The European Social Security Pass (ESSPASS) is a project designed to make it easier for individuals to exercise their social security rights when they are in another European country. This initiative is part of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan.
ESSPASS focuses on
- digitalising the process of requesting and receiving entitlement documents, i.e. 'portable documents', such as the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), making it more convenient for users
- real-time verification: ESSPASS will introduce real-time systems to swiftly verify across borders whether these digital documents are valid, or changes have occurred
Synergies with existing EU initiatives
ESSPASS builds upon existing EU digital initiatives, including:
- European Digital Identity (EUDI) framework
- EU ‘Single Digital Gateway’ Regulation
- European Blockchain Services Infrastructure
Envisaged key features of ESSPASS
- standardised digital identity wallet (the future EUDI wallet): used by citizens to store and share verifiable digital documents
- real-time digital verification: social security institutions, labour inspectorates, healthcare providers, and other relevant entities can verify these documents instantly across Europe
- personal data control: individuals have full control over their personal data
Example use case for ESSPASS
These are the steps a user might take when accessing unplanned medical treatment abroad:
Planning the holiday
Before going on holiday to another country, the individual can get a digital version of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). To do this, they can:
- visit the ‘Your Europe’ website
- follow the redirection to the national portal for making the request
Issuing the digital EHIC
- Health insurance provider issues the digital EHIC
- Individual downloads and stores the document in their digital wallet
Presenting the EHIC following an injury abroad
- While on holiday, the person has an accident and is asked to present the EHIC in hospital
- The person can show the digital EHIC in their digital wallet at the hospital
Questions & answers
Read the FAQ about the European Social Security Pass (ESSPASS).
Learn more
Follow Sven, Elena and Sofia as they embark on an exciting trip across Europe.
See how EU laws are made, who is involved, and how you can engage in the process.
Discover the EU’s priorities for 2024-2029, promoting a free and democratic Europe, developing a strong and secure Europe, establishing a prosperous and competitive Europe.
Find out how many EU Member States there are, how big the EU economy is, how people live in the EU, and other useful facts about the EU.
Discover what the EU does for citizens, how it protects rights, promotes prosperity and strives to make the world a safer place.
Teaching material, games and much more about the European Union and its activities, for children, teenagers, teachers and parents.