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Anyone living in Croatia for more than 3 months must have health insurance.

Healthcare is not free in Croatia. As well as insurance contributions, you鈥檒l need to pay something towards the cost of any medical treatment. This is called a co-payment.

UK nationals usually access the Croatian healthcare system in one of these ways:

• paying contributions to the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO)
• using a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for temporary stays when studying, or as a 鈥榩osted鈥� (detached) worker
• registering a UK-issued S1 form with HZZO (see 鈥楿K-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Croatia鈥� below)

Healthcare if you live and work in Croatia

If you are planning on moving to Croatia, see the guidance on Living in Croatia for more information about visa and residency requirements.

You must 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 Croatia or the appropriate Croatian embassy or consulate in the UK.

You must register as a resident if you plan to stay in Croatia for more than 3 months.

You must pay health insurance contributions to the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (), which funds the healthcare system.

Healthcare is not free in Croatia. You鈥檒l also need to make a co-payment of 20% of the cost of any medical treatment you receive. The maximum you鈥檒l pay for a single treatment is 530.88 euros.

Most people in Croatia take out supplementary health insurance with HZZO to cover their co-payments.

Some people are entitled to free supplementary health insurance 鈥� for example, if you鈥檙e disabled, a student or on a low-income.

You may be entitled to a Croatian EHIC for travel, including visits to the UK.

You may also have the right to apply for a UK S1 if you start drawing a UK State Pension (see 鈥楿K-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Croatia鈥� below).

How to register for healthcare

You first need to register as a resident. When you鈥檝e applied for your permit, you鈥檒l get a letter that proves you鈥檙e applying to be a Croatian resident.

Take this letter to your local HZZO office within 8 days to register to pay your health insurance contributions.

If you鈥檙e employed or self-employed, you鈥檒l make monthly contributions. These are calculated annually and based on the average salary. They鈥檒l be deducted from your salary by your employer or accountant.

If you鈥檙e not working, you must pay HZZO a fixed single amount of around 700 euros each year for annual health insurance.

Your dependants will be covered by your insurance. They also need to register with HZZO.

Once you鈥檝e registered, you鈥檒l get a letter confirming your insurance, and an insurance card. The card can take up to 3 months to arrive.

If you need any healthcare while you鈥檙e waiting for your card, show your insurance confirmation letter to prove that you鈥檙e entitled to healthcare.

You need to register with a GP or paediatrician for children. They are your first point of contact for accessing healthcare. .

How to access healthcare services

Find your nearest hospital or clinic on this 188体育 webpage.

How much you鈥檒l pay

Basic state health insurance does not cover the full cost of medical care. You need to pay 20% of the cost. This ranges from 1.32 euros to 530.88 euros for a single treatment.

For example, you鈥檒l pay 1.32 euros for a GP appointment.

If you have supplementary health insurance, you do not have to pay the 20% co-payment. Supplementary insurance costs 10 euros to 40 euros a month.

Basic prescription medicine is free. You鈥檒l have to pay for other medicines, unless you鈥檙e covered by supplementary insurance. Your doctor can tell you when and how much you鈥檒l have to pay for any prescribed medicine.

Emergency healthcare is usually free. You鈥檒l need to pay for any follow up treatment.

Dental care is covered by state healthcare insurance although many people use private dentists in Croatia.

If your UK employer has sent you to Croatia temporarily (鈥榩osted workers鈥�)

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

UK posted workers can access healthcare in Croatia using a GHIC, EHIC or S1 form.

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 Croatia

There is different guidance if you have an S1 as a posted worker (see 鈥業f your UK employer has sent you to Croatia temporarily (鈥榩osted workers鈥�)鈥� above).

You may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK if you鈥檙e a resident in Croatia and receive a UK State Pension or an exportable benefit. See on the NHS website for more information about eligibility.

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

Once you have an S1 form, you must register it on the Croatian system.

This will mean you and your dependents will be entitled to healthcare in Croatia on the same basis as a Croatian citizen.

You鈥檒l also get:

• a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for travel
• planned treatments in other EU countries

You can find out more about and the rules on on the NHS website.

Dependants and family members may be classified differently in Croatia than the UK.

Check with the local authorities when you register your S1 form.

If you鈥檙e entitled to an S1 form as a dependant of a State Pensioner, your health cover will be cancelled once you begin claiming your UK State Pension.

You will be sent a new S1 form to your registered address from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services. You must register this form to ensure continuation of healthcare cover.

You are responsible for informing NHS Overseas Healthcare Services if you change your address or your circumstances change.

How to get an S1 form

If you have a UK State Pension or another qualifying exportable benefit, you must request an application form by phone from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services (see contact details above).

How to use an S1 form in Croatia

You must register your S1 form at your local HZZO office.

Once you鈥檝e registered, you鈥檒l get a letter confirming your insurance, and an insurance card. The card can take up to 3 months to arrive.

If you need any healthcare while you鈥檙e waiting for your card, show your insurance confirmation letter to prove that you鈥檙e entitled to healthcare.

Your letter and card show you鈥檙e entitled to healthcare on the same basis as a Croatian citizen.

Your dependants will be covered by your insurance. They also need to register with HZZO.

Studying in Croatia

You should apply for a Student GHIC to get medically necessary, state-provided healthcare for the duration of your study period in Croatia, whether this is for part or all of your course. This means that you鈥檒l get necessary healthcare services on the same basis as a Croatian citizen either for free or at a reduced cost.

If you already hold a valid Student EHIC you can use this until the card expires.

on the NHS website.

If you鈥檙e studying in Croatia for more than 3 months, you should register for healthcare with HZZO.

You can also take out supplementary health insurance with HZZO to cover the co-payments for any medical treatment you receive.

Getting treatment in the UK

Because the NHS is a residency-based system, under NHS rules UK nationals who move abroad on a permanent basis may lose their entitlement to free NHS healthcare.

If you are a UK national and move to the EU, you should not expect to be able to use NHS services for free when visiting the UK unless you have an EHIC, PRC or S2 to show your healthcare costs are funded by the EU country in which you now live, or another exemption applies.

Some former UK residents do not have to pay for NHS treatment when visiting England. This includes:

• UK war pensioners
• UK government employees
• UK nationals living in the EU on or before 31 December 2020, once they have a registered, UK-issued S1

Read more about using the NHS when you no longer live in the UK (see 鈥楿K nationals who no longer live in the UK鈥� in Healthcare for visitors to the UK from the EU).

If you return to live in the UK you鈥檒l be able to use the NHS like any other UK resident.

Read more about using the NHS when you return to live in the UK.