Healthcare

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

In Romania

Checked on 23 October 2026

How do you get access to public health insurance in Romania when you settle there?

In Romania, public health insurance is run by the Casa Națională de Asigurări de Sănătate (CNAS, national fund) and its county funds, the case de asigurări de sănătate (CAS). Your cover depends on your situation, not on your nationality: as an employee, you are insured through the contribution deducted from your salary; as a pensioner from another European country, you register your S1 form; with no activity, you can insure yourself by paying the contribuția de asigurări sociale de sănătate (CASS, health insurance contribution) yourself. Your European Health Insurance Card is only for a temporary stay, not for settling.

Costs: Health insurance contribution (CASS) of 10%. Employee: deducted from the gross salary. No income, voluntarily insured: 10% of 6 gross minimum wages in force on 1 January, paid 25% when the declaration is filed and 75% by 25 May of the following year at the latest. Pensioner with S1: covered by the country that pays the pension. European card free of charge
Timeframes: Insured status starts, for those who declare their own income, on the date the declaration is filed; change of situation to be reported within 15 days to the family doctor and to the fund; change of family doctor possible after 6 months

Steps

First have your residence registered at the IGI (see sheet RO-SEJOUR-TOUS-001). The right of residence for more than 3 months is one of the conditions for being insured in Romania, and you receive your CNP there.
Depending on your situation:
- Employee: your employer declares your salary; the 10% CASS is deducted from your gross salary. You have no contribution procedure to carry out.
- Self-employed: you declare your income and the CASS in the Declarația unică (single declaration of income tax and social contributions) to ANAF; you are insured from the date of filing.
- Pensioner who receives their pension from another European country: ask for the S1 form from the health insurance fund of the country that pays your pension, then register it with the fund of your place of residence in Romania. You are then treated like a Romanian insured person, at the expense of your pension country.
- Posted worker (less than 2 years): you remain insured in your country, with an S1 if you settle in Romania.
- No income (inactive, spouse, person of independent means without taxable income in Romania): you can choose to insure yourself by filing the Declarația unică with ANAF, at any time in the year, and paying the flat-rate CASS (see Costs).
- Student: if you came for your studies without working, your European card may be enough if you are entitled to one. If you work in Romania, you must join the Romanian system.
Choose your fund. The insured person has the right to choose their casa de asigurări de sănătate; there is one per județ, plus the one for Bucharest (CASMB).
Register with a medic de familie (family doctor) of your choice, under contract with the fund. This is compulsory to benefit from insured-person rights, and this doctor is your gateway to specialists.
Check your insured status online, on the verification page of the CNAS website (cnas.ro/verificare-asigurati).
Your card național de sănătate (national health card) is issued automatically, by periodic draws from the register of insured persons. Until it is issued, you can receive care without it.

Documents

Your ID and your certificat de înregistrare (with your CNP).
Employee: nothing more, your employer makes the declarations.
Self-employed or voluntarily insured: your Declarația unică filed with ANAF.
Pensioner or posted worker: the S1 form issued by your country of origin. The CNAS states that the translation of European documents is at the funds' expense.
For the family doctor: each practice sets its own list; bring your ID, your registration certificate with CNP and proof of your insured status. You choose your doctor freely and can change after 6 months (CNAS).

Costs and timelines

CASS rate: 10%.
Employee: 10% of the gross salary, deducted by the employer.
Voluntarily insured with no income: 10% of the value of 6 gross national minimum basic wages, in force on 1 January of the year. You pay 25% when the declaration is filed and 75% by 25 May of the following year at the latest. For 2026: 2,430 lei (10% × 6 × 4,050 lei, minimum wage on 1 January 2026; ANAF).
Exempt from CASS: in particular children under 18, pupils and students under 26, and women who are pregnant or have just given birth. Your spouse and your parents with no income of their own and dependent on you are insured without paying a contribution, if you are insured (CNAS, Insured Person's Guide 2025); report them to your county fund.
Pensioner with S1: no CASS on this basis, your pension country pays.
European card: free of charge.
Timelines: insured status starts, if you declare your own income, on the date your declaration is filed. A change of identity or of insured category is reported within 15 days to the family doctor and to the fund. You can change family doctor 6 months after registering at the earliest, with some exceptions.

Common pitfalls

Living in Romania with only your European card. It covers medically necessary care during a temporary stay. Once you have settled, you must be covered in Romania: through your job, through an S1 or by insuring yourself voluntarily.
Believing travel insurance is enough for the IGI. The IGI does not accept health insurance taken out for tourist purposes: you need public insurance (Romanian, or from another Member State, proved by the European card or another form under Regulation 883/2004) or private insurance that covers in Romania at least what Romanian public insurance covers.
Not registering with a family doctor. Without registration, you do not fully benefit from your insured-person rights.
Staying uninsured. An uninsured person is only entitled to a minimum package: emergencies, diseases with epidemic potential, vaccinations, pregnancy and post-natal follow-up, family planning and prevention. At the family doctor, this package is extended and close to the basic package; at the specialist, you pay yourself for tests, imaging and prescribed treatment, apart from a few exceptions (cancer screening and diagnosis, hepatitis B and C tests, HIV test for pregnant women). Source: CNAS, Insured Person's Guide 2025.
Forgetting to report a change. New job, end of contract, retirement: tell your fund and your family doctor within 15 days.

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA citizens: cover according to your situation in Romania (work, S1, voluntary insurance). Your European card gives you access to necessary care on the same terms as Romanian insured persons, but only during a temporary stay.
Swiss citizens: the CNAS applies the same European rules (European card, S1) to Swiss insured persons.
British citizens (Scots included): the CNAS accepts the health insurance card issued by the United Kingdom for necessary care during a temporary stay. For settling, the British government indicates that with a British State Pension you can ask for an S1 from the NHS Overseas Healthcare Services and have it registered with the CAS of your county, after registering as a resident; as an employee, your employer registers you with the CAS; if you have no job and are not dependent on an insured person, you register with ANAF to contribute, then with the CAS. This page dates from October 2022: have your case confirmed with the CNAS, which has a dedicated line for questions about Brexit (0769 087 103, "BREXIT" page of the CNAS website).
Currency: contributions and any out-of-pocket costs are paid in Romanian lei (RON).

Official sources (13) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in Romania.

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 Romania

Checked on 23 October 2026

How do you get access to public health insurance in Romania when you settle there?

Costs: Health insurance contribution (CASS) of 10%. Employee: deducted from the gross salary. No income, voluntarily insured: 10% of 6 gross minimum wages in force on 1 January, paid 25% when the declaration is filed and 75% by 25 May of the following year at the latest. Pensioner with S1: covered by the country that pays the pension. European card free of charge
Timeframes: Insured status starts, for those who declare their own income, on the date the declaration is filed; change of situation to be reported within 15 days to the family doctor and to the fund; change of family doctor possible after 6 months

Steps

First have your residence registered at the IGI (see sheet RO-SEJOUR-TOUS-001). The right of residence for more than 3 months is one of the conditions for being insured in Romania, and you receive your CNP there.
Depending on your situation:
- Employee: your employer declares your salary; the 10% CASS is deducted from your gross salary. You have no contribution procedure to carry out.
- Self-employed: you declare your income and the CASS in the Declarația unică (single declaration of income tax and social contributions) to ANAF; you are insured from the date of filing.
- Pensioner who receives their pension from another European country: ask for the S1 form from the health insurance fund of the country that pays your pension, then register it with the fund of your place of residence in Romania. You are then treated like a Romanian insured person, at the expense of your pension country.
- Posted worker (less than 2 years): you remain insured in your country, with an S1 if you settle in Romania.
- No income (inactive, spouse, person of independent means without taxable income in Romania): you can choose to insure yourself by filing the Declarația unică with ANAF, at any time in the year, and paying the flat-rate CASS (see Costs).
- Student: if you came for your studies without working, your European card may be enough if you are entitled to one. If you work in Romania, you must join the Romanian system.
Choose your fund. The insured person has the right to choose their casa de asigurări de sănătate; there is one per județ, plus the one for Bucharest (CASMB).
Register with a medic de familie (family doctor) of your choice, under contract with the fund. This is compulsory to benefit from insured-person rights, and this doctor is your gateway to specialists.
Check your insured status online, on the verification page of the CNAS website (cnas.ro/verificare-asigurati).
Your card național de sănătate (national health card) is issued automatically, by periodic draws from the register of insured persons. Until it is issued, you can receive care without it.

Documents

Your ID and your certificat de înregistrare (with your CNP).
Employee: nothing more, your employer makes the declarations.
Self-employed or voluntarily insured: your Declarația unică filed with ANAF.
Pensioner or posted worker: the S1 form issued by your country of origin. The CNAS states that the translation of European documents is at the funds' expense.
For the family doctor: each practice sets its own list; bring your ID, your registration certificate with CNP and proof of your insured status. You choose your doctor freely and can change after 6 months (CNAS).

Costs and timelines

CASS rate: 10%.
Employee: 10% of the gross salary, deducted by the employer.
Voluntarily insured with no income: 10% of the value of 6 gross national minimum basic wages, in force on 1 January of the year. You pay 25% when the declaration is filed and 75% by 25 May of the following year at the latest. For 2026: 2,430 lei (10% × 6 × 4,050 lei, minimum wage on 1 January 2026; ANAF).
Exempt from CASS: in particular children under 18, pupils and students under 26, and women who are pregnant or have just given birth. Your spouse and your parents with no income of their own and dependent on you are insured without paying a contribution, if you are insured (CNAS, Insured Person's Guide 2025); report them to your county fund.
Pensioner with S1: no CASS on this basis, your pension country pays.
European card: free of charge.
Timelines: insured status starts, if you declare your own income, on the date your declaration is filed. A change of identity or of insured category is reported within 15 days to the family doctor and to the fund. You can change family doctor 6 months after registering at the earliest, with some exceptions.

Common pitfalls

Living in Romania with only your European card. It covers medically necessary care during a temporary stay. Once you have settled, you must be covered in Romania: through your job, through an S1 or by insuring yourself voluntarily.
Believing travel insurance is enough for the IGI. The IGI does not accept health insurance taken out for tourist purposes: you need public insurance (Romanian, or from another Member State, proved by the European card or another form under Regulation 883/2004) or private insurance that covers in Romania at least what Romanian public insurance covers.
Not registering with a family doctor. Without registration, you do not fully benefit from your insured-person rights.
Staying uninsured. An uninsured person is only entitled to a minimum package: emergencies, diseases with epidemic potential, vaccinations, pregnancy and post-natal follow-up, family planning and prevention. At the family doctor, this package is extended and close to the basic package; at the specialist, you pay yourself for tests, imaging and prescribed treatment, apart from a few exceptions (cancer screening and diagnosis, hepatitis B and C tests, HIV test for pregnant women). Source: CNAS, Insured Person's Guide 2025.
Forgetting to report a change. New job, end of contract, retirement: tell your fund and your family doctor within 15 days.

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA citizens: cover according to your situation in Romania (work, S1, voluntary insurance). Your European card gives you access to necessary care on the same terms as Romanian insured persons, but only during a temporary stay.
Swiss citizens: the CNAS applies the same European rules (European card, S1) to Swiss insured persons.
British citizens (Scots included): the CNAS accepts the health insurance card issued by the United Kingdom for necessary care during a temporary stay. For settling, the British government indicates that with a British State Pension you can ask for an S1 from the NHS Overseas Healthcare Services and have it registered with the CAS of your county, after registering as a resident; as an employee, your employer registers you with the CAS; if you have no job and are not dependent on an insured person, you register with ANAF to contribute, then with the CAS. This page dates from October 2022: have your case confirmed with the CNAS, which has a dedicated line for questions about Brexit (0769 087 103, "BREXIT" page of the CNAS website).
Currency: contributions and any out-of-pocket costs are paid in Romanian lei (RON).

Official sources (13) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in Romania.

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 Romania

How do you get access to public health insurance in Romania when you settle there?

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 Romania

How do you get access to public health insurance in Romania when you settle there?

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