Can I Use My Swiss Insurance Abroad?

Emergency treatment in EU/EFTA countries

If you are insured under KVG and travel within the EU or EFTA, you can use the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), known in Switzerland as the EKVK (Europäische Krankenversicherungskarte). Your Swiss insurer issues this card — it is usually printed on the back of your insurance card.

With the EHIC/EKVK, you can receive treatment at public healthcare facilities under the same conditions as locally insured patients. You pay whatever local patients would pay (co-payments, fees), and KVG settles the rest directly with the foreign provider or reimburses you.

This applies only to medically necessary treatment that cannot wait until you return to Switzerland. It does not cover private clinics, and it does not cover treatment you planned to get abroad.

Emergency treatment outside the EU/EFTA

Outside the EU/EFTA (e.g., the US, Asia, Africa, South America), KVG still covers emergency treatment — but it reimburses only up to twice the amount the same treatment would cost in Switzerland.

In practice, this means:

• A hospital stay in the US that costs USD 50,000 may only be reimbursed CHF 5,000–10,000 by KVG
• You are personally liable for the difference
• There is no EHIC/EKVK card — you pay upfront and submit receipts to your Swiss insurer afterward

Planned treatment abroad

KVG generally does not cover planned (elective) treatment abroad. If you travel specifically to receive medical care, your insurer will not reimburse you unless:

• The treatment is medically necessary and not available in Switzerland
• Your insurer has given prior authorization (Kostengutsprache)
• The treatment meets KVG coverage criteria

Medical tourism (e.g., cheaper dental work abroad) is not covered under any circumstances.

Cross-border workers (Grenzgänger)

If you are a Grenzgänger (cross-border commuter) living in an EU/EFTA country and working in Switzerland, special rules apply. You may have the right to choose between Swiss KVG and local insurance in your country of residence. The exact rules depend on bilateral agreements and your canton of work.

Repatriation is NOT covered

KVG does not cover medical repatriation — the cost of transporting you back to Switzerland for treatment. If you fall seriously ill abroad and need an air ambulance or medical transport home, this is entirely at your expense unless you have supplementary insurance.

Supplementary travel insurance (VVG)

Given the strict limits of KVG abroad, supplementary travel insurance is strongly recommended, especially for travel outside the EU/EFTA. A VVG-based travel policy typically covers:

• Medical costs beyond the KVG reimbursement limit
• Medical repatriation and air ambulance
• Trip cancellation and interruption
• Emergency dental treatment abroad

Many Swiss insurers offer annual travel policies for CHF 50–150 per year. Credit cards sometimes include basic travel insurance — check your card terms.