GovWire

Healthcare if you live and work in Slovenia

You mustregister as a residentif youre living in Slovenia for more than 3 months.

If you have residency in Slovenia you must have health insurance. This applies to all residents, including dependants. You will be required to show proof of healthcare cover:

• before you can register as a resident
• when you apply for a visa

For details about the healthcare cover required for residency applications, contact local authorities in Slovenia or the appropriate Slovenian embassy or consulate in the UK.

State healthcare in Slovenia is not completely free. However, emergency medical treatment is provided regardless of your insurance cover. Accident and emergency care and treatment is free at the point of delivery.

UK nationals and their dependants usually access the Slovenian healthcare system in one of the following ways:

• by paying into the Slovenian national health insurance system (ZZZS)
• by registering a UK-issued S1 form with ZZZS
• by using a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) for temporary stays when studying, or as a posted (detached) worker
• by paying for private healthcare insurance

Accessing the Slovenian National Health Insurance System (ZZZS)

The ZZZS website has information about registering for health insurance.

If you are employed in Slovenia, your employer will register you with the ZZZS.

If you are self-employed, you should check that you are registered for healthcare at a local ZZZS office.

If you are unemployed in Slovenia and receiving benefits, you should check that you are registered at a local ZZZS office.

Once you and your dependants have registered, you will receive a Slovenian Health Insurance Card (a ZZZS card). This covers you for treatment by healthcare providers contracted by ZZZS, and you should show this whenever you access state healthcare. Services covered by the ZZZS card include:

• GP visits
• state hospital visits
• health centre visits
• state dental care
• private doctors who have a contract with ZZZS
• prescription costs

Youll need to register with a GP. They will usually be your first point of contact to access specialists and hospital treatment.

The ZZZS website has more information about what is covered.

With a ZZZS card you will need to pay if you see a private GP or get dental treatment at a private clinic.

For prescriptions, ZZZS set a maximum amount it will cover for different types of medicine, which usually covers the majority of prescription costs, depending on the type and brand of medication. If a top-up payment is required, your doctor will be able to give you more information.

You will be required to pay in full for your healthcare when you visit:

• providers who do not have a contract with ZZZS
• specialists without a GP referral
• private dentists

From 1 January 2024, most people kiving in Slovenia will be required to make monthly healthcare payments to ZZZS. The amount you pay will depend on your income.

If you are employed, your employer will deduct all mandatory healthcare contributions directly from your salary, including for any dependants.

If you are self-employed, you will need to make payments as part of your monthly tax contributions, including for any dependants.

Some people and their dependents are not required to make these monthly healthcare payments. Examples of those for whom this payment is not required include:

• posted workers (those sent to work in Slovenia by a UK employer)
• those eligible for UK state-funded healthcare and who have registered their S1 (from 1 January 2024 a voluntary monthly top-up payment of 35 euros is no longer required)
• EHIC / GHIC student card holders (studying in Slovenia for under 3 months)
• those who choose not to register with ZZZS and have private health insurance for non-emergency healthcare

More information about the mandatory payment scheme can be found on the ZZZS website. This information is currently only available in Slovenian.

Once you have a ZZZS card you may be entitled to a Slovenian EHIC for travel, including visits to the UK.

If your UK employer has sent you to Slovenia temporarily (posted workers)

A posted worker, also known as a detached worker, is someone employed or self-employed in the UK, but temporarily sent to a European Economic Area (EEA) country.

UK posted workers can access state healthcare in Slovenia using an EHIC, GHIC or S1 form. From 1 January 2024, there is no longer a requirement for S1 form holders to make a monthly healthcare payment.

HMRC has a helpline for National Insurance enquiries from non-UK residents. They can answer questions about posted worker status and explain which documents you will need to get healthcare while posted.

UK-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Slovenia

Theres different guidance if you have an S1 as a posted worker (see the section of this guide If your UK employer has sent you to Slovenia temporarily (posted workers).

You may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK if youre a resident in Slovenia and receive a UK State Pension or an exportable benefit. See planning your healthcare abroad on the NHS website for more information about eligibility.

You may also be entitled to an S1 form if youre a frontier worker (someone who works in one state and lives in another). You must contact HMRC National Insurance enquiries to find out if youre eligible.