Health Insurance for Students in Slovenia: EHIC, Compulsory Cover and Costs

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Slovenia has a public health insurance system run by the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia (ZZZS). What you must do depends on your citizenship and on whether you are already insured at home. This guide reflects the pages of ZZZS and the University of Ljubljana in October 2026. For a Europe-wide view, see health insurance for students in Europe.

EU, EEA, UK and Swiss students

If you are insured in an EU or EEA country, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, you keep using that insurance. ZZZS says you can get necessary care from public providers during your temporary stay with a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The University of Ljubljana adds that some services are free and others usually cost €3 to €10 per visit.

The EHIC also matters for your paperwork. EU citizens who stay longer than three months submit a copy of the card as proof of health insurance when they apply for their residence registration certificate. See student visa for Slovenia.

Students from other countries

ZZZS sets out different rules for particular countries:

• Australia: with a valid Medicare card and passport you get emergency care.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia: you need the matching form from the insurer at home and a MedZZ certificate issued by ZZZS. The University of Ljubljana says the insurance is not valid without it, and it covers emergency care.
• Everyone else with no insurance from those countries: you must take out compulsory health insurance in Slovenia. ZZZS bases this on Article 15, point 14 of the Health Care and Health Insurance Act, which covers foreign citizens who study in Slovenia and have no other basis for compulsory insurance.

How to enrol in compulsory insurance

1. Go to a regional unit of ZZZS with the M-1 application form.
2. Bring an identity document and a certificate of enrolment or training from your institution.
3. Pay the flat-rate premium and the compulsory health contribution every month.
4. You receive a Slovenian health insurance card, which covers services under compulsory insurance from public providers.

ZZZS does not publish the premium amount on its page for students. The University of Ljubljana also says you pay the policy cost yourself and does not give an amount, so ask ZZZS before you budget. ZZZS has a contact centre on +386 1 30 77 300, and the University of Ljubljana refers international students to OELJ@zzzs.si.

What the residence permit requires

You need proof of valid health insurance in Slovenia when you apply for a temporary residence permit for study. The University of Ljubljana lists it among the required documents. For an entry visa, the Slovenian embassy in Washington asks for travel medical insurance valid in the whole Schengen area with minimum cover of €30,000, including emergency treatment, hospital treatment and repatriation. Other embassies may differ.

Private insurance

The University of Ljubljana says that students from other countries can buy private insurance at home or in Slovenia. A private policy may mean paying €20 to €50 per visit and then claiming a refund, and without any insurance you pay about the same. ZZZS, by contrast, says students with no insurance from the countries listed above must enrol in compulsory insurance. The two pages do not reconcile the two routes, so ask ZZZS which one applies to you, and check that a private policy meets the residence permit requirements before you buy it.

Check-ups

First-year students of first-degree programmes are entitled to a free preventive examination, and self-payers pay €50, according to the University of Ljubljana. Bring your health card and the registration certificate.

Tips

• Decide before you travel which group you belong to, because the paperwork differs.
• Keep the enrolment certificate: you need it for ZZZS, the permit and student status.

Where to look next

• How much it costs to study in Slovenia
• Scholarships and student jobs in Slovenia
• Student housing in Slovenia

Official sources

• ZZZS: Studying in Slovenia
• University of Ljubljana: health insurance and student health services
• University of Ljubljana: residence permit for studies
• Slovenian embassy in Washington: long-stay checklist

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.