office; you then collect your card at any government office in charge of health insurance;
- retiree, posted worker or cross-border worker insured in another EEA country: request an S1 form from your home fund and have it registered at the government office for your home, which carries out the tasks of a health insurance fund (according to the NEAK, it is your home fund that sends the certificate to this office: check that it has done so). Once registered, you are entitled to all benefits in kind in Hungary, with your Hungarian TAJ number;
- non-employed student: the OIF asks you for comprehensive health insurance (or a declaration that you have the resources to pay for your care); according to Your Europe, your country's EHIC may be suitable if you are entitled to it;
- inactive person with no S1 and no job: see step 4.
Request your TAJ card at the government office for your home, in person or by post (signed application form and signed copies of your documents). The first card is free.
If you are not insured on any basis, after at least one year of declared residence in Hungary, you must pay the health contribution (egészségügyi szolgáltatási járulék): HUF 12,300 per month in 2026, to be paid before the 12th of the following month. You register with the tax administration (NAV) if it has not registered you automatically, declaring that you are not insured in another EEA country. It gives entitlement to all health insurance care.
Choose your family doctor (háziorvos): go to the doctor of your choice; if they accept you, they record your TAJ number and give you a certificate with their name and the address and telephone number of the practice.
At the doctor's, take your TAJ card and, from age 14, a photo identity document: without them, you cannot be treated.

Documents

For the TAJ card (EEA citizen): identity document, OIF registration certificate, address card.
If you have been insured in another EEA country or in Switzerland: the form or certificate from your home fund showing your insurance period.
If you work: proof of your employment (employment contract or employer's certificate).
For a minor: parent's identity document and child's birth certificate; power of attorney (meghatalmazás) if someone does the procedure for you.
At the doctor's: TAJ card and photo identity document.

Costs and timelines

TAJ card: free the first time. Replacing a lost, destroyed or damaged card costs HUF 4,000 (Decree 50/1996 NM, annex 1, point III.2); the mention of HUF 3,000 still present further down the NEAK page is an old rate. Replacement is free in case of theft or change of name or data. Payment is made by transfer, by money order ("yellow cheque") or, where possible, at the government office's cash desk, not with tax stamps.
TAJ timeline: 60 days at most; if the file is complete, immediate issue and at the latest within 8 days (simplified procedure).
2026 health contribution: HUF 12,300 per month, HUF 410 per day for an incomplete month (NAV and NEAK).
Family doctor: routine care is covered by the insurance; certain services (certificate of fitness to drive, certificate of fitness to carry a weapon, injury report, látlelet) are paid.

Common pitfalls

Settling with only your EHIC. The EHIC covers medically necessary care during a temporary stay. Once you have settled, you must be covered in Hungary: through your job, through a registered S1, or through the health contribution.
Letting arrears build up. If your contribution arrears exceed six months (more than HUF 73,800 in 2026), your TAJ number is suspended for care; it becomes valid again after payment or an agreed payment schedule, with no retroactive effect.
Thinking the TAJ card proves your right to care. It only proves your number; the practitioner checks your right online at the time of care.
Forgetting to declare foreign insurance. If you live in Hungary but start to be insured in another country, report it within 15 days to the government office for your home (likewise when this insurance ends); forgetting may lead to a fine.
Changing doctors too often. You can change family doctor once a year without justification; beyond that, a reason is needed (moving house, practice hard to reach). A doctor can only refuse a patient from their area in particularly justified cases.
Counting on the EHIC in the private sector. During a temporary stay, the EHIC does not cover private care: you risk paying all the costs.

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA citizens: same rules as above. For a temporary stay, your EHIC gives you the same rights as a Hungarian insured person with contracted practitioners; to settle, you go through employment, the S1 or the health contribution.
Swiss citizens: the NEAK cites Switzerland among the countries where the European card applies; to settle, the OIF applies the same conditions to you as to EEA citizens, including proof of insurance if you do not work.
British citizens (Scots included): to settle, you first need a Hungarian residence permit (see HU-SEJOUR-TOUS-001). If you work in Hungary, your employer makes you an insured person, and the NEAK issues the TAJ on proof of employment. According to the British government, if you receive a British State pension, you can request an S1 from the NHS Overseas Healthcare Services and have it registered with the Hungarian national fund, then request your TAJ card; as a self-employed person, you register with the tax administration and pay contributions; with no job and not dependent on an insured person, you need private insurance. This page dates from January 2022: check your cover with the government office before settling.
Retirees coming from France, Belgium, Germany, etc.: if your pension comes only from your country of origin, request the S1 from your fund before leaving and have it registered at the government office for your Hungarian home.
Currency: Hungary keeps the forint (HUF); the health contribution and fees are paid in forints.

Official sources (11) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in Hungary.

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 Hungary

Checked on 23 October 2026

How do you access the public healthcare system when you settle in Hungary?

Costs: First TAJ card free; health contribution of HUF 12,300 per month (HUF 410 per day) in 2026 if you are not insured on any other basis
Timeframes: TAJ card: 60 days at most, immediate or within 8 days if the file is complete (NEAK)

Steps

Register your stay and your address with the OIF (see HU-SEJOUR-TOUS-001): to request your TAJ card, you need your registration certificate (regisztrációs igazolás) and your address card (lakcímkártya). If you do not work, the OIF already requires health insurance covering care, or a declaration that you have the resources to pay for it.
Identify your situation:
- employee in Hungary: you are insured through your job. Before your first day, your employer can request your TAJ number from the government office for its registered office; you then collect your card at any government office in charge of health insurance;
- retiree, posted worker or cross-border worker insured in another EEA country: request an S1 form from your home fund and have it registered at the government office for your home, which carries out the tasks of a health insurance fund (according to the NEAK, it is your home fund that sends the certificate to this office: check that it has done so). Once registered, you are entitled to all benefits in kind in Hungary, with your Hungarian TAJ number;
- non-employed student: the OIF asks you for comprehensive health insurance (or a declaration that you have the resources to pay for your care); according to Your Europe, your country's EHIC may be suitable if you are entitled to it;
- inactive person with no S1 and no job: see step 4.
Request your TAJ card at the government office for your home, in person or by post (signed application form and signed copies of your documents). The first card is free.
If you are not insured on any basis, after at least one year of declared residence in Hungary, you must pay the health contribution (egészségügyi szolgáltatási járulék): HUF 12,300 per month in 2026, to be paid before the 12th of the following month. You register with the tax administration (NAV) if it has not registered you automatically, declaring that you are not insured in another EEA country. It gives entitlement to all health insurance care.
Choose your family doctor (háziorvos): go to the doctor of your choice; if they accept you, they record your TAJ number and give you a certificate with their name and the address and telephone number of the practice.
At the doctor's, take your TAJ card and, from age 14, a photo identity document: without them, you cannot be treated.

Documents

For the TAJ card (EEA citizen): identity document, OIF registration certificate, address card.
If you have been insured in another EEA country or in Switzerland: the form or certificate from your home fund showing your insurance period.
If you work: proof of your employment (employment contract or employer's certificate).
For a minor: parent's identity document and child's birth certificate; power of attorney (meghatalmazás) if someone does the procedure for you.
At the doctor's: TAJ card and photo identity document.

Costs and timelines

TAJ card: free the first time. Replacing a lost, destroyed or damaged card costs HUF 4,000 (Decree 50/1996 NM, annex 1, point III.2); the mention of HUF 3,000 still present further down the NEAK page is an old rate. Replacement is free in case of theft or change of name or data. Payment is made by transfer, by money order ("yellow cheque") or, where possible, at the government office's cash desk, not with tax stamps.
TAJ timeline: 60 days at most; if the file is complete, immediate issue and at the latest within 8 days (simplified procedure).
2026 health contribution: HUF 12,300 per month, HUF 410 per day for an incomplete month (NAV and NEAK).
Family doctor: routine care is covered by the insurance; certain services (certificate of fitness to drive, certificate of fitness to carry a weapon, injury report, látlelet) are paid.

Common pitfalls

Settling with only your EHIC. The EHIC covers medically necessary care during a temporary stay. Once you have settled, you must be covered in Hungary: through your job, through a registered S1, or through the health contribution.
Letting arrears build up. If your contribution arrears exceed six months (more than HUF 73,800 in 2026), your TAJ number is suspended for care; it becomes valid again after payment or an agreed payment schedule, with no retroactive effect.
Thinking the TAJ card proves your right to care. It only proves your number; the practitioner checks your right online at the time of care.
Forgetting to declare foreign insurance. If you live in Hungary but start to be insured in another country, report it within 15 days to the government office for your home (likewise when this insurance ends); forgetting may lead to a fine.
Changing doctors too often. You can change family doctor once a year without justification; beyond that, a reason is needed (moving house, practice hard to reach). A doctor can only refuse a patient from their area in particularly justified cases.
Counting on the EHIC in the private sector. During a temporary stay, the EHIC does not cover private care: you risk paying all the costs.

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA citizens: same rules as above. For a temporary stay, your EHIC gives you the same rights as a Hungarian insured person with contracted practitioners; to settle, you go through employment, the S1 or the health contribution.
Swiss citizens: the NEAK cites Switzerland among the countries where the European card applies; to settle, the OIF applies the same conditions to you as to EEA citizens, including proof of insurance if you do not work.
British citizens (Scots included): to settle, you first need a Hungarian residence permit (see HU-SEJOUR-TOUS-001). If you work in Hungary, your employer makes you an insured person, and the NEAK issues the TAJ on proof of employment. According to the British government, if you receive a British State pension, you can request an S1 from the NHS Overseas Healthcare Services and have it registered with the Hungarian national fund, then request your TAJ card; as a self-employed person, you register with the tax administration and pay contributions; with no job and not dependent on an insured person, you need private insurance. This page dates from January 2022: check your cover with the government office before settling.
Retirees coming from France, Belgium, Germany, etc.: if your pension comes only from your country of origin, request the S1 from your fund before leaving and have it registered at the government office for your Hungarian home.
Currency: Hungary keeps the forint (HUF); the health contribution and fees are paid in forints.

Official sources (11) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in Hungary.

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 Hungary

How do you access the public healthcare system when you settle in Hungary?

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 Hungary

How do you access the public healthcare system when you settle in Hungary?

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