How to get a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC, in Bulgarian ЕЗОК) lets you receive urgent treatment during a temporary stay in the EU on the same terms as people insured there. It is issued by the institution of the country where you are insured; in Bulgaria that is the NHIF (НЗОК).
EU membership and rights · Last reviewed: 2026-10-08
This is not legal or financial advice
Who can get it
According to the NHIF page, the card goes to people with uninterrupted health insurance rights, which under Bulgarian law means not having gone more than 3 months without paying contributions within the past 36 months. The card is personal: each family member travelling in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland needs their own valid card. For all categories, the EHIC and the provisional replacement certificate are issued by the state where the person is insured (NHIF's EU coordination page).
How to apply
- Online: issuing the ЕЗОК is an electronic administrative service on the e-government portal.
- In person: the application form is submitted at one of the points listed on the NHIF page (First Investment Bank branches); the form can be downloaded from that page.
- Cost: the NHIF page describes the card as free; the Your Europe page also says you should not have to pay for an EHIC and warns against websites that charge for ordering one.
- Processing time and any further documents are not stated on the NHIF page; confirm with the institution.
Validity and what it does not cover
Per the NHIF page, validity is one year for adults; for minors until adulthood but not less than one and not more than five years; ten years for old-age and long-service pensioners. The card covers treatment that cannot wait until you return home, from public-system providers, with the same rights as people insured in the country you are visiting. According to Your Europe it does not cover private healthcare, rescue or repatriation, or planned treatment. In Denmark, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, non-EU nationals cannot use the EHIC; refugees and family members of an EU citizen are the exceptions. If you have no card or cannot use it, you cannot be refused treatment, but you may have to pay upfront and claim reimbursement afterwards.
This page is not legal or financial advice
Frequently asked questions
Does the EHIC cost anything?
No. The NHIF page describes the card as free, and Your Europe says you should not have to pay and should avoid intermediary sites that charge.
Is the EHIC valid at a private hospital?
No. According to Your Europe, it only works with providers in the public system; it does not cover private healthcare, rescue or repatriation, or planned treatment.
Sources
The information on this page is based on the official sources listed below. Legislation changes — open the links and verify the current position.
- Национална здравноосигурителна каса (НЗОК) — Европейска здравноосигурителна карта (ЕЗОК) — https://www.nhif.bg/bg/people/ezok · 2026-10-08
- Your Europe — Healthcare during a temporary stay in another EU country (EHIC) — https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/health/unplanned-healthcare/temporary-stays/index_en.htm · 2026-10-08
- НЗОК — Европейска интеграция и координация на системите за социална сигурност — https://www.nhif.bg/bg/abroad/eu-integration · 2026-10-08
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