Erasmus and university exchanges: what the EHIC covers, and what it doesn’t

For an Erasmus+ stay in another European Union country (or an equivalent country), the EHIC gives access to unforeseen public healthcare in the host country, on the same terms as a local resident, free of charge and without heavy paperwork once the card has been requested before departure. It’s a real safety net: a cold that turns nasty, an unplanned GP consultation, an emergency room visit for a common health issue can all be covered on this basis alone, in the public sector.

• Medical repatriation to France, in the event of a serious problem requiring an organised return.
• Planned care abroad — the EHIC meets a need for unforeseen care during a temporary stay, not care arranged in advance.
• The private sector, if the host country’s system clearly separates public and private provision.
• The portion that would be left to a local resident themselves: the EHIC applies the host country’s own rules, which may involve out-of-pocket costs depending on the treatment.

The EHIC covers an unforeseen care need, not every situation that can arise during a programme lasting several months: repatriation, liability cover during studies, interrupted stays, sometimes dental or optical care not covered by the local public scheme. That’s why many host institutions ask, on top of the EHIC, for proof of dedicated insurance to validate the enrolment of a student on exchange — the EHIC meets part of the need, not an enrolment file as a whole.

The EHIC is a coordination mechanism specific to the European Union (and equivalent countries): as soon as a university exchange takes place outside this zone — in the United States, Canada, Asia or elsewhere — it has no value and grants no rights at all. For this type of exchange, there is no equivalent baseline safety net: comprehensive health insurance, valid from day one of the stay, needs to be put in place, with the same two levels of requirement as for any study abroad — what the host state requires for the visa, and what the institution requires for enrolment, to be checked separately as explained in the student guide.

• For an Erasmus+ in the EU: the EHIC’s validity and expiry date, to be renewed if the stay runs beyond it.
• What the host university or the programme’s Erasmus charter requires on top — liability insurance, repatriation, sometimes a minimum level of cover specific to the institution.
• For an exchange outside the EU: what the host country’s student visa requires, and what the institution requires separately.
• In every case, medical repatriation cover, almost never included in a free baseline safety net, whether European or not.