Health insurance cards

Seekers of international protection

What

Seekers of international protection don’t have health insurance cards and have a right to urgent medical aid. However, apart from the doctor on duty, there are also Doctors of the World present in reception centres for international protection seekers, providing other medical services, if needed, free of charge.

Where

RECEPTION CENTRE FOR SEEKERS OF INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION (PRIHVATILIŠTE ZA TRAŽITELJE MEĐUNARODNE ZAŠTITE) Porin

RECEPTION CENTRE FOR SEEKERS OF INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION (PRIHVATILIŠTE ZA TRAŽITELJE MEĐUNARODNE ZAŠTITE)

EU citizens

What

EU citizens register for mandatory health insurance and receive insurance cards like citizens of Croatia do. Insurance beneficiaries may request a European health insurance card.

Where

Croatian Health Insurance Fund (Hrvatski zavod za zdravstveno osiguranje): https://goo.gl/i8CHqa

Citizens of third countries

What

Citizens of third cuntries register for mandatory health insurance and receive insurance cards like citizens of Croatia. In case they did not have health insurance in their home country, or their country’s system is not complementary with the Croatian system, they have to pay 5,000 HRK when starting the health insurance procedure.

Where

Croatian Health Insurance Fund: https://goo.gl/i8CHqa

PERSONS WHO HAVE BEEN GRANTED INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION

WHAT:

Persons who have been granted international protection are entitled to healthcare and services in the same scope as Croatian citizens with compulsory health insurance, in all healthcare institutions, regardless of the fact that they are not insured with the Croatian Health Insurance Fund.

WHO: If you have been granted international protection and you are unemployed, the costs of your healthcare are covered by the Ministry of Health, subject to specificities in approach.

HOW: Since you are not insured with the Croatian Health Insurance Fund as an unemployed person who has been granted international protection, you do not have a health insurance card or an ID number of an insured person; you instead prove your status at the doctor’s with your residence permit. If you require a check-up at the hospital or a medication, the doctor will issue you a private referral and prescription.

In order to receive payment for the costs of your treatment, healthcare service providers send invoices, a copy of your residence permit and accompanying medical files directly to the Ministry of Health.

USEFUL:

Specificities of receiving medication

In the pharmacy, in addition to the prescription that you received from the doctor, you have to provide a copy of your residence permit, which is proof of your status in the Republic of Croatia. In order for pharmacies to receive payment for the costs of the medication, they have to send a copy of the prescription, the residence permit and the invoice to the Ministry of Health. If pharmacies are not familiar with the proper procedure, they should be instructed to contact the Ministry of Health.

ATTENTION: When you find a job and start paying contributions, you will become insured with the Croatian Health Insurance Fund and you will receive a health insurance card. Members of your family cannot acquire the right to compulsory health insurance through you – such insurance is still paid for them from the state budget.

It is important to know that if you lose your job, you will no longer be insured with the Croatian Health Insurance Fund.

WHERE:

Ministry of Health https://zdravlje.gov.hr/

Ksaver 200a

10000 Zagreb

 

DESIGNATED CONTACT PERSON:

Božica Šarić, LLM

Head of Department for Compliance with EU Regulations in the Administration for Legal and Financial Affairs

bozica.saric@miz.hr

+ 385 1 4607630