Health care services outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland

If you are travelling for private purposes to countries outside the European Union, European Economic Area or Switzerland, you are entitled to health care depending on whether a treaty on social insurance has been concluded with that particular country or not

Countries outside the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA—Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein) or Switzerland with which Croatia has not concluded a treaty on social insurance regulating health care are called third countries. 

This group does not include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey, as treaties on social insurance with those countries (contracting states) have remained in force after Croatia’s accession to the EU.
 

Countries from the region and Turkey

If you are travelling to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro or Turkey for private purposes, the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (CHIF) will issue a Certificate of the right to use health care abroad based on a duly filled in registration form for temporary stay (form 4). 

When you are registering temporary stay, you have to indicate the first and last day of your stay abroad, and you can find the form on the CHIF’s website
De(registration) of temporary stay of an insured person in contracting states and third countries. 


For posted workers and persons sent to training, employers register their stay abroad.
 

Scope of rights in contracting states

Insured persons may use health care abroad at the expense of the CHIF only if they require emergency treatment for the purpose of eliminating an immediate threat to their life and health. 

They are required to pay only the costs of co-participation if there is such a requirement for the service used in the country of their stay. 

In case you are using health care in contracting states and have not requested that a certificate of the right to use health care be issued to you before travelling abroad, you are required to immediately contact the CHIF about its issuance.

If you already paid the costs of emergency treatment, you are entitled to submit a reimbursement request once you return to Croatia.
 

Third countries—certificate and additional payment

Before travelling to countries with which Croatia has not concluded a treaty on social insurance regulating health care, a Certificate of the right to use health care abroad should be obtained.

The Certificate is issued by the CHIF’s competent branch office, and the addresses can be found on its website 

Contact information | CHIF

As an insured person, you are required to register your stay abroad on the stipulated T4 form and pay a special contribution before you travel abroad. The amount of this contribution depends on the length of your stay abroad and is paid with the help of a money order filled in by an authorised employee of the CHIF.

The form can be downloaded from the CHIF’s website

De(registration) of temporary stay of an insured person in contracting states and third countries. 

If you plan to travel abroad while you are on sick leave, you are required to enclose a certificate from your primary care physician confirming their approval of your intention to travel considering your medical condition together with your registration form for stay abroad. 
 

Using health care services 

With the Certificate, you are entitled to use health care abroad only if you require emergency treatment for the purpose of eliminating an immediate threat to your life and health.

If you are using health care for this purpose, you need to inform the CHIF’s competent regional or branch office immediately so that it can monitor your medical condition and assess the need for your return (transport) to Croatia, if your medical condition allows this. 
 

Payment and reimbursement of costs

You have to personally cover the costs incurred in third countries, with the possibility of reimbursement of the actual amount of costs once you have provided your medical records and invoices translated into Croatian. 

If you do not obtain a Certificate of the right to use health care abroad before you travel abroad, the CHIF shall not reimburse you for the costs, even in case you undergo emergency treatment.

Business travel is an exception from this rule. Since the employer is obliged to pay a special contribution for using health care abroad, the employer has to pay it regardless of whether it requested issuance of a Certificate of the right to use health care abroad or not. The CHIF decides on requests for reimbursement of costs in administrative procedures.