Insurance for travelling in Germany

Last Updated on November 28, 2023

The following insurance for travelling are the most relevant in Germany: Haftpflichtversicherung (liability insurance) and Krankenversicherung, as well as travel cancellation and travel interruption insurance.

Those who rent a car on vacation are strongly advised to have the so-called Mallorca-Police liability insurance for rented cars. In addition, they offer other options: baggage insurance, accident insurance, which is more likely not needed.

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Medical insurance for travelling

While the standard Haftpflichtversicherung policy for damages to third persons works well for short trips in the European Union, health insurance is very limited, especially public health insurance.

Therefore, an additional policy is considered reasonable and highly recommended.

There are Reisekrankenversicherung and Auslandkrankenversicherung.

The first usually assumes a limited duration of the trip, that is, for certain dates.

The second is a one-year (half-year) policy, which assumes
either a couple of vacations per year (for example, up to 56 days a year, and then its cost is very low, this type can also be called Reisekrankenversicherung )
or a long stay (and then the cost is from 1 to 5 euros per day).

What does public insurance (gesetzliche Krankenkassen) guarantee when traveling abroad?

In Europe (EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Norway. Special case Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro – only emergencies (Notfall) are paid here), the electronic insurance card guarantees payment for all services that became necessary during the trip and which could not be postponed until returning home. This can be a visit to a regular doctor or a hospital. The cost of drugs is also paid in these cases.

But the rules apply that are accepted in this country, as if you were insured in it. That is, if there are restrictions on the choice of doctors, you must follow them. If you need to pay something extra, you have to pay extra.

If the card cannot be read, then the invoice will have to be paid by yourself, and then you will have to wait for a refund from the Krankenkasse.

What is not covered by standard public insurance

You are treated according to the rules of the host country, and the money is returned according to the rules of Germany. Therefore, if in Germany some services are not paid, the amount will not be fully refunded.

Government insurance pays for travel up to 6 weeks per year.

Medical transportation home, if required, is not covered.

What should be included in private travel insurance

Public Insurance cannot sell you additional services. It usually recommends its partner to you for additional policies. There is no obligation to choose this particular partner.

Most often, policies are sold in packages with travel cancellation or travel interruption insurance – Reiserücktrittskosten- und Reiseabbruchversicherung (which makes sense), baggage insurance (which does not make much sense).

Insurance usually includes:

• necessary outpatient visit to the doctor

• prescribed medications and remedies

• simple dental treatment

• being in the hospital

• accompanying person in the hospital for children

• home transportation

Insurance usually does not include:

• medical tourism

• treatment of urgent problems, if the tourist already knew before the trip that he would need treatment

• deliberate harm, as well as harm resulting from the abuse of medicines, drugs or alcohol

• damage resulting from participation in internal unrest or war

• spa treatment

• psychiatric and psychotherapeutic treatment

• addiction treatment

• problems with pregnancy, childbirth, except in urgent cases

What is recommended to pay attention to

• if the insurance company agrees to pay only “akute” or “nicht absehbare” cases – these cases are paid by the state insurance and these formulations are too broad. The exacerbation of diagnosed chronic diseases will immediately become a problem. Chronic patients need to look for an answer to the question of how this insurance deals with chronic people – for example, ADAC insurance states this separately.

• you should also avoid policies with the “unaufschiebbare Behandlungen” restriction

• sports damage must be included.

• note if Hilfsmittel is included in addition to medicines. Crutches or a stroller, if necessary, will cost you expensive

• insurance must cover covid cases

• pregnant women must take out insurance that provides for the treatment of miscarriages and early birth, as well as the care of a premature baby

• it is desirable that transport to the homeland is provided not only in the most necessary cases, but also when it is considered a “sinnvoll”, for example, if treatment is expected for more than two weeks

• families with children need to pay attention to the item whether childcare is paid if parents are hospitalized

Cancellation insurance for travelling

Travel cancellation insurance is not as important as medical insurance, since a lot can be returned. It is relevant for risk groups, such as families with small children or retirees.

Usually the combined insurance against cancellation and travel interruption – Reiserücktrittskosten– and Reiseabbruchversicherung – is more advantageous.

Possible reasons (not all may be in the policy, pay attention to the ones that are relevant to you)

• serious unexpected illness. This is the most controversial and poorly worded point that can easily be interpreted in favor of the insurance one. Chronic diseases immediately become a problem, as they cannot be called unexpected.
• death of relatives (the degree of kinship needs to be clarified, perhaps your ideas about close kinship do not coincide with the ideas of the insurance company, the necessary relatives should be on the Risikopersonen list)
• serious injury due to accident serious complications of pregnancy
• damage to prosthesis
• significant damage to property
• layoffs as a result of unforeseen staff cuts
• getting a job after a period of unemployment
• repeated exams for pupils or students

A special point is the Covid cases. Insurance deals with them in a very varied manner, as well as with the need for quarantine due to the corona. As a rule, a separate additional policy must be concluded for quarantine. But it will not save if the entire hostel was sent to quarantine or some country has arranged an unexpected quarantine for all those who enter. Reisewarnung from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also not in the list. However, if you booked a tour package, then the money must be returned to you.

What is insured

• cancellation of the trip

• starting a trip late (e.g. rebooking a plane or intermediate accommodation)

• trip interruption

• prolongation of stay as a result of serious illness or accident

• cancellation of booked entertainment or car rental

What is recommended to pay attention to

Do not book a policy with the trip, as the package offers bad policies.

Pay attention to the Kündigung conditions, this insurance may have an automatic renewal for one year.

The insured amount must correspond to the real possible losses. In annual policies, an increase in the amount is possible at least 30 days before the trip.

For families, a one-year contract can be beneficial, because individual travel of family members is also insured in this case.

All people important to you should be on the Risikopersonen list. For example, not only your children are important to you, but also your grandmother or aunt or grandson.

Better if there is no Selbstbeteiligung and certainly not as a percentage of the amount.

It is recommended to choose insurances that support Versicherungsombudsmann solutions. This is something like a magistrate whose decisions in disputable cases with a disputed amount of less than 10,000 euros, insurers are obliged to comply with.

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