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Travel insurance in Germany

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First things first

When traveling abroad, it would be nice to have a travel insurance to avoid paying enormous costs in the event of a serious illness.

A decent travel insurance for short trips cost around €12 per year.

Make sure that in your travel insurance plan are covered illnesses related to the Corona pandemic.

Even when traveling within the EU, German public health insurances will only repay what would have been paid for the same treatment in Germany.

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Travel insurance in Germany

Patrick Ott
Patrick Oliver Ott
Expert for insurance and finance
8. March 2022
A Travel insurance protects you from various risks on vacation and business trips. You can protect yourself against illness with travel health insurance or ensure reimbursement with travel cancellation insurance if you are unable to take your trip. Travel insurance helps you to enjoy your holidays without worries.
travel insurance

What is a travel insurance?

Travel insurances are special insurances made for the needs while traveling. They protect the insured in various situations that may occur before or during their vacation. This includes coverage in the event of illness, so they can receive medical care while abroad without fearing the costs. A coverage for the luggage during the journey and a travel cancellation insurance. This reimburses the costs incurred if the insured cannot take their trip as planned for certain reasons. Travel insurance thus covers a wide range of risks.

Different types of travel insurance provide different levels of coverage. You can learn more about each type below.

The travel health insurance

The travel health insurance is the most important insurance for traveler. Because it provides insurance cover in the event of illness. If you need to see a doctor or even go to the hospital for medical treatment during your trip, your statutory health insurance will not pay or will pay only to a limited extent.

In an EU country, you will receive the same benefits as other statutory insured citizens in that country. However, the protection may be less than what you are used to in your home country. Therefore, you may have to pay the additional costs yourself.
And in a non-EU-country, you may not have any coverage at all. If you travel to America or Asia, your statutory health insurance will not cover in case of illness or an accident. For this you need a travel health insurance.
  • Travel health insurance is used for: Covering the costs of medical care in the case of illness or an accident abroad. As well as the return transport of the patient, if this is medically necessary.

Insurance benefits

Which costs are paid by the travel health insurance depends on the chosen rate. The following benefits may be insured:

Reimbursement of costs for necessary medical treatment by a doctor and in hospital

Reimbursement for medically necessary treatment by a dentist

Reimbursement of costs for bandages, remedies and aids

Costs for rescue

Transfer to homeland in case of death

Return hospital transport, if medically necessary

Support in the event of illness for the search for doctors, bureaucratic and organizational

Some policies also cover the costs of a infection with covid. Depending on the contract, the costs of quarantine accommodation and testing are paid. With many providers a covid infection is only covered for an additional contribution.

Advantages of travel health insurance

Travel health insurance provides coverage if you get sick while traveling abroad. It ensures that your medical expenses are covered and you don't have to worry about high medical bills. You can go to a doctor, dentist and even be treated in the hospital. Medication and remedies are also covered. So you can enjoy your vacation carefree, even if you don't feel well.

One of the most important service components of travel health insurance, in addition to medical care, is patient return transport to their home. Because the costs for this are not paid by the statutory health insurance.
If you have to be transported home from your vacation, this can result in costs of several thousand euros. For example, an intensive care transport from Mallorca to Germany costs around 24,000 euros. It gets even more expensive outside Europe. From Mexico, intensive care transport can cost more than 70,000 euros. Travel health insurance covers these costs. The prerequisite is that the return transport is medically necessary.

The travel cancellation insurance

Travel cancellation insurance is useful if you can't take your vacation as planned. It protects you from high cancellation costs. The decisive factor is that you do not take your vacation due to an insured reason.
If you decide against your destination or you don't want to travel anymore, you are not insured. But the travel cancellation insurance protects you in case of emergency. For example, it reimburses the cancellation costs if you ill or a family member dies. Even if you cancel your trip because you are pregnant or change your job, you are covered by most providers.
  • Travel cancellation insurance is used for: If you want to make sure you get your money refunded if you can't make your trip.

Insurance benefits

Travel cancellation insurance covers the cancellation costs incurred if you are unable to take your vacation for certain reasons. Depending on your provider, the following costs are insured:

Cancellation costs

Deposits already made

Costs for outward and return travel

Additional costs for a partial cancellation

You must pay attention to the cases in which insurance coverage is provided. Serious illnesses are always covered. In addition, serious injuries after an accident are also covered. Pregnancy and pregnancy complications are usually insured. Please check your policy.

Insurance coverage may apply in these cases:

Serious illness

Severe injury

Pregnancy and pregnancy complications

Prosthesis fracture

Vaccine intolerance

Notice for an appointment for organ donation or receipt of an organ

Termination for operational reasons

Change of job

Serious damage to property

Unexpected court appearance

Adoption of a child

Death of a close family member

Date for a repeat examination

Transportation delay of at least two hours

Some insurers also provide coverage for Covid injections. Depending on the rate, they pay if the insured person himself falls ill with covid or cannot take their vacation due to quarantine. This protection may be included in the rate or must be added with an additional contribution.

Advantages of travel cancellation insurance

The travel cancellation insurance offers the advantage that you can book your vacation without worries. Because you know that you will be refund the cancellation costs if you can not take your trip for certain reasons. Most recently, the covid-pandemic showed us how quickly unexpected events can occur and make a planned trip impossible. With travel cancellation insurance, you protect yourself from a variety of these events and make sure you get your money or the additional costs back.

However, you must pay attention to the situations in which the insurance coverage exists. If you're just feeling weak or have the flu, you are not insured. It must be a serious illness. This also applies to accidents. But if you know when you have insurance coverage, you are well covered for emergencies with travel cancellation insurance.

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What other types of travel insurance are there?

In Germany, in addition to travel health insurance and travel cancellation insurance, there are more types of travel insurance with which you can insure yourself against various risks.

The baggage insurance

CR & Cie baggage insurance
With baggage insurance you can insure your luggage while traveling. The insurance offers you financial compensation if your luggage is lost, damaged or stolen. Protection is provided during your vacation as well as on the outward and return journey. The damage incurred is refund up to a maximum of the agreed sum insured. You can decide for yourself how high this is when you take out the contract.
  • No insurance cover is provided if you damage your luggage yourself, lose it or leave it unattended. Valuables, bank and credit cards, cash and tickets are also not insured in most rates.
Luggage insurance is useful if you want your property to be well insured while traveling. At least on the outward and return journey. Within the hotel room your property is insured by your household insurance in Germany.

The travel interruption insurance

A travel interruption insurance is not the same as a travel cancellation insurance. Because cancellation insurance pays if you can't even take your vacation. Travel interruption insurance offers protection if you have to leave your vacation early.

If the insured person has to interrupt their vacation early, the insurer will cover the additional costs for the return trip. It can also refund unused travel services. As with cancellation insurance, only certain reasons are insured. For example, serious illness, accident, death in the family or serious damage to property.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions

Does travel insurance cover health insurance?

Travel health insurance and traditional private or statutory health insurance are two different coverages. Travel health insurance only covers cases of illness while traveling. So it offers insurance coverage abroad and not in Germany when you live here.

The classic health insurance coverage at home. Its scope is limited to Germany and the European member states - the latter in a restricted manner. If you travel outside of Europe, you need a travel health insurance, otherwise you have no protection in case of illness. Even within the EU, travel health insurance makes sense for stays abroad, as it closes the gaps in benefits provided by statutory health insurance.

What is a covered reason for trip cancellation?

There are several reasons for trip cancellation that are covered. Essentially, this depends on the respective insurance coverage of the provider.

All insurers provide coverage in the event of a serious illness. Severe means that, in view of the symptoms of the illness, the start of the trip is not possible or not reasonable. The death of close family members is also insured.
If you are seriously injured before your vacation and need surgery, you will be refund. Also if your property is severely damaged, for example by a house fire.

Some providers offer even more comprehensive protection. They also pay if you have lost your job for operational reasons. Or if you start a new job and are still in your probationary period when you start your trip. If you are a student, you may be covered if you get the Date for a repeat examination during your vacations.

How long does travel health insurance provide coverage?

Insurance coverage is provided for stays abroad of up to six weeks. Some insurers also pay for trips of up to eight weeks. It does not matter how often you travel. The only important thing is that you are not longer abroad than the intended time.

If you travel longer abroad, one year for example, you need a "long-term" travel health insurance. This is a special rate that covers stays abroad for up to one or even two years.

What is the best travel insurance in Germany / Europe?

In Germany, there is a wide selection of providers for travel insurance. It is not easy to find the best travel insurance. It is crucial that it covers all benefits and events that you consider important.

Allianz travel insurance is popular. The insurer offers travel health insurance and travel cancellation insurance. It should be emphasized that the health insurance not only pays for return transport if this is medically necessary. But already when the return transport is considered medically reasonable. For example, because the prospects of recovery are better at home.
You can take out Allianz travel insurance as a one-off policy or as an all-inclusive annual policy, which includes many important coverages for your trip, such as baggage insurance and accident insurance.

Another popular provider is AXA travel insurance. This policy also pays for medical repatriation if its considered medically reasonable. Insurance coverage exists during any trip that lasts a maximum of 56 days. And if you need assistance, you can reach the service team of AXA travel insurance at any time.

Before taking out travel insurance, whether with Allianz, AXA or another provider, you should seek good advice. That way, you can find out which benefits are really important for you and what your rate needs to cover. Our experts can help you to find the best travel insurance for you.

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