Austria has an excellent healthcare system, but medical care can be very expensive there if you are not covered by health insurance. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens visiting Austria are eligible for free or low cost emergency medical treatment on production of a valid European Health Insurance Card.

It is compulsory for all employees in Austria to make contributions direct from salary to the state social insurance scheme, which includes sickness insurance. Most of the self-employed also contribute to this scheme. It covers the cost of medical treatment from doctors, medicines (less an excess of EUR4.60 per medicine at current rates) and hospitalisation (less an excess of EUR7 per day at current rates). Many people also take out private health insurance, and this can be especially important for expatriates who might wish to insure against the cost of repatriation.

If you are covered by the social insurance scheme and receive treatment from a doctor who is registered to provide medical care under this scheme, you will not be required to pay the fees in advance, but will need to show your health insurance card (E-card), which also acts as the European Health Insurance Card. Details of doctors working under this scheme are available from the Regional Health Insurance Office. Under the public health scheme you are also covered for out-patient and in-patient treatment in hospitals, but you will need to be referred by a doctor.

If you receive treatment from a private doctor or private hospital in Austria and are covered by the public health insurance scheme, you may be entitled to a partial refund of your payment from the Gebietskrankenkasse (the public insurance provider).

If you are covered by private health insurance you are likely to be required to make payment at the time of treatment, and to reclaim this from your insurance company. It will be important to check whether the treatment you receive is covered by your insurance policy. Note that many physicians and hospitals in Austria do not accept credit card payments.

There are very few serious health risks in Austria, with the exception of tick-borne encephalitis in heavily forested areas. Rabies is also present in Austria but there have been no cases in recent years.