Expat Health Insurance in Austria (2026)

Are You Automatically Insured If You Work in Austria?

Yes, and this is the part most newcomers overpay to avoid. Any job in Austria above the marginal-earnings threshold (Geringfügigkeitsgrenze) triggers compulsory registration with OeGK. Your employer files it, contributions come out of payroll alongside tax, and cover starts on your first day, not when the paperwork clears.

Statutory cover in Austria is comprehensive: GP and specialist visits at contracted doctors cost nothing at the point of use, hospital stays carry only a small daily contribution, and prescriptions cost a fixed prescription fee per item. Crucially, a spouse or registered partner and children without their own income are co-insured at no extra charge, which no international policy matches on price.

What Is the Cheapest Health Insurance for Students in Austria?

For a non-EU degree student, the OeGK Selbstversicherung für Studierende is almost always the right answer at roughly EUR 70 a month. It is real statutory cover, so it carries the same benefits as an employee's policy, it is accepted without argument by every immigration office, and it costs a fraction of an international plan. You apply directly at an OeGK office once you have your Meldezettel and enrolment confirmation.

Which International Health Insurers Cover Austria?

Treat these as bridging or specialist products rather than a default. Anyone who ends up employed in Austria moves onto OeGK automatically and the international policy becomes redundant. Premiums shown are indicative for a healthy 30-year-old and every insurer underwrites individually. All three are supervised in their home markets and sold into Austria under EU freedom of services, so check that the Austrian claims and direct-billing arrangements suit you before committing.

What Do EU Citizens Need Instead?

EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens do not apply for a residence permit. They register an Anmeldebescheinigung within four months of arriving, and the insurance test is lighter but still real. If you are employed in Austria, your OeGK registration settles it. If you are not working, you must show comprehensive sickness insurance plus sufficient means, so that you do not fall back on Austrian social assistance.

Your EHIC is not a substitute for settled residence. It covers medically necessary treatment during temporary stays, which is a different thing from living here. In practice EU citizens moving to Austria without a job either take out private cover for the gap or use form S1 if they remain insured in another member state, for example as a posted worker or pensioner. See our guide for EU citizens for the full registration process.

How Do You Register for Health Insurance After You Arrive?

1. 1. Register your address first. The Meldezettel is due within three working days of moving in and almost everything else depends on it, including OeGK self-insurance.
2. 2. If you are employed, do nothing. Your employer files the registration with OeGK. Ask HR for your Sozialversicherungsnummer so you can be treated before the e-card arrives.
3. 3. If you are studying, apply at an OeGK office. Bring your passport, Meldezettel, and enrolment confirmation (Studienbestätigung) to apply for student self-insurance.
4. 4. If you are self-employed, register with SVS. Trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung) triggers SVS membership, which carries a 20% deductible that a private top-up can close.
5. 5. Wait for the e-card. It arrives by post in two to four weeks. Cover is backdated to your registration date, so treatment in the meantime is still insured.

Expat Health Insurance in Austria: Frequently Asked Questions