All foreign students coming to study at Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra are legally obliged to have a health insurance valid for the territory of Slovak Republic and for the whole period of their stay. Without prove of such insurance (in English or Slovak language) student cannot be registered at SUA in Nitra.
The healthcare system in Slovakia falls under the competence of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic. In Slovakia, there are state and private health care providers. An initial medical examination is provided by state or private general practitioners. Everybody can choose a general practitioner who usually provides basic health care and can refer a patient to an appropriate specialist for further medical examination.
If a foreign national has health insurance, the health care provided is paid for by the insurance company. Depending on the type of service provided, the health insurance company will pay for this service either in full or partially. If the health insurance company pays for the service only partially, the rest is paid by the foreigner directly to the health care provider. If a foreign national does not have health insurance, he/she must pay the full amount for the health care provided.
Health Insurance and Coverage
European Health Insurance Card
EU/EEA/Swiss nationals are entitled to health care under the same conditions as the nationals of the Slovak Republic. For entitlement to medical treatment on the basis of health insurance in another Member State (EU, EEA, Switzerland), an EU/EEA/Swiss national must present a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to the healthcare provider (EHIC will be issued at your request by a health insurance company to which you pay health insurance premiums). In such case, the treatment of an EU/EEA/Swiss national will be covered by a Slovak health insurance company to the same amount as for a Slovak national, provided the relevant physician has concluded a contract with at least one health insurance company.
International Students (Including PhD Students)
International students who come to Slovakia to study within a scholarship programme arising from an international bilateral agreement (and that agreement is binding for the Slovak Republic) is subject to statutory health insurance, the Slovak Republic being the payer of such insurance. The student shall submit the necessary documents certifying his/her study at a higher education institution in the Slovak Republic and its international status – proved by the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic. Other international students must be insured privately (commercial health insurance).
Additional Individual Health Insurance
Foreigners who are not duly insured can conclude commercial health insurance in the territory of the Slovak Republic.
Health insurance companies in the Slovak Republic:
VŠZP - Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (General Health Insurance Company)
Dôvera (Dôvera Health Insurance currently only provides their webpage in Slovak)
Union Health Insurance
Public Health Insurance for Scholarship Holders
As of January 1, 2023, the Slovak parliament has approved an amendment to the Act on Health Insurance No.580/2004 Coll., regulating the public healthcare insurance for general healthcare provision in Slovakia.
Scholarship holders of several scholarship programmes (incl. the National Scholarship Programme, CEEPUS, Erasmus+ and few other), residing on the territory of Slovakia are entitled to full coverage within the public health insurance if they are awarded the scholarship for a period of more than one month.
Pursuant to Section 3, paragraph. 3, (l).:
“the insured person of the state is a foreigner (if not otherwise insured) who resides on the territory of the Slovak Republic, is a scholarship holder within a scholarship programme aproved by the Government of the Slovak Republic or a programme arising from the international agreement, or within the framework of a program of the European Union if such natural person is awarded the scholarship for a period of more than one month”.
The information and a list of eligible scholarship programmes is available at the websites of the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of SR.
The health insurance is for scholarship holders for free (paid by goverment).
Since the process is new the insurence companies has not fully addapted yet for that. Therefore it is better to directly contact chosen health insurance company and inform yourself how to proceed and what documents you need to bring with you as it may differ to each company. Here is a list of the insurance companies offering this free insurance:
- Dôvera – application in Slovak language only or available at the insurance office
- VsZP (Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa) - application form in Slovak language only (see below), online application in Slovak language (see below) or at the insurance office
- Union – application online in English - https://www.union.sk/online-registration-uzp/#/selection-of-insured-person, or at the insurance office
If you would like to try the application form in Slovak language with VsZP - here are options:
- Download Pdf https://www.vszp.sk/poistenci/tlaciva/, print and fill, sign and bring it to the insurance office. You can download translation with comments here.
- Online: https://www.vszp.sk/poistenci/chcem-poistit/