International travel health insurance: comparison

The health card does not cover every bill abroad.

The practice recommended to you at the hotel reception may be a private practice. Then the European Health Insurance Card may not be of any help there. Even within Europe, it is important where and under what conditions you are treated.

With the EHIC, also known as EKVK in German, you receive medically necessary care in the public system in accordance with the local rules during a temporary stay in another EU country. This may include local co-payments. Outside the EU, claims depend, among other things, on agreements and personal requirements. Before you leave, ask your health insurance company about the specific country you are traveling to.

Statutory health insurance

The EHIC is not comprehensive private travel cover. Private treatment, own contributions and rescue services can leave gaps. The statutory health insurance fund generally does not cover the costs of return transport to Germany; § 60 Paragraph 4 SGB V sets this limit.

If you cannot get private protection abroad due to age or a pre-existing illness, check with your health insurance provider before you travel whether a special regulation according to § 18 SGB V applies. This is not general international coverage.

Private health insurance

Your PKV contract specifies foreign validity, duration and reimbursement. Above all, check the return transport and possible deductibles. A premium refund can also be relevant when deciding which contract you use to submit costs.

An additional travel health insurance can cover missing services. Reviewing your current policy will tell you if you need it.

The basics of the statutory health insurance and the private health insurance We explain separately about short-term foreign trips. For permanent emigration or long-term work abroad, consult our specialized guidance.

What does international travel health insurance provide?

The focus is on medically necessary treatments for insured illnesses and accidents during the trip. The contract determines which costs are covered and where limits apply. A treatment planned in advance does not become an insured travel event if you travel abroad for it.

Outpatient treatment

Medical examinations and outpatient treatment can be reimbursed. Read about the requirements for treatment providers, bills and medical necessity.

Hospital and necessary transports

Inpatient treatment may be included, as well as necessary transport to a suitable hospital. For major procedures, the emergency assistance center helps coordinate cost coverage with the clinic.

Prescribed medications

Medicines and bandages prescribed by a doctor are often covered. Keep the prescription and receipt. Separate limits may apply to aids or other services.

Acute dental treatment

Pain relief or repair of an existing dental prosthesis may be covered, but extensive new dental work or planned renovations are not automatically included.

In addition, search and rescue costs, an accompanying person or the care of children traveling with you can also be agreed. Compare the actual maximum amounts and triggers. A long list of additional services says little about whether the important protection is suitable for your trip.

You may need travel cancellation insurance to cover cancellation costs before departure, and travel interruption insurance to cover certain consequences of a premature end to the trip. Check each component of a package individually.

When it comes to repatriation, it's worth reading every word.

A clinic at your holiday destination can be medically well equipped. Nevertheless, further treatment in Germany may still make sense. Whether the insurer will cover the return transport in this situation depends largely on its clause.

The wording in the contract makes a difference

When is return transport an option?

“Medically necessary”: The necessary care cannot be adequately guaranteed at the place of stay. This requirement is narrower.
“Medically sensible and justifiable”: Return transport may also be an option if treatment on site would be possible. Medical evaluation and ability to transport remain required.

The graphic simplifies two common clauses. Destination, organization, accompanying persons and other requirements are stated in the respective contract.

Pay attention to one in comparison medically sensible and justifiable return transport. This wording usually opens up more options than restricting it to medical necessity. However, it is not a right to travel home whenever you wish: your state of health and the possibility of safe transport must be assessed by a doctor.

Also check where the transport is going and what applies to an accompanying person. It is particularly important for families how a sick child is accompanied and how other children traveling with them are cared for. Other triggers, such as a certain expected hospital length, only apply if they are included in the tariff.

Coordinate return transport with the emergency call center instead of arranging it on your own and seeking reimbursement afterwards. In case of acute danger, local medical assistance takes priority.

Annual contract, single trip or long-term cover?

Annual travel health insurance can cover multiple trips within one insurance year. The permitted duration usually applies to each trip. Two short vacations are different than a month-long stay without returning.

There are two different time periods in the contract: how long the contract runs and how long you can be on the road at a time. A long-term tariff is often an option for a semester abroad, a trip around the world or a longer professional stay. The purpose of travel and place of residence must also match.

Luggage, calendar and insurance documents are ready for a trip.

Check duration · fictitious annual tariff

A contract year is not a travel year.

For this example, we assume a limit of 56 days per trip. This is not a general tariff limit. Enter your planned travel duration and compare it to this assumption.

Planned travel duration in the example14 Tage

The marker is at the assumed limit of 56 days.

Planned trip: 14 Tage
Limit in the example tariff: 56 Tage je Reise

Within the sample duration

The trip remains 42 Days below the assumed maximum duration. All other conditions must also be met.

This example only evaluates two-day scenarios and does not confirm coverage. For trips planned to exceed this duration, partial coverage for the initial 56 days is not guaranteed. Illness-related delays constitute a separate contractual scenario.

What happens if the return journey is delayed due to illness?

This is a different case than a trip that was booked for too long from the start. Check the extended coverage if you still need treatment or are unable to travel at the end of the insured period. The terms and conditions must specify when and under what requirements payments continue.

This does not equate to a voluntary extension of vacation. Clarify this with the insurer before the protection expires. A new booking or a short border crossing does not automatically reset the insured travel duration.

How much does international health insurance cost?

An annual fee is often offered for a short vacation. The calculation may look different for single trips and long-term tariffs. Therefore, compare the same period and the same people first before putting two prices next to each other.

Age, the number of insured persons, travel duration and the coverage area affect the premium. In addition, benefit differences and possible deductibles apply. A starting price without this information would not provide a reliable guide for your trip.

This information belongs in the comparison.

Who is traveling?

Specify the age and number of travelers. For families, check which children and partners are included and whether they are allowed to travel alone.

Where and for how long?

Consider all travel destinations, the longest planned trip and its purpose. A holiday tariff does not have to be suitable for long-term work abroad.

Which clauses apply?

Check return transport, subsequent performance and known health circumstances. A deductible can also put the supposedly cheap contribution into perspective.

What cover already exists?

PKV, credit card or membership may include travel protection. Compare their conditions before you insure twice or miss a gap.

A test can help with preliminary selection. However, check which tariff version and which travel profiles were assessed. An old award does not replace today's terms or a check of your travel data.

The buttons lead to the travel comparison with Softfair on our website. You compare the available tariffs, not the entire market automatically. Travel health insurance is pre-selected; you can add travel cancellation and travel luggage. Your details will only be sent to Softfair after you consent to the calculation.

Your comparison

Have your destination and trip duration ready.

Compare with the same information and all fellow travelers. If you find a suitable offer, please also open the conditions for return transport and maximum travel duration.

Compare travel health insurance

Family, seniors and travel to the USA

Who belongs to the family tariff?

The tariff definition decides, not just your shared household. Check the age limit for children, rules for unmarried couples and whether everyone needs to be registered by name. Separate trips can also be important, for example when a child travels without their parents.

For older travelers, check age-based premiums and any admission restrictions. Even with a long-term policy, review coverage for trip duration, repatriation, and health exclusions before a major journey.

Explicitly include the USA and Canada

For scope, don’t rely on a heading like “worldwide” without reading its limitations. Long-term tariffs in particular can be calculated differently depending on whether the USA and Canada are included. Also take planned stopovers into account.

You also need suitable conditions for business trips, physical work abroad or special sports. The employer or an existing insurance company may already provide protection. This should be clarified before the trip, not just when you get the bill.

Pre-existing illnesses are not generally excluded.

A chronic illness and an already established treatment during the trip are two different starting points. Some tariffs can cover unexpected deterioration, but exclude treatments whose necessity was already known before departure. The exact wording is crucial here.

If you have relevant health circumstances, discuss a trip with the treating practice and clarify the desired protection in writing with the insurer. A medical certificate confirming your ability to travel can help. It does not replace confirmation of coverage and does not cancel any contractual exclusion.

Pregnancy and further limits

If you are pregnant, check the rules for unexpected complications, premature birth and caring for a newborn. Planned precautions and a foreseeable birth are often treated differently. The specific week of pregnancy may be relevant for individual services.

A traveler discusses her travel preparations with a female doctor.

Further restrictions may concern, among other things, planned treatments, cures, certain psychotherapeutic services, war or the consequences of an already known travel warning. Not every tariff formulates these points the same way. You should also read up on pandemic and sports regulations for your project instead of deriving them from a general list of services.

If you find yourself in a dangerous situation, current travel and safety advisories can help, but they do not tell you what your insurer will cover. You must clarify the exact coverage with your insurer.

Complete the policy before departure and save the emergency contact.

Many tariffs require that you take out international travel health insurance before the start of the trip. Check the confirmed start of insurance, the payment requirements and the people covered. A completed input mask alone is not a confirmation of protection.

Keep your policy number and the insurer’s emergency number offline too. A trusted travel companion should know where to find them. Still take your EHIC if it applies at your destination.

Get medical help
In the event of an acute emergency, the first thing that counts is on-site care. Don't wait for insurance approval if doing so will delay necessary treatment.
Contact the emergency call center
In the event of hospital admission, major measures or planned repatriation, coordinate as early as possible as soon as the situation allows.
Keep receipts
Collect invoices with treatment information, prescriptions and proof of payment. If necessary, also record your departure and return journey in a comprehensible manner.
Submit a reimbursement claim
Use the secure submission method provided. Indicate services provided by other payers; the same invoice will not be refunded twice.

You may have to pay smaller bills yourself first. In the case of hospital treatment, the emergency call center can arrange for costs to be covered. Whether this works in a specific case depends on the treatment, contract and clinic.

It is also worth taking a look at the long-term financial consequences of an accident private accident insurance. It has a different purpose from paying for treatment while travelling.

Häufige Fragen: Auslandsreisekrankenversicherung

Do I need travel health insurance within Europe too?

It is also useful for holidays in Europe. The European Health Insurance Card provides access to medically necessary care in the public system according to the rules of the country of stay. Private treatments, local co-payments, and repatriation to Germany are not comprehensively covered. Check your health insurer's information on the specific country before traveling.

What is the difference between international health insurance and international travel health insurance?

The terms are often used for the same short-term travel protection. International health insurance also offers solutions for stays lasting several months, working abroad or emigrating. The decisive factors are therefore the purpose of the trip, place of residence, area of validity and insured duration. An annual travel policy does not replace long-term health insurance.

Is an annual contract valid for 365 days in a row?

Not automatically. The contract term and the maximum duration of a single trip are different limits. An annual contract can cover several trips, but each only up to the duration specified in the tariff. For a planned longer trip, you need an express agreement or suitable long-term protection. Don't rely on being insured for at least the first few weeks.

Can I buy travel health insurance after I’ve already left?

Many holiday tariffs require you to take out the contract before the start of your trip. Individual offers allow you to start later, sometimes with waiting times and other restrictions. Illnesses that have already occurred or foreseeable treatments are not retroactively insured. Have the start and scope expressly confirmed instead of booking a normal tariff with an incorrect departure date.

Is the insurance on my credit card enough?

This can only be judged by the card conditions. The protection can be tied to the payment of the trip with the card or only cover certain people. Also check travel duration, age limits, deductible and return transport. If equivalent protection already exists, you don't need a second contract just because of the product name.

Are the USA and Canada also insured?

Coverage depends on the tariff’s applicable region. Verify if both countries are explicitly included and whether this affects your premium. For long-term contracts, protection may differ between coverage with or without the USA/Canada. Stopovers and the actual travel purpose must align with the policy terms.

What applies to pregnancy and newborns?

Planned precautions and a foreseeable delivery do not equate to an unexpected complication. Explicitly check the rules for weeks of pregnancy, premature birth and the treatment of a newborn. Don't rely on the word family tariff alone. When planning a specific trip, it is helpful to clarify the matter in writing with the insurer.

Does travel health insurance also cover cancellation costs?

It is generally not intended for that. Medical treatment while traveling, trip cancellation before departure, and trip interruption are different risks. In a package, several modules can be offered together. Check individually which ones you need and which triggers, deductibles, and limits apply.

Do I need additional travel cover if I have private health insurance?

First read your private health insurance conditions on cover abroad, the duration of stays and repatriation. Some benefits may already be included; others may be absent or limited. Compare deductibles and the possible effect of a reimbursement on a premium refund. Additional travel cover can close gaps but does not replace checking your existing contract.