Can I change my personal doctor at any time?
Partly – you can change your personal doctor, but as a rule only after one year from your last choice, not overnight on a whim. Under the rules of compulsory health insurance (ZZZS), you choose a personal general practitioner, gynaecologist and dentist for at least one year. After that year you switch by filling in a new-choice form at the newly chosen doctor or online through the zVEM portal with SI-PASS login – and you do not have to give any reason. A common myth is that you must »deregister« with the old doctor: you do not, because the new choice automatically cancels the previous one. Before the year is up, a change is possible exceptionally – if your doctor is continuously absent for more than three months (illness, maternity, training) or has moved away to work elsewhere. The chosen doctor may turn you down if their patient list (glavarina) is full, so the change is not an unconditional right to one specific doctor. The change is free and does not interrupt your insurance rights.
📋 The rules
- You choose your personal doctor (GP, gynaecologist, dentist) for at least one year; a change without reasons is possible only after that period.
- You make the change at the newly chosen doctor with a new-choice form or online through zVEM with SI-PASS; deregistering with the previous doctor is not needed.
- Before the year is up, a change is possible only exceptionally – for a doctor's continuous absence of over three months or if they have moved to another place.
- The chosen doctor may turn you down if their list (glavarina) is full; the right to change is not a right to one specific doctor.
- The change is free and does not interrupt your compulsory-insurance rights; the new choice automatically cancels the previous one.
🔓 Exceptions
- Outside the one-year period you may change doctor if they are continuously absent for more than three months due to illness, maternity leave or training.
- A change before the year is up is also possible if you move house or if the doctor stops working or takes a job in another place.
- In a medical emergency any doctor must treat you regardless of where you are registered; emergency care does not depend on your choice.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Changing your personal doctor is not an offence and carries no fine – it is an insured person's right, not a breach. Practical consequences do exist, though. If you try to change doctor before the one-year period is up without a legal reason (absence, moving, the doctor leaving), the new choice will be rejected and you stay registered with the old doctor. If you have no chosen personal doctor in a new area, exercising your rights becomes harder: referrals, prescriptions, sick leave and the management of chronic conditions are tied precisely to your personal doctor. Because in many places the list is full, individual practices may turn you down and you have to look for another, which means lost time and longer waiting. Switching mid-treatment can break the continuity of care, since the new doctor needs time to review your documentation. Emergency medical care is always available to you, regardless of registration.
📎 Official sources
- ZZZS · choosing and changing your personal doctor →
- eUprava · choosing a personal doctor via zVEM →
- PISRS · Rules of Compulsory Health Insurance →
❓ Frequently asked
How often can I change my personal doctor?
You choose your personal doctor for at least one year, so without giving reasons you can change only after that period is up. Before the year ends a change is possible only exceptionally, for example during a doctor's long absence or if you move house.
Do I have to give a reason to change?
No, after one year you do not have to give any reason when you change doctor. A reason is needed only when you want to switch early, for example because of the doctor's absence of more than three months or a move to another place.
Can I change doctor online?
Yes, you can make the change electronically through the zVEM portal with secure SI-PASS login, or in person at the newly chosen doctor. You do not need to deregister with the previous doctor, because the new choice automatically cancels the earlier registration.
Can a doctor turn me down?
Yes, the chosen doctor may turn you down if their list of registered insured persons (glavarina) is full. The right to change is therefore not a right to one specific doctor; in that case you must choose another who is still taking new patients.
What if I end up with no personal doctor?
Without a chosen personal doctor, exercising your rights is harder, because referrals, prescriptions and sick leave are tied to that doctor. Emergency medical care is nonetheless always available to you, regardless of whether you have a chosen personal doctor.
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