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03-Jun-2025 | moving to austria A Guide to Austria's Healthcare System and the E-Card

Everything you need to know about public healthcare in Austria — from insurance and e-cards to maternity and emergency care.

Austria’s healthcare system is high-quality and well-structured. But if you’re used to a different approach – or don’t speak German – it can feel overwhelming.

This guide gives you an overview of the healthcare system without the jargon. It’s designed to help you feel confident using Austria’s healthcare system.

Note: Austria has both public and private health insurance systems. Unless otherwise stated, this guide focuses on how things work under public insurance. If you have private insurance, some steps and coverage may differ.

 

Contents

Almost all of Austria’s residents (99.9%) are covered by statutory health insurance. Most people are automatically enrolled in public insurance through their job – usually with the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) – for employees and their families.

Main public health insurance providers

Insurance for:

ÖGK (Österreichische Gesundheitskasse)

Most employees and their dependents

BVAEB (Versicherungsanstalt öffentlich Bediensteter, Eisenbahnen und Bergbau)

Public sector employees, railway workers and miners

SVS (Sozialversicherungsanstalt der Selbständigen)

Self-employed persons, freelancers and farmers

Who is Covered?

  • If you're employed, your insurance is handled through your employer.
  • If you're married and / or have children, they can be co-insured under your plan.
⚠️Co-insurance isn’t automatic — check with your employer to confirm whether it’s being arranged (by HR, a relocation agency, or if you need to handle it yourself).

 

🤝 We can support you in applying for co-insurance (Mitversicherung) and managing your registration with the relevant insurance provider.

What is Covered?

  • Visits to general practitioners (GPs)
  • Specialist appointments with referral
  • Hospital care (small fees may apply)
  • Prescriptions (partially subsidised)
  • Maternity care and parental leave benefits
  • Health and dental checkups 
⚠️ You are usually assigned an insurer based on your employer’s insurance affiliation – the insurer’s name is not printed on your e-card. To check who your provider is, ask your HR department or refer to insurance letters.

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The E-Card

Example of An Ecard

An Example of the E-Card

The e-card is your Austrian health insurance card. You’ll need it for nearly all healthcare services — including doctor appointments, hospital care, and collecting prescriptions from a pharmacy.

How Do You Get The E-Card?

If you’re employed in Austria and on an Austrian payroll:

  • Your employer registers you with the Austrian social security system.
  • Your HR department will give you your social security number for you to take furhter steps such as register your photo or co-insure family members.
  • Once registered, your public health insurer (usually ÖGK) then sends your e-card to your home address — it can take up to 6 weeks to arrive. If it hasn't, contact your health insurance provider. 
  • Your spouse and children will receive their own cards if they are co-insured.

⚠️ A photo is required for all new e-card applications. If you’ve never submitted one or are an EU citizen without a resident permit, you'll need to register it at a police station. Even if you submitted a photo before (e.g. for a Red-White-Red Card), it often doesn't reach the health insurer, which can delay your e-card, so it's good to follow up.


🤝 We can support you in applying for your photo registration to ensure you receive your e-card in good time.

 

What If You're Working in Austria, but Not On Austrian Payroll?

If you're covered by another EU country's social security system, while working in Austria, you’re unlikely to receive an Austrian e-card – but you can still access healthcare. You may need to complete and submit A1 and S1 forms.

Form Purpose   Who Needs It   How It Relates to Healthcare
A1 Confirms you're under your home country’s social
security system while temporarily working in Austria.
  Workers in Austria, employed by EU employers, on short-term assignment.   Proof that you don’t need to pay Austrian social security contributions (including health insurance).
S1 Provides access to public healthcare in Austria while insured in another EU country.   EU workers living in Austria but insured abroad.   Let's you access Austrian public healthcare without paying into the Austrian system.

 

⚠️ Request these forms from your home country’s social security office before your move or assignment begins.

 

🤝 We can support you in arranging your access to Austria's public healthcare.

 

Co-Insurance for Family Members

Your family can be added to your insurance:

  • Children are typically covered at no extra cost.
  • Spouses / partners may be added for a fee: 3.4% of your gross monthly salary, up to a capped amount (based on €6,450 gross/month).
  • Applications are submitted to your district insurance office (locations can be found at www.gesundheitskasse.at).
Unmarried couples need to prove that they have lived together for at least ten months.

⚠️ Please check whether your employer is taking care of this formality for you.

 

🤝 We can support your co-insurance registration and make sure all your family members are properly covered.

 

How Much Does the E-Card Cost?

  • Publicly insured individuals currently pay €13.80 per year.

  • This increases to €14.65 in 2026 (fee is due each November for the following year).

When to use the E-Card

  • Present it at each medical appointment.
  • Use it to collect prescriptions at the pharmacy.
  • Bring it to hospital admissions.

If you need to see a doctor and you don’t have your e-card with you, most doctors won’t turn you away. Just submit your e-card within 14 days of the visit and pay a deposit. You’ll get your deposit back when you show your e-card.

Can the E-Card be Used in Other European Cities?

  • Not during the first 12 monthsthe first e-card issued is blank on the back.
  • After 12 months, you can order a new e-card with the back of the card completed, which will then give you access to healthcare in other EU countries, EEA countries and Switzerland.

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Seeing a Doctor

Austria has both public doctors (Kassenarzt) and private doctors (Wahlarzt). If you're covered by public insurance, you’ll want to choose a doctor (Kassenarzt) who works with your insurer.

💡 Private doctor (Wahlarzt)? Look for "keine Kassen". This means the doctor doesn’t accept public insurance, so you’ll pay the full fee upfront. You can submit the invoice to your insurer for partial reimbursement, and you will be refunded approximately 80% of the standard consultation costs. 

⚠️ Note: This means you'll get back 80% of what a contracted (public) doctor would have been paid, not 80% of what you actually paid.

 

Finding a Doctor

  • Use www.docfinder.at or www.aerztekammer.at/arztsuche to search by location, specialty, and language (use advanced search).

  • In Vienna, www.praxisplan.at is also useful.

  • Doctors may list languages like French, Turkish or Arabic, in addition to English.

  • Look for "alle Kassen" to confirm they accept public insurance.

💡If you're unsure, ask directly if they accept your e-card or name your insurer.

Booking a Doctor's Appointment

  • General practitioners (GPs — Hausarzt): Some surgeries allow walk ins, but often it is better to book an appointment to save time.
  • Specialists (Facharzt): You usually need a referral (Überweisungsschein) from your GP — and it must be used within 2 weeks.
  • Bring your e-card and photo ID.

Be prepared for some waiting time, even with an appointment.

📞 Language barrier? Many practices allow booking by email or online forms.

Sick Notes (Krankenstand)

  • If you're unwell and off work, ask for a Krankenstand (sick leave certificate) during your appointment.
  • This is often required by most employers if you are absent due to illness.

Check with HR if your company has specific rules or timelines for submitting a sick note. If you're unsure of the legal requirements, get advice from HR or a legal expert.

⚠️ You can only see one doctor per specialty (including GPs) every three months. After that, you can switch.

Out of Office Hours Medical Help

  • Call the on-call doctor service (Ärztenotdienst) at 141.
  • In some cities (like Vienna), home visits may be possible.

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Emergency Services

If you or someone else is in need of immediate, urgent care, here’s what to do.

For Medical Emergencies:

  • Call 144 for an ambulance (Rettung)
  • Go to the nearest Notaufnahme (emergency room)
  • Bring your e-card

For Urgent Medical Help (But Not an Emergency)

  • Call 1450, the non-emergency health advice line
  • Trained healthcare staff will assess your situation and direct you to the right care

Emergency Numbers

112

European emergency number (works anywhere in the EU)

Euro-Notruf – einheitliche europäische Notrufnummer

 

122

Fire brigade

Feuerwehrzentralen 

 

133

Police

Polizei 

 

141

On-call doctor / emergency medical service  Ärztenotdienst  

142

Telephone counselling

Telefonseelsorge 

 

144

Ambulance / emergency services

Rettungsdienst 

 

1450

Non-emergency medical helpline Gesundheitshotline  

1455

Pharmacy services Apothekendienste  
147 Emergency services for children and young people Notrufdienst für Kinder und Jugendliche  

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Prescriptions and Pharmacies

When you have a doctor’s prescription (Rezept) for medicine, take it to a pharmacy (Apotheke).

  • Prescriptions are usually sent electronically to the pharmacy. Some doctors still issue paper prescriptions, especially if you don’t yet have your e-card.
  • Bring your e-card when collecting medicine, if you have it.
  • The pharmacist may ask who your public insurance provider is
🧾 From a private doctor or hospital? You may need to get your prescription approved by the health insurance fund first to pay the reduced fee. Present the prescription at your district insurance office (see www.gesundheitskasse.at).

 

How Much Do Prescriptions Cost?

  • Most prescriptions are a standard fee of €7.55 per medicine prescribed (in 2025), under public insurance.
  • Some people (e.g. low-income or pensioners) may be exempt from paying this fee.
  • Over-the-counter medicines are not covered by insurance and must be paid in full.

 

How to Get Medication After-Hours Or in an Emergency

Need medication at night or on weekends?

Austrian pharmacies rotate on-call services (Apotheken Notdienst) so there’s always a pharmacy open:

🕑 Normal pharmacy hours:
Monday–Friday: 08:00–18:00
Saturday: 08:00–12:00

🌙 Night / Weekend: There may be a small surcharge for out-of-hours services.

 

What If You Don't Yet Have Your E-card Yet?

  • You can still collect medication by paying up front
  • Keep the receipt and submit it later for reimbursement (if applicable)
💬 Still unsure? Pharmacists are usually helpful — and many speak at least some English. Or use a translation app — you can both speak into it and converse that way!

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Maternity and Family Care

The Parent-Child Pass (Eltern-Kind-Pass)

  • Issued by your doctor during early pregnancy
  • Includes a checklist of essential check-ups for both mother and child

Maternity Leave (Mutterschutz)

Maternity protection begins eight weeks before your due date and continues until between eight weeks and 12 weeks after birth.

During this time:

  • You receive full pay based on your previous earnings.
  • Your job is protected.

Daddy Month (Papamonat)

  • Employed fathers can take up to one month off work after the birth of their child (within 91 days of the birth).
  • It’s unpaid, but your job is protected and you can apply for a family time bonus (approx. €23/day). 
  • Notice must be given to employers 3 months before the due date.

Parental Leave and Childcare Allowance

After Mutterschutz ends, one parent can take parental leave (Elternkarenz):
  • Your job is protected for up to 2 years.
  • You may be eligible for Childcare Allowance (Kinderbetreuungsgeld).

Child Check-Ups

Children are eligible for free routine check-ups under the Eltern-Kind-Pass programme — this continues until the child turns 5 years old.

🤝 We can support you in applying for Childcare Allowance, ensuring you don’t miss any deadlines or paperwork.

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Dental Care

Dental care in Austria is partially covered by public insurance, but not all treatments are included. Treatments that are generally covered by your public insurance are: fillings, root canal treatments, tartar removal, tooth and root extractions and surgical procedures.

⚠️ To find out exactly what is covered, and not covered, by your public health insurer, check your insurance policy details.

 

Booking a Dentist (Zahnarzt) Appointment

  • Use www.zahnaerztekammer.at and 'advance search' by location and language.
  • No referral is needed — you can book directly with any dentist.
  • Look for 'alle Kassen' to find one who accepts public insurance.

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Glossary

German English Description
Alle Kassen All public insurers accepted Indicates the doctor accepts all public health insurance providers
Apotheke Pharmacy Place to collect prescribed or over-the-counter medicine
Ärztenotdienst On-call doctor Doctor that is available outside regular hours
e-card e-card Austrian social insurance card used to access public healthcare services
Elternkarenz Parental leave Extended unpaid leave after maternity protection
Eltern-Kind-Pass The Parent-Child Pass A record of medical check-ups during pregnancy and for children up to age 5, monitoring key health milestones
Facharzt Medical specialist A doctor that specialises in a specific area of medicine
Hausarzt General practitioner (GP) Primary doctor who handles general health concerns
Kassenarzt Contracted public doctor Doctor covered under the public health insurance system
Keine Kassen No contract with public insurers Indicates the doctor does not have a contract with the public health insurance system. Payments must be made upfront, although they may be partly reimbursed later
Kinderbetreuungsgeld Childcare allowance Financial support for parents staying home with young children
Krankenstand Sick leave certificate Document for employer if you're absent due to illness
Mitversicherung Co-Insurance Insured person extending their insurance to cover their dependents
Meldezettel Residence registration form Mandatory form to register your Austrian address
Mutterschutz Maternity protection Leave protection 8 weeks before and after childbirth
Nachtdienst Night duty pharmacy On-call pharmacy service outside regular hours
Notaufnahme Emergency room Hospital department for urgent and emergency treatment
ÖGK Austrian Health Insurance Fund The main public health insurance provider (Österreichische Gesundheitskasse)
Papamonat Daddy Month One month's unpaid leave for fathers after the birth of their child
Rezept Prescription A doctor’s order for medication, either electronic or on paper, used to collect medicine from a pharmacy
Überweisungsschein Letter of Referral Letter provided by your GP referring you to a specialist
Wahlarzt Private doctor Doctor not contracted with public insurance – you pay and claim later

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Hopefully, you found this guide helpful. Getting access to healthcare comes with its fair share of formalities — from e-cards to A1 / S1 forms, and co-insurance to family benefits. But you don't have to figure it out alone. 

Book a free 15-minute call with one of our experts and let us help you sort out the paperwork, giving you and your family access to Austria's excellent healthcare system.

Author: Martine Pey