Healthcare

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

In Slovakia

Checked on 23 October 2026

How to access the public health system when you move to Slovakia

In Slovakia, you take out insurance with one of the three public health insurance funds, which you choose: Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (VšZP), DÔVERA zdravotná poisťovňa or Union zdravotná poisťovňa. You submit your prihláška na verejné zdravotné poistenie (application to register for public health insurance) there within 8 days of being hired or of the event that opens your insurance, then you sign an agreement with a general practitioner. Your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is only for a temporary stay: once you have settled, it is Slovak insurance, or an S1 form from your country, that covers you.

Costs: Registration with public insurance: Act 580/2004 provides for no registration fee. 2026 contributions: employee 5% of gross salary, employer 11%; self-employed 16% of their base, at least €121.92 per month in 2026, €129.60 in 2027 (VšZP, rates in force from 01/01/2026 to 31/12/2027). EHIC: free (Your Europe).
Timeframes: Prihláška (registration) within 8 days of the event that opens insurance; change of insurer to be requested before 30 September for the following 1 January; agreement with the general practitioner concluded for at least 6 months.

Steps

Check whether you come under Slovak insurance. Insured are: people who have their trvalý pobyt (permanent residence) in Slovakia; and, without permanent residence, in particular employees of an employer established in Slovakia (with a monthly income at least equal to the threshold set by law), self-employed people who have a residence permit, and certain students and children. Anyone already insured in another member state is not insured in Slovakia.
Choose your fund from VšZP, Dôvera and Union. The choice is free, and you can only register with one.
Submit your prihláška to the chosen fund within 8 days of the event that opens your insurance (start of employment, for example). If you are an employee, your employer also declares your hiring to your fund and deducts your contributions from your salary.
Receive your insured person's card, the preukaz poistenca, and your insured number. Show it for every treatment and protect it against loss; report any loss to your fund without delay.
Choose your general practitioner, the všeobecný lekár, and sign with them a dohoda o poskytovaní zdravotnej starostlivosti (care agreement). They carry out the first examinations. The agreement lasts at least 6 months; signing a new one ends the previous one.
If you are a retiree with a pension from your home country (and no Slovak pension), ask for the S1 form from the fund in your country that pays your pension, then have it registered with the Slovak fund of your choice.
If you work in another country but live in Slovakia, or if you are a posted worker, ask your foreign fund for the S1 and register it with your Slovak fund: you are then entitled to full care in Slovakia.
To change fund, submit your application before 30 September: the change takes effect on the following 1 January. Inform your employer within 8 days.

Documents

Prihláška: the form of the chosen fund. The law (580/2004, § 8) sets what it contains: name, date of birth, rodné číslo if you have one, identity card or passport number, addresses (including, for a foreigner, the permanent address abroad), length of your stay in Slovakia, nationality, and who pays your contributions (employer, yourself as self-employed, etc.). At the counter, show your identity document; if you send it by post or online, attach a copy of your identity document or sign it with a qualified electronic signature or a certified signature. The fund may ask you for proof of your situation (employment contract, residence certificate).
Retiree or worker insured elsewhere: the S1 form issued by the fund of your country.
Agreement with the general practitioner: signed with your electronic identity card or electronic residence permit, or on paper if you do not have one.
For treatment: your insured person's card (or an insurance certificate).

Costs and timelines

Registration: Act 580/2004 (§ 6 and § 8) provides for no fee. Contributions are paid by employees, employers, self-employed people and the State (for retirees, students, children, etc.).
2026 contributions (rates in force from 01/01/2026 to 31/12/2027): employee 5% of gross salary (2.5% in case of disability), employer 11%; self-employed person and person insuring themselves (samoplatiteľ) 16% of their base (8% in case of disability), with a minimum advance payment of €121.92 per month in 2026 (€60.96 in case of disability), to be paid by the 8th of the following month (VšZP). For 2027, the VšZP fund announces a minimum advance payment of €129.60 (€64.80 in case of disability); the rates remain those of 2026.
EHIC: free, requested from your insurance fund (Your Europe).
Prihláška: within 8 days.
Change of fund: apply before 30 September, effective the following 1 January; you can withdraw your application within 30 days.
Agreement with the general practitioner: at least 6 months, except in special cases (moving, change of workplace to another municipality, etc.).

Common pitfalls

Living in Slovakia with only your EHIC. It covers care that cannot wait until your return during a temporary stay. Once you have settled, register with a Slovak fund or register your S1.
Staying without a general practitioner. Without a signed agreement, the general practitioner cannot follow you normally. A doctor can refuse a new patient if overloaded, unless you have your residence (permanent, temporary or tolerated) in their area; if the refusal is unjustified, the region (samosprávny kraj) can assign you one.
Being insured in two countries. If you remain insured in another member state, you are not insured in Slovakia: clarify your situation before registering.
Person with no activity or permanent residence. The law ties public insurance to permanent residence or to an activity in Slovakia. If you have neither (person of independent means, spouse without a job), check with the fund whether you can join; for registering your residence, the police will ask you for proof of health insurance.
Forgetting the 8 days. It is up to you to submit the prihláška. If you submit it late, your fund is the one that confirms it after the deadline, and it reports the failure to the ÚDZS; if you submit none, the law designates as your fund the one you choose and to which you pay your contributions, or failing that the one the ÚDZS designates (Act 580/2004, § 6 para. 3).

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA citizens: European coordination rules apply (EHIC, S1). The Slovak liaison body, the Úrad pre dohľad nad zdravotnou starostlivosťou (ÚDZS, healthcare surveillance authority), liaises with the funds of the other countries; it is your Slovak fund that issues your EHIC and registers your S1.
Swiss citizens: Slovak law treats insurance in Switzerland like that of a member state (non-accumulation rule), and European coordination rules apply to Switzerland: EHIC and S1 are used as for the EU (Your Europe, pages checked on 19/08 and 16/09/2026).
British citizens (Scots included): third-country nationals since Brexit. As an employee of an employer established in Slovakia, you come under Slovak public insurance; as a self-employed person, you need a residence permit. According to the British government, if you receive a British State Pension, you ask for an S1 from the NHS Overseas Healthcare Services and have it registered with one of the three funds; as an employee, you tell your employer which fund you have chosen and they register you; as a self-employed or non-employed person, you register directly with the chosen fund. The British card (GHIC or EHIC) is only valid for temporary stays. Your Europe (page checked on 19/08/2026) confirms that the S1 form also applies between the EU and the United Kingdom for anyone who works in one country and lives in the other.
Currency: Slovakia uses the euro.

Official sources (13) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in Slovakia.

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 Slovakia

Checked on 23 October 2026

How to access the public health system when you move to Slovakia

Costs: Registration with public insurance: Act 580/2004 provides for no registration fee. 2026 contributions: employee 5% of gross salary, employer 11%; self-employed 16% of their base, at least €121.92 per month in 2026, €129.60 in 2027 (VšZP, rates in force from 01/01/2026 to 31/12/2027). EHIC: free (Your Europe).
Timeframes: Prihláška (registration) within 8 days of the event that opens insurance; change of insurer to be requested before 30 September for the following 1 January; agreement with the general practitioner concluded for at least 6 months.

Steps

Check whether you come under Slovak insurance. Insured are: people who have their trvalý pobyt (permanent residence) in Slovakia; and, without permanent residence, in particular employees of an employer established in Slovakia (with a monthly income at least equal to the threshold set by law), self-employed people who have a residence permit, and certain students and children. Anyone already insured in another member state is not insured in Slovakia.
Choose your fund from VšZP, Dôvera and Union. The choice is free, and you can only register with one.
Submit your prihláška to the chosen fund within 8 days of the event that opens your insurance (start of employment, for example). If you are an employee, your employer also declares your hiring to your fund and deducts your contributions from your salary.
Receive your insured person's card, the preukaz poistenca, and your insured number. Show it for every treatment and protect it against loss; report any loss to your fund without delay.
Choose your general practitioner, the všeobecný lekár, and sign with them a dohoda o poskytovaní zdravotnej starostlivosti (care agreement). They carry out the first examinations. The agreement lasts at least 6 months; signing a new one ends the previous one.
If you are a retiree with a pension from your home country (and no Slovak pension), ask for the S1 form from the fund in your country that pays your pension, then have it registered with the Slovak fund of your choice.
If you work in another country but live in Slovakia, or if you are a posted worker, ask your foreign fund for the S1 and register it with your Slovak fund: you are then entitled to full care in Slovakia.
To change fund, submit your application before 30 September: the change takes effect on the following 1 January. Inform your employer within 8 days.

Documents

Prihláška: the form of the chosen fund. The law (580/2004, § 8) sets what it contains: name, date of birth, rodné číslo if you have one, identity card or passport number, addresses (including, for a foreigner, the permanent address abroad), length of your stay in Slovakia, nationality, and who pays your contributions (employer, yourself as self-employed, etc.). At the counter, show your identity document; if you send it by post or online, attach a copy of your identity document or sign it with a qualified electronic signature or a certified signature. The fund may ask you for proof of your situation (employment contract, residence certificate).
Retiree or worker insured elsewhere: the S1 form issued by the fund of your country.
Agreement with the general practitioner: signed with your electronic identity card or electronic residence permit, or on paper if you do not have one.
For treatment: your insured person's card (or an insurance certificate).

Costs and timelines

Registration: Act 580/2004 (§ 6 and § 8) provides for no fee. Contributions are paid by employees, employers, self-employed people and the State (for retirees, students, children, etc.).
2026 contributions (rates in force from 01/01/2026 to 31/12/2027): employee 5% of gross salary (2.5% in case of disability), employer 11%; self-employed person and person insuring themselves (samoplatiteľ) 16% of their base (8% in case of disability), with a minimum advance payment of €121.92 per month in 2026 (€60.96 in case of disability), to be paid by the 8th of the following month (VšZP). For 2027, the VšZP fund announces a minimum advance payment of €129.60 (€64.80 in case of disability); the rates remain those of 2026.
EHIC: free, requested from your insurance fund (Your Europe).
Prihláška: within 8 days.
Change of fund: apply before 30 September, effective the following 1 January; you can withdraw your application within 30 days.
Agreement with the general practitioner: at least 6 months, except in special cases (moving, change of workplace to another municipality, etc.).

Common pitfalls

Living in Slovakia with only your EHIC. It covers care that cannot wait until your return during a temporary stay. Once you have settled, register with a Slovak fund or register your S1.
Staying without a general practitioner. Without a signed agreement, the general practitioner cannot follow you normally. A doctor can refuse a new patient if overloaded, unless you have your residence (permanent, temporary or tolerated) in their area; if the refusal is unjustified, the region (samosprávny kraj) can assign you one.
Being insured in two countries. If you remain insured in another member state, you are not insured in Slovakia: clarify your situation before registering.
Person with no activity or permanent residence. The law ties public insurance to permanent residence or to an activity in Slovakia. If you have neither (person of independent means, spouse without a job), check with the fund whether you can join; for registering your residence, the police will ask you for proof of health insurance.
Forgetting the 8 days. It is up to you to submit the prihláška. If you submit it late, your fund is the one that confirms it after the deadline, and it reports the failure to the ÚDZS; if you submit none, the law designates as your fund the one you choose and to which you pay your contributions, or failing that the one the ÚDZS designates (Act 580/2004, § 6 para. 3).

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA citizens: European coordination rules apply (EHIC, S1). The Slovak liaison body, the Úrad pre dohľad nad zdravotnou starostlivosťou (ÚDZS, healthcare surveillance authority), liaises with the funds of the other countries; it is your Slovak fund that issues your EHIC and registers your S1.
Swiss citizens: Slovak law treats insurance in Switzerland like that of a member state (non-accumulation rule), and European coordination rules apply to Switzerland: EHIC and S1 are used as for the EU (Your Europe, pages checked on 19/08 and 16/09/2026).
British citizens (Scots included): third-country nationals since Brexit. As an employee of an employer established in Slovakia, you come under Slovak public insurance; as a self-employed person, you need a residence permit. According to the British government, if you receive a British State Pension, you ask for an S1 from the NHS Overseas Healthcare Services and have it registered with one of the three funds; as an employee, you tell your employer which fund you have chosen and they register you; as a self-employed or non-employed person, you register directly with the chosen fund. The British card (GHIC or EHIC) is only valid for temporary stays. Your Europe (page checked on 19/08/2026) confirms that the S1 form also applies between the EU and the United Kingdom for anyone who works in one country and lives in the other.
Currency: Slovakia uses the euro.

Official sources (13) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in Slovakia.

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 Slovakia

How to access the public health system when you move to Slovakia

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 Slovakia

How to access the public health system when you move to Slovakia

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