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European Health Insurance Card – how does it work for Au Pairs?

If you’re a European Union citizen and are planning to start your Au Pair experience in a EU country, then you won’t need to worry about health insurance: your healthcare will be covered by your European Health Insurance Card. Read about:
Read this article to find out which European Union countries offer a public healthcare system (and with which exceptions) and find out how you can get a European Health Insurance Card.
 
The European Health Insurance Card provides European Union citizens with medical care while living abroad in other European Union countries. This document is issued to nationals of any European Union country, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The card entitles you to the benefits of the public Healthcare System of the Host Country. 
 
Since the healthcare system is different in every EU country and everyone of them offers different services as part of public healthcare, we recommend to get informed about the specific services that are covered in your Host Country in order to avoid any problems during the Au Pair stay. 
 
Please note that the EHIC does not cover private healthcare and cannot be used as a travel insurance. Moreover, the card will not be valid if you travel to the country to obtain any planned medical treatment, which means any planned surgeries, or also if you have any chronic disease that requires you to be under medical surveillance.

 
In some countries, like for example France and Luxembourg, you will have to pay for healthcare upfront but you will be able to claim your money back through the use of your EHIC card, so make sure you always have enough money with you in case of emergency.
 
Please note that we can’t guarantee any of the information that we give about insurances.
The regulations differ from one insurance company to another and also depend on the kind of insurance that you have in your home country (family insurance etc.). Please ask your insurance company for more information!

List of countries whose residents are entitled to the EHIC

Austria Bulgaria Belgium Cyprus
Croatia Czech Republic Denmark
Estonia
Finland France Germany Greece
Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy
Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg
The Netherlands Norway Malta Poland
Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia
Spain Sweden Switzerland The United Kingdom

** Applicants from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland can also be entitled to a European Health Insurance Card.

How can I get the European Health Insurance Card?

Au Pair health insuranceThe European Health Insurance Card is issued by the institution where the person is insured. You need to be insured by a state social security system of one of the mentioned countries. If you want to know more information about the process, contact your local insurance organization. 
 
**If you come from a non-EU country but are legally residing in any of the mentioned countries, you will also be entitled to the EHIC. You will not have the right to receive medical treatment in Denmark, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

What does the EHIC have to do with Au Pairs?

The European Health Insurance Card is issued for a temporary stay abroad. Since the Au Pair program is not a job but an exchange program, you will get the benefits of the public health service for free. We recommend Au Pairs to get a private insurance as well in case of any more complex situations.
 
Read more about Au Pair insurance and other important topics of the program in the Au Pair Wiki. 

Do Au Pairs need an insurance?
Depends - if the Au Pair is an EU citizen and wants to work in an EU country, she won't need an additional insurance. In almost every other case the Au Pair will need an insurance. You can read more about the European Health Insurance Card here. 
What are the requirements to host an Au Pair?
There are three most important requirements: the Au Pair accommodation, full board and monthly/weekly sum of pocket money. We recommend to go through the full list of requirements for Host Families. If you meet them, you can register as a Host Family today and find an Au Pair that matches your criteria.
Who should pay for the travel expenses?
We recommend Host Families to help Au Pairs with travel expenses, though it’s not their obligation to do so. In any case, the Au Pair needs to cover the travel costs initially. If the Host Family would like to support the Au Pair, they can repay the ticket price in monthly installments that will be added to the Au Pair's salary during 10 months. In the case of Au Pair USA and China, the ticket will be covered by the Host Family. We recommend to discuss this topic before the Au Pair’s arrival and note down the conditions in the Au Pair contract. Learn more about other Au Pair costs to participate in the program or Host Family costs for hosting an Au Pair.  
How can an Au Pair get a visa?
AuPair.com is an online matching agency, therefore this question is beyond our scope of responsibility. But we will do our best to help you nonetheless! Usually the best source of information is the embassy of the host country placed in the Au Pair’s homeland. Requirements vary depending on both the Au Pair’s nationality and the host country, but usually a letter of invitation from the Host Family and a signed contract are needed to start the visa application. Other documents may be different depending on each individual case, and in case of the US, assistance of a local full-service Au Pair agency is also necessary.   
Can you help me with the paperwork and the placement process?
Unfortunately, we can’t help you with it. We are an online matching agency, thus we can’t interfere in your searching or placing process. We are happy to provide you with all our searching and matching tools and the information about the Au Pair experience. As our platform is available worldwide, we are unable to take care of all the applications we get daily. Feel free to use our service to visit your dream destination and find a great Host Family. We will be also glad to get your feedback! If you have any ideas or comments, get in touch with us. 


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