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🛡️ Health System

Healthcare where you're moving

Whether a temporary resident can use the public system, how the public/private split works, and the emergency number — for every country we cover.

The question that matters on arrival: can you, on a temporary stay, actually use the public health system? In most countries the honest answer is “not without private insurance” — public access is usually tied to local employment or contributions, not residence alone.

The table summarises, per country, how the system is structured, whether a temporary resident can use it, and the emergency number to save in your phone. It complements health insurance rather than replacing it: even where public care exists, private cover is what most visas require and what gets you seen quickly.

Country System Public access for nomads Emergency
Albania Social health insurance (Bismarck) Only with social-security contributions 127 (medical/ambulance); 112 (general/EU emergency line)
Antigua and Barbuda Two-tier: public + private No public access 911
Argentina Mixed public/private No — private insurance needed 911
Barbados National health service No — private insurance needed 511
Brazil Two-tier: public + private Yes — open to temporary residents 192
Cape Verde Two-tier: public + private No — private insurance needed 130
Colombia Social health insurance (Bismarck) No — private insurance needed 123
Costa Rica Social health insurance (Bismarck) Only with social-security contributions 911
Croatia Social health insurance (Bismarck) No — private insurance needed 112
Curacao Social health insurance (Bismarck) After registering as a resident 912
Cyprus Mixed public/private No public access 112
Czech Republic Social health insurance (Bismarck) No — private insurance needed 112 (general); 155 (ambulance)
Dominican Republic Two-tier: public + private After registering as a resident 911
Ecuador Mixed public/private Only with social-security contributions 911
Estonia Social health insurance (Bismarck) Only with social-security contributions 112
Georgia Two-tier: public + private No — private insurance needed 112
Germany Social health insurance (Bismarck) No — private insurance needed 112
Greece Mixed public/private No — private insurance needed 112
Grenada Two-tier: public + private Yes — open to temporary residents 911 (police/fire); for an ambulance dial 434 for St George's General Hospital, 724 for Princess Alice Hospital (Grenville), or 774 for Princess Royal Hospital (Carriacou)
Hungary Social health insurance (Bismarck) No — private insurance needed 112
Iceland Tax-funded (Beveridge) After registering as a resident 112
Indonesia Social health insurance (Bismarck) No — private insurance needed 112
Italy Tax-funded (Beveridge) No — private insurance needed 112
Japan Social health insurance (Bismarck) After registering as a resident 119
Kenya Two-tier: public + private Only with social-security contributions 999 (also 112 / 911; Kenya Red Cross ambulance 1199)
Latvia Tax-funded (Beveridge) No — private insurance needed 112
Malaysia Two-tier: public + private No — private insurance needed 999
Malta Tax-funded (Beveridge) No — private insurance needed 112
Mauritius Tax-funded (Beveridge) No public access 114 (SAMU ambulance); 999 or 112 (police/general emergencies)
Mexico Two-tier: public + private No — private insurance needed 911
Montenegro Mixed public/private After registering as a resident 124 (ambulance / Hitna medicinska pomoc); 112 (general EU emergency)
Namibia Two-tier: public + private No public access 10111
Netherlands Social health insurance (Bismarck) No — private insurance needed 112
Norway Tax-funded (Beveridge) After registering as a resident 113
Panama Mixed public/private Only with social-security contributions 911
Philippines Two-tier: public + private Only with social-security contributions 911
Portugal Tax-funded (Beveridge) After registering as a resident 112
Romania Social health insurance (Bismarck) No — private insurance needed 112
Serbia Social health insurance (Bismarck) Only with social-security contributions 194
Seychelles Tax-funded (Beveridge) No public access 999
Slovenia Social health insurance (Bismarck) Only with social-security contributions 112
South Africa Two-tier: public + private No — private insurance needed 112
South Korea Social health insurance (Bismarck) After registering as a resident 119
Spain Tax-funded (Beveridge) No — private insurance needed 112
Sri Lanka Two-tier: public + private Unclear / case-by-case 1990
Taiwan Social health insurance (Bismarck) After registering as a resident 119
Thailand Two-tier: public + private No — private insurance needed 1669
Turkey Social health insurance (Bismarck) No — private insurance needed 112
United Arab Emirates Two-tier: public + private No — private insurance needed 998
Uruguay Two-tier: public + private After registering as a resident 911

The public-access column answers the one question that matters most on arrival: can you, on a temporary stay, walk into a public clinic? In most countries the answer is “not without private insurance” — see each country’s page for the detail and the official source.

Health systems by country

Albania Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Barbados Brazil Cape Verde Colombia Costa Rica Croatia Curacao Cyprus Czech Republic Dominican Republic Ecuador Estonia Georgia Germany Greece Grenada Hungary Iceland Indonesia Italy Japan Kenya Latvia Malaysia Malta Mauritius Mexico Montenegro Namibia Netherlands Norway Panama Philippines Portugal Romania Serbia Seychelles Slovenia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Turkey United Arab Emirates Uruguay

Frequently asked questions

Can digital nomads use public healthcare abroad?

Rarely for free. Public systems are usually funded by local taxes or social contributions, so temporary residents typically need private insurance until they are employed or paying in locally. The table shows the answer per country.

Do I still need insurance if a country has good public hospitals?

Almost always yes — both because access as a non-contributor is limited, and because most nomad visas mandate private cover regardless of how good the public system is.

What's the emergency number where I'm going?

It varies — 112 across the EU, but different elsewhere. The table lists it per country; save it before you travel.

Is private healthcare expensive abroad?

It varies enormously and is often far cheaper than in the United States. Many nomads pay out of pocket at private clinics for routine care and rely on insurance for anything major.

Keep planning

🛂 Visa & Residency 🩺 Health Insurance 🧾 Taxes Abroad 💶 Cost of Living 📶 Connectivity & eSIM 🏦 Banking & Money 🏡 Housing & Relocation

Sources

Dataset generated June 15, 2026.