Unscheduled treatment abroad
I'm temporarily abroad for work, study or holiday. Unfortunately, a medical emergency can happen at any time. Knowing in advance how my healthcare expenses are covered can save me a great deal of inconvenience.
Whatever country I'm travelling to, the CNS explains in this guide all the steps involved in getting medical treatment away from home.
Necessary medical care during a temporary stay abroad consists of health care that cannot be postponed until I return to my home country without risking worsening my state of health.
Scheduled medical care abroad is medical care that can be planned in advance and does not require immediate intervention.
Everything I need to know
I locate my destination country within the three categories:
- Category 1: European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, United Kingdom
- Category 2: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey
- Category 3: All other non-agreement countries
Then I can click on the relevant tab to see how the expenses will be covered.
- Countries in category 1
- Countries in category 2
- Countries in category 3
- Explanations
- The European card
- My procedures
I am staying in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro or the United Kingdom
Category 1 countries accept the European Health Insurance Card.
My access to medical care and formalities are simplified thanks to my European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or provisional replacement certificate.
- Before I travel abroad, I must remember to check the validity date of the European side of my card.
Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, although not part of the EEA, are countries with agreements that accept the European Health Insurance Card. The United Kingdom, which has left the European Union, is a signatory to a social security coordination agreement. As such, the EHIC is accepted there.
I need a new card, mine has expired or I don't have one.
To ensure it is delivered to me on time, the card must be requested at least three weeks before departure or the expiry date. The card will be sent to my official address.
- I'll check that my address is up to date.
Good to know when ordering
If I don't yet have a card or if my previous card has expired,I order my card on the CCSS website.
If I have a card and it is still valid when I place a new order, I can use the
CNS contact form.
I'm going abroad in less than three weeks
If I don't have time to get a new card,I can request a provisional replacement certificate by clicking on the following link: MyGuichet - Replacement provisional certificate, with or without Luxtrust authentication.
- Without authentication: the certificate will be sent to my home address. I therefore request it at least ten days before my departure.
- With authentication: the certificate will be placed in my private and secure MyGuichet.lu e-space and can be downloaded.
How is treatment covered?
Treatment is provided in accordance with the regulations of the country concerned, and reimbursed according to local rates. For example, if medical care is provided free of charge for residents, I will have access to free medical care on presentation of my EHIC.
I will have to advance my medical expenses if :
- I am unable to show my card or replacement certificate. Furthermore, I will not be able to benefit from the same conditions as residents.
- If the foreign service provider refuses my card.
Good to know: in most cases, approved service providers accept the European health insurance card.
What should I do if I have to advance the costs?
In this case, I would ideally request reimbursement from the health insurance fund in the country where I am staying.
I can also request reimbursement from the CNS on my return. The CNS will then calculate the cost of the invoices with the health insurance fund of the country where I stayed and, if necessary, I will be reimbursed according to the rates and tariffs of the country where I stayed. The time taken for reimbursement depends on how quickly the foreign fund responds. I can also ask the CNS to reimburse me directly according to Luxembourg rates and tariffs.
Please note! My European Health Insurance Card does not entitle me to reimbursement of medical care if I am staying in Denmark, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, if I do not have the nationality of a Member State of the European Union.
- Explanations
- Certificates
- My procedures
I'm staying in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Tunisia, Turkey, Cape Verde or Morocco
The countries in category 2 are countries with which Luxembourg has a bilateral agreement.
The European Health Insurance Card is not accepted in these countries. To certify my entitlement to medical care, I must present a certificate depending on the country of destination.
The attestation must be requested at least fifteen days before departure, by clicking on the corresponding link :
I need a certificate for my stay in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Tunisia, Turkey, Cape Verde or Morocco.
The certificate needs to be requested at least two weeks before departure.
By clicking on the corresponding link, I can go directly to MyGuichet.lu to order the certificate. I can do this with or without Luxtrust authentication:
- With authentication: the certificate will be placed in my private and secure MyGuichet.lu e-space and can be downloaded.
- Without authentication: the certificate will be sent to my home address. I therefore request it at least two weeks before my departure.
How is treatment covered?
Treatment is provided in accordance with the regulations of the country concerned, and reimbursed according to local rates. For example, if medical care is provided free of charge for residents, I will have access to free medical care on presentation of my certificate.
I will have to pay medical expenses in advance if :
- I am unable to present my certificate. Furthermore, I will not be able to benefit from the same conditions as residents.
- If the foreign service provider refuses the certificate.
In this case, I will request reimbursement from a health insurance fund in the country where I am staying or from my health insurance fund in Luxembourg.
Good to know: in most cases, approved service providers accept the certificate.
- Explanations
- My procedures
I'm staying in a non-agreement country
This refers to all other countries that are not included in categories 1 and 2, for example the United States of America, Australia, etc.
If I am staying in a country not covered by the agreement, I do not need to order a card or certificate from the CNS.
If I had to consult a health professional during my temporary stay, I can find out what steps to take when I return from holiday under ‘My procedures’.
How is treatment covered?
I advance the costs
If I receive urgent care in a country for which no agreement exists, I must pay the costs in advance. Invoices from these countries will be reimbursed by the CNS according to the rates and tariffs applicable in Luxembourg, provided that these tariffs cover the treatment in question.
To obtain reimbursement, invoices must be:
- paid;
- detailed in medical terms (and not coded);
- written or translated in English, French or German.
Please note: Any treatment provided in a country not covered by the agreement that is not urgent but scheduled outpatient treatment (e.g. visual aids, dental crowns or prostheses, simple consultations without diagnosis, etc.) is not reimbursed.
I'm looking into complementary insurance
The costs of medical and hospital treatments can vary considerably from one country to another, and can be much higher than in Luxembourg. This can result in a significant difference between the costs I incur and the CNS reimbursement, often to my disadvantage.
If I wish to obtain additional insurance to cover this difference, I can contact an insurer specialising in this type of coverage.
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