Health & social security manual
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) allows EU citizens to access medically necessary state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the 27 EU countries, Iceland,
Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, under the same costs and conditions as a local resident.
The EHIC facilitates healthcare reimbursement under EU social security law. When EHIC holders receive treatment abroad, their home country's liaison body reimburses costs based on the
visited country's rates. The EHIC serves as proof of insurance for reimbursement, and healthcare providers retain a copy.
This use case manual explains in practical terms how the EHIC will work with EU Digital Identity Wallets. It also provides links to relevant technical and legal resources. EHICs in circulation in Europe in 2023 Practising physicians in the EU Claims of reimbursement via EHIC per year Requesting healthcare services abroad:
If abroad in any of the 27 EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, an EHIC cardholder or a relative of one can
receive healthcare at the same cost and under the same conditions as a local resident.
The costs of the healthcare received are reimbursed by the liaison insurance authority in the competent Member State (i.e., the Member State where the person is insured). Anna, a Greek student and a frequent traveller within the EU, securely stores her digital EHIC in her EUDI Wallet. While on a short trip to Lisbon, Anna experiences a sudden health issue and visits a nearby healthcare clinic. At reception, the healthcare provider asks her to present her digital EHIC to confirm her insurance status. The healthcare provider initiates the verification by displaying a QR code. Anna scans the QR code with her EUDI Wallet, triggering a secure and standardised data-exchange flow. Anna's EUDI Wallet verifies the provider's identity and prompts her consent. Once given, it securely transmits the EHIC and PID data.
After verification, Anna accesses healthcare services under the host Member State's conditions.
The provider proceeds with admission and exchanges reimbursement information with the relevant social security institutions.
Citizens Service provider Public authorities
Member States' social security institutions have been issuing social security documents, such as the EHIC and Standard forms for social security rights, in physical formats (plastic or
paper) at a national level since 2004.
Who piloted this use case? The Large Scale Pilot DC4EU developed the EHIC use case for EU Digital Identity Wallets. Key legislation that makes EHIC possible Next steps
The European Commission's 2026 Work Programme includes a legislative proposal for the
European Social Security Pass (ESSPASS)
as part of a broader "Fair labour mobility package". This initiative, scheduled for Q3 2026, aims to digitise social security coordination attestations and facilitate the exercise of
social security rights for people working or moving within the EU.
Work on the technical standards was carried out by DC4EU. This work built on the existing infrastructure and processes for the issuance, presentation and verification of EHIC information while adding support for revocation. Data model, format and proof mechanisms
DC4EU has piloted the EHIC attestation using the specifications found in
IETF SD-JWT-VC credential format. The data model is based on the
W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model.
For the proof mechanism, the JWT proof type is utilized in accordance with OID4VCI, implemented with ES256 encryption Verification
Currently, the verification of the EHIC is performed through visual inspection of the physical plastic card or by utilising scanning technologies, such as Optical Character Recognition
(OCR), to extract data for further processing. The plastic card has been specified in such a way that these technologies can be applied.
In some countries, hardware and software systems are already in place for verifying the national insurance card, which serves as the domestic counterpart to the EHIC. This existing
infrastructure could potentially be upgraded to enable the verification of the EHIC as well.
Download the full-length European Health Insurance Cards manual to find detailed technical and legal information that will help you get ready to make the most of this use case. Identification Identification in proximity scenarios Secure in-person identification for services where the transaction requires strong assurance of identity. Banking & payment Payment authentication Enables online payments to be authorised via an EUDI Wallet. Health & social security e-Prescription Identify yourself in order to access e-prescriptions stored and presented via an EUDI Wallet. Core functionality PID-based identification in online services Secure identification to an online service using the PID stored in an EUDI Wallet. Core functionality Use of a pseudonym in online services Interact with digital platforms without revealing your full identity, unless legally or functionally required to. Coming soon Core functionality eSignature Create qualified electronic signatures with the same legal validity as a handwritten signature. Travel Mobile Driving Licence (mDl) Proof of an individual's right to drive a certain kind of vehicle. Consumer Age verification Prove you are above a specific age threshold (e.g., over 16, 18, or 21) using a verifiable digital credential. Travel Digital Travel Credential (DTC) A digital representation of the user’s identity document such as an identity card, passport or another travel document Travel European Parking card (EPC) Issued to persons with disabilities, recognising the right to certain reserved parking conditions and facilities. Health & social security European Disability Card Serves as proof of recognised disability status/entitlement to disability services. Education Educational credentials store, manage, and present digitally verifiable education-related credentials, like diplomas and certificates. Coming soon Legal representation Natural or legal person representation Enables users to act on behalf of another individual or an organisation using digitally verifiable credentials. Coming soon Consumer Ticket or pass Store, manage, and present digital tickets and access passes, like boarding passes or event tickets. Coming soon Travel Vehicle Registration Certificate (VRC) Proves the registration and legal compliance of a vehicle with national and European road transport regulations. Coming soon Health & social security Public warnings Enables trusted public authorities to issue real-time or scheduled warnings and alerts, like for natural disasters. Coming soon Education European student card Enables students to store and present their student status. Coming soon Banking & payment Open bank account Enables individuals to open a bank account online using their EUDI Wallet. Coming soonThe European Health Insurance Card Manual
253 million
1.83 million
2.2 million
When will European Health Insurance Cards be verified?
The EHIC user journey
Requesting healthcare services during temporary stay abroad
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Key benefits
The legal and technical implementation of European Health Insurance Cards
Current implementation of European Health Insurance Cards per Member State.
Legislation behind European Health Insurance Cards
Technical standards
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Synergies with other EUDI use cases
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