Five tips for looking after your health before you travel

1. Order your European Health Insurance Card in good time. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is proof of your entitlement to medically necessary treatment in EU and EEA countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. You can find more information about the European Health Insurance Card on Kela’s website.
2. Take the card with you on your trip. Make sure you bring your European Health Insurance Card and a paper copy of it. This will enable you to prove your entitlement to medically necessary treatment while travelling, should the need arise.
3. Arrange any regular treatment in advance. If your medical condition requires regular treatment during your stay abroad, contact the healthcare provider at your destination in good time. Making arrangements in advance helps to ensure continuity of care during your trip.
4. Find out about the rules on carrying any prescription medicines. There are differences between countries in the amount and type of medicines that may be brought into the country. You can find out more about this topic in the Taking medicines abroad section of our website.
5. Find out about the healthcare system in your destination country before you travel. Find out in advance how healthcare works in your destination country. Our website provides country-specific information on health services and healthcare systems. When you make sure your health matters are in order before travelling, it will be easier to deal with any treatment situations that may arise.

Country-specific information about health services to support you before and during your trip

The Country-specific information on health services section of our website brings together key information on healthcare systems in different countries. This information will give you an overview of how healthcare works in your destination and what you need to bear in mind before and during your trip.

We keep the content up to date by updating the country profiles annually in collaboration with embassies and other contact points for cross-border healthcare. The website concept renewed during the spring makes the information clearer and quicker to view.

The pages contain information on, among other things:

• using healthcare services in the destination country
• practices relating to access to treatment and the provision of treatment
• the cost of treatment
• the destination country’s health insurance institution
• the authorities responsible for healthcare

This information is particularly useful in situations where you suddenly fall ill or have an accident while travelling. You can also return to the pages after your trip, for example, when dealing with reimbursement matters.

Good planning makes for carefree holidays

Once your health matters are in order before you travel, you can enjoy your holiday with peace of mind. Our country-specific pages are there to support you before, during and after your trip, so that your trip goes as smoothly as possible.

If necessary, you can also contact the Contact Point for Cross-Border Healthcare in your destination country for further information. You can find the contact details on our website.