From January 15, 2024, e-cards without a photo will no longer be valid in Austria, with a few exceptions. This affects about 84,000 people who actually have a valid insurance claim. To apply for a new e-card, a photograph must be submitted to the responsible registration office.
Most insured persons who already have a photo in their Austrian passport or driving license authority or alien register should already receive their new e-card without having to do anything themselves. However, there are also those whose photographs are not available or have not been sent to the authorities. E-cards without their photo will be invalid on Monday. According to Peter Lehner of the umbrella organization of social insurance providers, 84,000 people continue to be insured, but things get more complicated when they go to the doctor.
Children under the age of 14, insured persons over the age of 70 and those with four or more dependents are exempt from the photo requirement. In these cases, the expiry date on the back of the e-card still applies.
Offer period is 150 days
The health ministry has insisted that insurance benefits can be availed after January 15. Anyone affected by the e-card block should be informed that the photo will have to be submitted later if they go to the doctor. From this request, a transition period of 150 days takes effect, after which a temporary electronic e-card replacement document is required, which can be requested from the responsible health insurance company.
However, an e-prescription cannot be retrieved at the pharmacy with a blocked e-card: “You need an e-prescription printout or a 12-digit e-prescription ID. If you are in the office when the prescription is issued, ask your doctor for a printout of your e-prescription. If you are not on site, ask them to give you a 12-digit e-prescription ID over the phone, for example,” says the Austrian society. Insurance (SV).
Contact points for submission of photographs
Anyone who still has to submit their photograph must submit it at an office in the responsible office www.chipkarte.at Find out. Please note that many registration points require an appointment in advance. To apply for a new e-card, you must appear in person and carry a photograph that meets the passport photo criteria. You need a current e-card or Austrian social security number.
Austrian citizens must also bring original proof of their citizenship and an original official photo ID. If you do not have Austrian citizenship, you need a valid original travel document.
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