Published: 11.04.2024.
Updated: 16.04.2024.

Persons insured in Latvia can receive planned healthcare services when travelling to another Member State of the European Union, the European Economic Area, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, by using Form S2 issued in Latvia or receiving planned healthcare services without prior authorisation, by paying for them from personal funds (not applicable to Switzerland and the United Kingdom), with the possibility to claim reimbursement at a later stage.

Planned healthcare with Form S2

If a person needs to travel to another Member State of the European Union, the European Economic Area (hereinafter – ‘the Member State’) in order to receive planned healthcare services to be covered by the State budget funds of Latvia, he or she must obtain authorisation from the competent authority – Form S2.

Main criteria to issue Form S2:

  • the person is insured in Latvia;
  • the health care service required by the person is included in the range of state-funded healthcare services;
  • during the examination of the application, no medical institution that provides state-funded healthcare services can provide the necessary healthcare service to the person, and a reasoned opinion of the medical institution has been received;
  • the person needs the healthcare service to prevent the irreversible deterioration of vital functions or health condition, taking into account the person’s health condition at the time of the assessment and the expected development of the disease;
  • the planned healthcare service required by the person is not provided as part of clinical trials, nor it is subject to experimental treatment technology.

 

How to receive Form S2

In order for the National Health Service of the Republic of Latvia (hereinafter ‘the NHS’) to assess a person’s entitlement to receive Form S2, this person must submit the following documents:

  • Application;
  • the opinion of the medical institution that provides state-paid healthcare services, the medical council of the relevant medical field, which indicates the necessary service, as well as the justification, whether this service is necessary for the person to prevent an irreversible deterioration of the vital functions or health condition, taking into account the assessment of the person’s health condition at the time and the expected development of the disease, and medically justified reasons why the person needs to receive the relevant healthcare service in another country, as well as information whether the relevant healthcare service will be provided as part clinical trials or whether experimental treatment technology will be used for it.

 

What should be taken into account

  • Form S2 is in Latvian and does not need to be translated as it is a common template document in all Member States;
  • Form S2 serves as a guarantee that the Member that issued Form S2 will pay to the Member State where the required particular planned healthcare service will be provided;
  • Form S2 gives the right to receive planned healthcare services under the same conditions as persons who are insured in the particular Member State, that is, if a patient co-payment is required in the particular Member State, then the person must also cover these costs from personal funds;
  • The NHS asks you to make sure that Form S2 for the specific healthcare service will be accepted at the particular medical institution.

_____________________________________________________________________

Planned healthcare without Form S2 with the possibility to request reimbursement of expenses

In Latvia, insured persons have the possibility to go to another EU or EEA Member State for planned healthcare services without prior authorisation, paying for them entirely from personal funds, and then applying for a reimbursement of expenses.

 

What should be taken into account

  • services can be obtained from both public and private service providers;
  • the service must be fully paid for by your own personal funds;
  • reimbursement of expenses is possible only for services that are paid for from the State budget funds in Latvia;
  • expenses are reimbursed in accordance with the applicable service tariffs in Latvia, which may differ from the amount paid.
  • before receiving the service, it is possible to contact NHS to find out whether the service is paid for from the State budget and what is the service tariff established in Latvia.

Information on the procedure for reimbursement of expenses for planned healthcare without Form S2 is available here.

 

Legal basis for provision of elective healthcare:

  • Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the coordination of social security systems;
  • Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2009 laying down the procedure for implementing Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems;
  • Regulation (EU) No 1231/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 extending Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 to nationals of third countries who are not already covered by those Regulations solely on the ground of their nationality;
  • Directive 2011/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2011 on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare;