Healthcare for UK nationals living in Liechtenstein
How to get state healthcare if you live, work or study in Liechtenstein.
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This guidance will be updated if anything changes to how you get state healthcare in Liechtenstein.
This information is about living in Liechtenstein. There are different rules if you’re visiting Liechtenstein - find out how to get healthcare cover abroad with a UK-issued Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) on the NHS website.
This guidance explains what you need to do in Liechtenstein depending on your circumstances.
You must have health insurance to live in Liechtenstein. There are 3 insurers that offer state mandatory insurance.
Even with insurance, healthcare is not free. You usually need to pay part of the cost of the treatment that you receive.
There’s only one hospital in Liechtenstein, in the capital city Vaduz.
The Liechtenstein government has arrangements with some hospitals in other countries such as Austria and Switzerland. Patients who need specialist treatment can be transferred there.
UK nationals usually access the Liechtenstein healthcare system in one of these ways:
- state mandatory health insurance
- using a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for temporary stays when studying, or as a ‘posted’ (detached) worker
- registering a UK-issued S1 form with one of the insurance funds (see ‘UK-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Liechtenstein’ below)
Healthcare if you live and work in Liechtenstein
If you are planning on moving to Liechtenstein, see the guidance on Living in Liechtenstein for more information about visa and residency requirements.
You need to get a resident permit to live in Liechtenstein and you need to take out health insurance. There are 3 insurance providers:
Your dependants need to register for health insurance individually.
You can also buy extra insurance that covers you for additional costs such as dental care, or healthcare from a provider that is not contracted with the Office of Public Health.
Once you’re a resident, you may also be entitled to a Liechtenstein EHIC for travel.
How to register for healthcare
Once you have a residence permit, you can choose a health insurance provider to join.
Once you’ve registered, your insurance provider will give you a health insurance card (Versicherungskarte). Show this when you visit a doctor.
When choosing a GP (website in German), make sure they provide state-funded healthcare.
Go to the GP practice to register and bring your health insurance card.
How to access healthcare services
Find your nearest hospital or clinic.
How much you’ll pay
You’ll need to pay an annual cost (premium) for your insurance cover, as well as payments towards any healthcare you access (co-payments).
The insurance companies calculate their own premiums, but they’re usually about 300 to 320 Swiss Francs per month.
There’s no premium to pay for children until they’re 16. From the ages of 16 to 20, the premium is half price.
If you’re working, half of your premium will be covered by your employer.
Your co-payments depend on your age and other circumstances.
You do not need to pay co-payments if:
- you’re under 21
- you’re chronically ill
If you’re aged 21 to 64, you must pay the first 500 Swiss Francs of any healthcare that year (this is your ‘excess’ or ‘deductible’). After that, you pay 20% of your healthcare costs until you reach a maximum of 1,400 Swiss Francs that year.
If you’re over 65, you pay the same excess and then 10% of any healthcare costs after this until you reach a maximum of 950 Swiss Francs that year.
Usually healthcare providers send a bill directly to your insurance company, who will then work out how much you need to pay. If you have reached your maximum then the insurance company will pay.
All dental care in Liechtenstein is private and must be paid for in full.
If your UK employer has sent you to Liechtenstein temporarily (‘posted workers’)
A posted worker is someone who is employed or self-employed in the UK, but temporarily sent to another European Economic Area (EEA) country.
You can use your UK GHIC, EHIC or registered S1 form to access healthcare in Liechtenstein on the same basis as a Liechtenstein citizen.
You may need to:
- join a local healthcare scheme
- cover the cost of your healthcare with private health insurance
HMRC has a helpline for National Insurance enquiries from non-UK residents. They can answer questions about posted worker status and explain which documents you will need to get healthcare while posted.
UK-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 in Liechtenstein
There’s different guidance if you have an S1 as a ‘posted worker’ (see ‘If your UK employer has sent you to Liechtenstein temporarily (‘posted workers’)’ above).
You may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK if you’re a Liechtenstein resident and receive either:
- a UK State Pension
- some other ‘exportable benefits’
Not all UK benefits that can be claimed while abroad entitle you to UK-funded healthcare. Read more about claiming benefits if you move abroad or contact Jobcentre Plus to ask about a benefit.
You may also be entitled to an S1 if you’re a frontier worker (someone who works in one state and lives in another). You must contact HMRC National Insurance enquiries to find out if you’re eligible.
Once you have an S1 form, you must register it on the Liechtenstein system.
This will mean you and your dependants will be entitled to healthcare on the same basis as a Liechtenstein citizen.
You’ll also get:
- a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for travel
- planned treatments in the EEA
You can find out more about using your GHIC or EHIC abroad and the rules on planned treatments in the EEA on the NHS website.
Dependants and family members may be classified differently in Liechtenstein than the UK.
Check with the local authorities when you register your S1 form.
If you’re entitled to an S1 form as a dependant of a State Pensioner, your health cover will be cancelled once you begin claiming your UK State Pension.
You will be sent a new S1 form to your registered address from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services. You must register this form to ensure continuation of healthcare cover.
You are responsible for informing NHS Overseas Healthcare Services if you change your address or your circumstances change.
NHS Overseas Healthcare Services
Telephone: +44 (0)191 218 1999
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Saturday, 9am to 3pm
How to get an S1
If you have a UK State Pension or another qualifying exportable benefit, you must request an application form by phone from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services (see contact details above).
How to use an S1 in Liechtenstein
You must register your S1 with the National Office of Health (Amt fur Gesundheit, website in German) and then join a health insurance provider.
When registering your S1, you may be asked for a copy of your S1 and some ID.
The address is:
Äulestrasse 51
9490 Vaduz
Once registered, you will be given a medical card. This will show you’re entitled to healthcare on the same basis as a Liechtenstein citizen.
If you are experiencing delays registering your S1 with local authorities and require emergency or urgent treatment, contact the Overseas Healthcare Services on +44 (0)191 218 1999.
GHIC or EHIC if you have a registered S1
You can get a valid UK-issued GHIC or EHIC.
Apply now for a GHIC or EHIC on the NHS website.
Studying in Liechtenstein
You should apply for a Student GHIC to get medically necessary, state-provided healthcare for the duration of your study period in Liechtenstein, whether this is for part of or the full duration of your course. This means that you’ll get necessary healthcare services on the same basis as a Liechtenstein citizen either for free or at a reduced cost.
If you already hold a valid Student EHIC, you can use this until the card expires.
Read more about eligibility and how to apply on the NHS website.
As part of the immigration process, you may have to:
- take out private travel insurance with healthcare coverage
- register as a resident to get state health insurance
Getting treatment in the UK
Because the NHS is a residency-based system, under NHS rules UK nationals who move abroad on a permanent basis may lose their entitlement to free NHS healthcare.
If you are a UK national and move to the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you should not expect to be able to use NHS services for free when visiting the UK unless you have an EHIC, PRC or S2 to show your healthcare costs are funded by the EU country in which you now live or by Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, or another exemption applies.
Some former UK residents do not have to pay for NHS treatment when visiting England. This includes:
- UK war pensioners
- UK government employees
- UK nationals living in the EU on or before 31 December 2020, once they have a registered, UK-issued S1
Read more about using the NHS when you no longer live in the UK (see ‘UK nationals who no longer live in the UK’ in Healthcare for visitors to the UK from the EU).
If you return to live in the UK, you’ll be able to use the NHS like any other UK resident.
Read more about using the NHS when you return to live in the UK.
Updates to this page
Last updated 15 January 2024 + show all updates
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Various changes to the text to reflect EEA and EFTA changes that came into force on 1 January 2024.
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Updated 'Healthcare if you live and work in Liechtenstein' to include information about how to find your nearest hospital or clinic. Updated 'UK-funded healthcare' to include information for S1 dependants who begin claiming a UK State Pension, and guidance for S1 holders who are experiencing delays in registering their S1. Updated 'Getting treatment in the UK' to provide additional detail about NHS access when visiting the UK.
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Updated sections on living and working in Liechtenstein, using an S1 form in Liechtenstein, posted workers and studying in Liechtenstein. Changes reflect healthcare arrangements for people moving to Liechtenstein from 1 January 2021.
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Updated 2 sections: ‘Healthcare if you’re using an S1 form in Liechtenstein' and ‘Healthcare if you’re studying in Liechtenstein’. Students and people with a registered S1 in Liechtenstein can now apply for a new UK European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) that will remain valid from 1 January 2021.
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First published.