e-card Fee Austria 2026/2027 | Prescription Charge & Cap

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The e-card fee Austria charges for its health insurance card (Serviceentgelt) rises from €25.00 in 2026 to €26.85 in 2027. The prescription charge (Rezeptgebühr) stays at €7.55 per pack in 2026. Both charges have their own exemption rules, and if the e-card fee was collected twice, you can claim it back. This guide covers the current amounts, the annual cap and how to apply for an exemption.

Key takeaways

• e-card fee 2027: €26.85, collected on 15 November 2026. For 2026 it was €25.00.
• Prescription charge 2026: unchanged at €7.55 per pack
• Nobody pays more than 2% of annual net income in prescription charges in 2026. Once you hit the cap, the exemption kicks in automatically through the e-card system.
• The cap falls in stages to 1.5% by 2030. Since 2026, even medicines priced below €7.55 count toward it.
• Below the income threshold (€1,308.39 single, €2,064.12 for couples) an exemption is possible, but you have to apply for it.

e-card fee Austria 2026 and 2027: the current amounts

The e-card fee is a yearly charge for using your e-card. In 2026 it is €25.00, collected on 15 November 2025. For 2027 it rises to €26.85, due on 15 November 2026. That is a 7.4% jump, well beyond the usual annual adjustment (source: gesundheitskasse.at).

The reason is a specific legal change: the 2025 Budget Accompanying Act (Budgetbegleitgesetz 2025, BGBl. I No. 25/2025) mandated an extra increase on top of the normal valorisation. Ordinarily the amount only adjusts each 1 January with the statutory figure under §108a ASVG, Austria's general social insurance act. The 2027 amount is confirmed by four independent sources: ÖGK (the Austrian Health Insurance Fund), chipkarte.at (the official e-card portal), the umbrella association of social insurance carriers and the WKO (Austrian Economic Chamber).

The fee is usually collected automatically through your employer or pension insurance carrier. Co-insured dependants pay no fee of their own.

If you are tracking these charges, the natural next question is what the e-card actually covers, and where private supplementary insurance (Zusatzversicherung) picks up. Our health insurance guide for Austria walks through that distinction.

e-card fee vs prescription charge: what is the difference?

The e-card fee is a fixed yearly charge for the card itself. The prescription charge applies to every pack of medicine prescribed on a public health insurance prescription. If you never fill a prescription, you only pay the e-card fee. If you need medication regularly, you pay the prescription charge each time until you reach the annual cap.

Each charge has its own exemption rules, covered in the sections below.

Prescription charge 2026: amount & cap

The prescription charge stays at €7.55 per pack in 2026, unchanged from 2025. ÖGK explicitly describes the fee as "frozen" (source: oegk.at). The unit is the pack, not the prescription slip: ÖGK states that a charge is due "per pack, directly at the pharmacy, for every medicine prescribed by a contracted doctor" (source: oegk.at). Whether the amount stays the same in 2027 is open; as of July 2026 no official 2027 figure has been published.

More important than the per-pack amount for many people is the annual cap: once your prescription charges in a calendar year exceed a set percentage of your annual net income, further prescriptions that year are free. The cap falls in stages over the coming years:

So the reduction runs as a four-year staged plan to 2030, not a single jump (source: arbeiterkammer.at, the Austrian Chamber of Labour).

One practical point matters here: the cap-based exemption needs no application at all. The e-card system adds up your paid prescription charges in the background. Once you hit the cap, your doctor sees the exemption note when issuing a prescription and the pharmacy stops charging (source: sozialversicherung.at). Your doctor never sees your income, only the exemption flag.

A further change affects the calculation itself: since 1 January 2026, the purchase price of medicines priced below the €7.55 charge also counts toward the cap. That sounds like a technicality, but anyone who regularly buys cheaper medicines now reaches the cap faster than before.

Who is exempt from the e-card fee and the prescription charge?

Automatically exempt are, among others, recipients of the compensatory supplement (Ausgleichszulage), civilian service conscripts and asylum seekers (source: oegk.at). Anyone not receiving these benefits whose net income falls below the threshold can apply for an exemption (source: oesterreich.gv.at). For 2026 the thresholds are:

And side by side, who pays what:

How to apply for a prescription charge exemption

If your income falls below the thresholds above, you have to apply for the exemption yourself. It does not kick in on its own while no application is on file. The usual process, with your insurer's requirements being authoritative:

1. Get the application form from your health insurer (ÖGK or the relevant carrier), online or at a customer service office.
2. Attach proof of income: recent payslips or pension statements. If you receive a compensatory supplement, the pension insurance notice is usually enough.
3. Additional documents may be required for the higher illness/disability threshold. Your insurer sets out exactly which.
4. Submit the application in person, by post, or through your insurer's customer portal.
5. Wait for the exemption certificate. Once approved, you receive confirmation to show at the pharmacy and doctor's office.

The exemption is granted for a limited period. How long exactly is stated in your written decision (Bescheid); after that, a new application is needed. Without an application the full charge keeps applying, even if your income is below the threshold. Nobody checks this retroactively on your behalf. The procedure is described on oesterreich.gv.at; for case-specific questions, contact your health insurer.

Paid the e-card fee twice? How refunds work

If you had two or more employers on the cut-off date, each of them may have deducted the e-card fee. Overpaid amounts are refunded by your health insurer, but only on request (source: oegk.at). You can file the request online with ID Austria or by post.

Nothing happens automatically here. If you had more than one employer on 15 November, check your payslips: if the fee was deducted more than once, an informal application gets you the difference back. The same applies if the fee was collected even though you were exempt.

Rising out-of-pocket costs: is private supplementary insurance worth it?

The e-card covers Austria's statutory basic care, and that stays true in 2027. What it does not cover: private doctor (Wahlarzt) fees, semi-private or private hospital rooms (Sonderklasse), shorter waiting times for specialists. That is exactly where private supplementary insurance comes in.

The e-card fee rises 7.4% in a single year, and the prescription charge cap still sits at a full 2% of annual net income in 2026. These are not dramatic sums. But they are a reasonable prompt to look at your own cover: what does ÖGK handle, and what does supplementary insurance add on top?

If faster specialist access or better hospital accommodation matters to you, our health insurance guide for Austria breaks down what to look for when choosing cover. For private-doctor treatment specifically, see our guide to outpatient insurance for private doctors in Vienna, and our article on private health insurance monthly costs in Austria has the figures on what such cover costs.

For a first look at conditions, durchblicker.at (ad) lets you review offers from several providers with no obligation.

Frequently asked questions about the e-card fee and prescription charge

How much is the e-card fee in Austria in 2026?

The e-card fee (service charge) for 2026 is €25.00 and was collected on 15 November 2025. It is a yearly charge for using your e-card, usually deducted automatically through your employer or pension insurance carrier. Co-insured dependants and compensatory supplement recipients pay no fee of their own.

How much is the e-card fee in Austria in 2027?

For 2027 the e-card fee rises to €26.85, due on 15 November 2026. That is €1.85 more than in 2026, confirmed by ÖGK, chipkarte.at, the umbrella association of social insurance carriers, and the WKO. The 7.4% rise is well above the usual annual adjustment under §108a ASVG.

Why does the e-card fee rise more sharply in 2027?

Normally the fee only adjusts each year with the statutory valorisation figure under §108a ASVG. For 2027, an additional increase mandated by the 2025 Budget Accompanying Act (BGBl. I No. 25/2025) is added on top, pushing the rise to 7.4%. The prescription charge is not affected by this extra increase and stays unchanged in 2026.

How much is the prescription charge in 2026?

The prescription charge stays at €7.55 per pack in 2026, unchanged from 2025. It applies to every medicine prescribed on a public prescription and is paid directly at the pharmacy. ÖGK describes the amount as frozen. Once you hit the annual cap, further prescriptions become free; no 2027 figure has been published yet.

How do I apply for a prescription charge exemption?

You apply with proof of income at your health insurer, in person, by post, or online. Once approved, you receive an exemption certificate to show at the pharmacy. Without an application the full charge keeps applying, even if your income is below the threshold. The exemption runs for a limited period stated in your decision notice; after that you reapply.

Who is automatically exempt from the e-card fee?

Co-insured dependants and marginally employed people pay no fee of their own. Recipients of the compensatory supplement (Ausgleichszulage) are exempt automatically as well. Anyone below the income threshold but not receiving the supplement has to apply actively. For 2026 that threshold is €1,308.39 net per month for singles and €2,064.12 for couples.

What is the cap on prescription charges?

In 2026 the cap is 2% of annual net income. Once your prescription charges for the calendar year reach that amount, the exemption kicks in automatically through the e-card system, with no application needed. Your doctor only sees the exemption flag, never your income. Since 1 January 2026, medicines priced below €7.55 also count toward the cap.

Will the prescription charge cap change in the coming years?

Yes, it falls in stages: from 2% (2026) through 1.875% (2027), 1.75% (2028) and 1.625% (2029) to 1.5% in 2030. According to the Austrian Chamber of Labour, this reduction runs as a four-year staged plan rather than a single jump. Since 2026, cheap medicines priced below the €7.55 charge also count toward the cap.

Conclusion

Two figures define 2026/2027: the e-card fee climbs noticeably to €26.85, while the prescription charge holds steady at €7.55 per pack. If your income sits just above the compensatory supplement threshold, apply for the exemption actively rather than waiting for something automatic. If you had several employers on the cut-off date, check your payslips and claim back any double-collected fee. And if you are weighing your own cover, our health insurance guide for Austria shows where the e-card ends and private supplementary insurance begins.

Last updated: 27 July 2026.

Sources

• ÖGK / gesundheitskasse.at: Service fee, collection
• ÖGK: Service fee (e-card charge)
• ÖGK: Prescription charge frozen — noticeable relief
• ÖGK: Prescription charge and exemption
• ÖGK: Refund of the service fee
• oesterreich.gv.at: Exemption from prescription charge and service fee
• oesterreich.gv.at: Prescription charges
• Umbrella association of social insurance carriers: Cap on prescription charges
• chipkarte.at: e-card service fee
• WKO: E-card
• Arbeiterkammer: Prescription charge cap, staged plan 2027–2030
• Arbeiterkammer: Everything about the e-card