Healthcare Reimbursement in the Faroe Islands: Who Reimburses What, Depending on Your Situation

The Faroe Islands are one of the three countries of the Kingdom of Denmark, but have never joined the European Union (France Diplomatie). European health insurance regulations do not apply there (EURAXESS), which rules out the European Health Insurance Card, the S1 form and the coordination rules that depend on them. The list of bilateral social security agreements in force published by CLEISS does not include the Faroe Islands. The Danish scheme, described by CLEISS on the basis of the national insurance principle, is not that of the Faroe Islands, which exercise their own competence over social security (Faroese government). See the bilateral social security agreement and, for contrast, the page healthcare reimbursement in Denmark.

Four players can step in depending on status: the Faroese health insurance Heilsutrygd, the French scheme maintained (secondment), the CFE and international health insurance. The notions of reimbursement basis and out-of-pocket cost help to compare offers. Conversions use the ECB reference rate, the Faroese krona being exchanged at par with the Danish krone. How the care network works is presented in the guide healthcare system in the Faroe Islands.

The local-contract employee becomes a resident on obtaining their permit and Faroese identity number (p-tal): they are then covered by Heilsutrygd, for general and specialist care, with a supplement for medicines (Vágar municipality, EURAXESS). Their contribution (a fixed monthly part plus a low percentage of income) is published every year by TAKS. Heilsutrygd settles the subsidies for most primary care. Between arrival and obtaining the p-tal, no local cover is guaranteed by the sources consulted: personal insurance remains essential. See the glossary entry on the local contract.

The seconded employee sent by a French employer falls under secondment outside an agreement: they remain affiliated to the French scheme, contributions being paid in France as if they were working there, for three years, renewable once (articles L. 761-2 and R. 761-1 to R. 761-6 of the Social Security Code); a period of two years is required before a new secondment to the same country for the same company. They may also owe local contributions. Health costs are reimbursed within the limit of what Sécurité sociale would have reimbursed in France, on sending paid invoices with form S 3125c; accompanying dependants follow the same procedure, and those who stay in France continue to deal with the fund. Daily allowances are paid by the affiliation fund on sending the sick note within 48 hours. If care is expensive, CLEISS suggests supplementary health insurance. See seconded or expatriate and the glossary entry on the seconded employee.

The self-employed person or digital nomad has no Faroese employer to affiliate them. Three routes exist: local affiliation to Heilsutrygd for anyone registered as a resident, the CFE or international insurance. The pages consulted describe no permit dedicated to self-employed activity: the residence situation should be confirmed with the immigration office before choosing cover. See digital nomad insurance.

The student cannot use the EHIC. A permit for higher education exists among the categories of the immigration office; local cover requires the p-tal number. In the meantime, or in case of a stay without registration, the CFE plan for under-30s or a student insurance should be arranged. See student insurance abroad.

The spouse and children accompany the holder of a work permit (spouse or partner and children under 18 living in the household). Once registered as residents, they fall under Heilsutrygd, children benefiting from free public dental care up to age 18 (EURAXESS). The CFE and international insurers both offer family contracts. See expat family insurance.

The S1 form comes under European law, which does not apply to the Faroe Islands. CLEISS indicates that, in a country with no social security agreement with France, a retiree’s health cover goes through three routes: the local scheme (to be checked with the country’s institutions), the CFE, or private insurance. Ameli (the Assurance Maladie website) specifies that after departure, health costs are no longer covered by French Assurance Maladie, and also recommends an assistance contract covering medical repatriation.

For temporary stays in France, care is covered if the retiree receives a pension from a French basic scheme, shows at least 15 years of insurance in France and has no professional activity; Cnarefe (the French national centre for retirees living abroad) handles the files of general scheme retirees outside the EU. The accompanying spouse is not covered by this procedure. A health insurance contribution may be withheld from the pension, generally 3.2% on the basic pension, 4.2% on the supplementary pension and 7.1% for self-employed workers’ pensions; a tax non-resident pays neither CSG, CRDS nor Casa. The permit categories published by the Faroese immigration office do not include a title dedicated to retirees: see retiring in the Faroe Islands and the guide retiree health insurance abroad.

The CFE is a voluntary social protection body. In France, it reimburses according to Assurance Maladie principles, with third-party payment in public and private hospitals; abroad, reimbursement depends on the country of care and the type of care, in the form of a rate or a flat amount applied to actual expenses. By way of illustration, the CFE cites a GP consultation set at €25 in France, reimbursed at 70% (€21) by Assurance Maladie, which the CFE reimburses up to €21 abroad. The guide CFE reimbursements details the mechanism. Cover is presented as worldwide; its application to the Faroe Islands and the scale used should be confirmed with the CFE.

• Plans: main plan (with a contribution that depends on age and the plan chosen, for those over 30), youth plan (with a contribution that depends on age and the plan chosen, for those under 30) and retirees’ plan (with a contribution that depends on age and the plan chosen), read on cfe.fr on 21/10/2026. They also cover stays of less than three months in France.
• Waiting period: none if membership takes place before departure or within three months of settling abroad; beyond that, three or six months depending on age. See the glossary entry on the waiting period.
• Maternity: conception must be after membership or after joining as a dependant; maternity daily allowances require at least ten consecutive months of membership at the expected date of delivery.

On returning to France after a stay in a country with no agreement, resuming work reopens rights with no waiting period; a retiree is covered by the fund that pays their pension; with no activity or existing right, Universal Health Protection (PUMa) opens with the CPAM with, in principle, a three-month waiting period, and a CFE member can, under conditions, benefit from its benefits for the three months following their return (CLEISS). See the guide reducing the waiting period and the page return to France.

International health insurance at the first euro reimburses actual costs within its ceilings, after any deductible, waiting periods and exclusions in the contract. Contracts are compared on the annual ceiling, the coverage zone, evacuation, the handling of pre-existing medical conditions and direct payment to Faroese public hospitals, whose arrangements for receiving a non-affiliated patient should be checked with the insurer: the rates applicable to a visitor are not published in the sources consulted.

The tourist stays less than three months with a valid passport or ID card. Visitors from outside the Nordic countries and the United Kingdom must have their own travel health insurance (EURAXESS, Vágar municipality). On return to France, ameli indicates that only urgent and unforeseen medical care can possibly be reimbursed: payment is made on site, the request is made with paid invoices and form S3125, the medical adviser assesses the urgency, reimbursement is based on French flat-rate tariffs and not actual expenses, no appeal is possible in case of refusal, and no daily allowance is paid. See long-stay travel insurance.

• Consultation: subsidised by Heilsutrygd for a resident; reimbursed under French rules for the seconded employee; on the country scale for a CFE member; at actual costs within the ceilings of a first-euro contract.
• Hospitalisation: three public hospitals serve the archipelago; an affiliated resident is covered for general and specialist care (Vágar municipality), the rates applicable to a visitor not being published in the sources consulted. For other profiles, cover depends on the contract or the scheme maintained.
• Medicines: Heilsutrygd supplement for prescribed medicines; CFE scale or ceilings of the international contract for other profiles.
• Dental: private dentists with partial reimbursement from Heilsutrygd for adults; free public care up to age 18.
• Optical: no optical cover is described in the official sources consulted for Heilsutrygd; it mainly falls under international contracts and should be checked with Heilsutrygd.
• Maternity: free childbirth assistance for any pregnant woman, whatever her nationality (Vágar municipality), and free pregnancy, childbirth and child health services up to school age (EURAXESS); waiting period and conception conditions for the CFE and international contracts.

The reimbursement guide and the page expat health insurance give benchmarks; Expavy helps you weigh these options against your situation.