Signing up with a Dr or Dentist etc :
Austria
Signing up with a Dr or Dentist etc
Many Doctors and Dentists are English speaking, especially in the more commercial areas of Austria. You have a free choice of general practitioner, paediatrician and several specialists within your area. For an English speaking Doctor, ask around - other Brits in the neighbourhood can help as well as many of the locals.
The Austrian Health Care system is excellent. Almost everybody in Austria has access to this system, irrespective of income or social status.
However, this said, medical insurance is essential. Before you do anything else, speak to your employer to find out if they have a policy which you and your family are entitled to join. Although your EHIC will cover you for the first 3 months of your stay in Austria, you will have to prove you have a more permanent solution before residency will be permitted.
If you are staying in Austria for a longer period, you are considered resident in Austria and will have to pay contributions for medical care to a local social insurance organisation (Sozialversicherungsträger). These are often called "Gebietskrankenkasse".
If you are working in regular employment, normally your employer will deduct contributions to the health insurance system from your salary and make the payments on your behalf. Please ask your employer for details or contact your local branch of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for advice before leaving the UK. When in Austria you can also enquire at your local health insurance organisation (Gebietskrankenkasse).
Before you go to a Doctor or Dentist or in fact any health care institution, you must have your Health Insurance Card. You WILL be asked for it at every visit.
Please check our Resources section to see if there is any further information on additional medical insurance, general private heathcare and private hospitals.