EHIC vs Private Insurance: What Actually Covers a Student in Another EU Country

What the EHIC covers

The European Health Insurance Card gives you access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in another EU or EEA country, plus Switzerland. You get treated under the same terms and at the same cost as someone insured in that country, according to official guidance on the card . That means if the host country charges co-pays for a doctor visit or hospital stay, you pay the same co-pay a local would, the card does not make treatment free everywhere.

It is issued free by your home country's public health insurer and applies to unplanned care: an accident, a sudden illness, a chronic condition that needs monitoring while you are away. It is not designed for care you plan in advance.

What it does not cover

EHIC excludes private hospitals and private doctors, so if you choose or are referred to a private clinic, you pay the full bill yourself. It does not cover medical repatriation (flying you home for treatment), does not cover treatment you traveled abroad specifically to receive (that needs a separate S2 form arranged in advance), and does not cover lost or stolen belongings, a missed flight, or trip cancellation. Dental cover is usually limited to emergency treatment, not routine or prosthetic work, and mental health therapy coverage varies a lot by country and is often thin.

Who can use an EHIC

Only EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals, and some UK residents through the equivalent GHIC scheme, are eligible. If you are a non-EU international student studying in Europe, you are not eligible for an EHIC at all, which is why most European countries require proof of private or comprehensive health insurance as part of your visa or residence permit application.

Even EU students are not automatically covered by EHIC for the whole length of a degree. Short exchanges, such as a semester on Erasmus, typically work fine on your home country's EHIC since you stay insured at home. Full degree students who settle long-term in another EU country often need to register with that country's own compulsory health system instead, for example joining the general health insurance scheme in France or Germany's statutory system, rather than relying on a card meant for temporary stays. Rules on exactly when you switch depend on the host country, so check with your university's international office or the host country's health insurer before you assume EHIC alone is enough.

Where private student insurance fills the gaps

Private student insurance is built to cover what EHIC leaves out: repatriation if you need to be flown home, access to private clinics with shorter waits, dental treatment beyond emergencies, and often broader mental health support. Many policies bundle in liability cover and protection for lost baggage or trip cancellation, useful if you travel a lot during your studies.

The real cost difference

EHIC itself is free, since it is issued by your home country's public insurer and just extends your existing entitlement abroad. Private student insurance is an added monthly cost on top, and prices vary widely by coverage level, your age, and the country you study in. Basic plans aimed at students can start from a low monthly amount and scale up sharply once you add dental, mental health, or full repatriation cover, so compare the exact list of exclusions on any policy rather than the headline price alone.

What to do before you leave

Apply for your EHIC through your home country's public health insurer before departure if you are an EU/EEA/Swiss national, it usually arrives by post within a couple of weeks. Check whether your destination country requires proof of comprehensive insurance regardless of your EHIC, since visa and enrollment offices sometimes ask for it even when you are legally covered another way. If you plan to stay for a full degree rather than a short exchange, ask your university's international office whether you need to register with the host country's own health system, and from what date your EHIC coverage there actually stops.