Medical treatment in another EU country

Cross-border healthcare in another EU Member State can be accessed via two routes:

• The route provided for in the relevant regulations regarding the coordination of social security systems – Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the coordination of social security systems and Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2009 laying down the procedure for implementing Regulation (EC) No 883/2004. These generally apply during temporary stays in another Member State either when care is needed or when the relevant health authority refers the patient to a health service in another EU Member State, in both cases public health institutions.

More information on the ‘Regulations’ route can be found here.

• The route in Directive 2011/24/EU on cross-border healthcare. This provides a framework that expands the possibilities for healthcare in European Area countries, by guaranteeing the right of EU citizens to receive safe and high-quality healthcare, either public or private, in another EU Member State.

Citizens who choose and receive cross-border healthcare through this second route will pay any expenses arising from this care. They can then claim for reimbursement of these expenses afterwards in their country of affiliation (i.e. the Member State in which patients are insured or where they are entitled to healthcare under the legislation of that country) and their country of origin will cover the full cost or part of the costs of the care.

More information on this Directive 2011/24/EU route can be found here (in Spanish and English). 

In both routes, for the vast majority of cases, cross-border healthcare requires prior authorisation from the entity responsible for insuring the patient.