Student travel insurance for young people
Student health insurance - what exactly is that?
What travel insurance do I need for student exchanges?
International health insurance students - for whom?
What insurance do I need as an Erasmus student?
Question & answers about foreign health insurance for students

Students who go abroad for a longer period of time should not refrain from taking out health insurance abroad. This is true not only when you study at a university or a language school outside the EU, but also in other cases. The European health insurance card, in short called EHIC, which is issued by the normal health insurance in the home country, comes up for the basic medical care - but only to the extent of costs which are common in Germany.

Surprisingly, the costs of health treatment in other European countries are usually higher than in Germany. Since the German statutory health insurance only comes up for the German cost rate, you will have to pay the difference. Therefore, one needs a foreign health insurance.
Moreover, outside of Europe, the statutory health insurance does not pay at all. If you require treatment for a special illness in a hospital in Madrid, for example, you need foreign health insurance. The normal health insurance will not come up for the costs.

Basic costs for medication, medical care and for a possible return transport are included in the benefits of the foreign health insurance. The money will be refunded later by the insurance company. However, the exact benefits have to be individually discussed in advance with the insurance company and contractually recorded, in order to avoid an unpleasant surprise. It is also important to know the period covered by the health insurance abroad. Usually, such a policy will last one to three months, unless it is explicitly a long-term health insurance abroad.

As a privately insured student, you may enjoy the same level of protection abroad as you would in at home. This applies at least in most EU countries up to a maximum of one year. However, in countries outside of the EU, insurance coverage is often only valid for a few months, which usually does not suffice for a whole semester. However, the exact regulations are different for each health insurance.

Therefore, it is important to carefully check the contract and the conditions and change the tariff in case of doubt or to conclude a foreign health insurance. Because this cannot be done on short notice right before the trip. Instead, you should already deal with this issue several months before departure and choose a suitable insurer.

If you are a student and fall ill abroad, without having a foreign health insurance, you have to expect to pay a lot of money in order to receive medical care. All treatments must be paid immediately, the bill can later be submitted to the health insurance who will then refund the money. For young people, who often do not have much savings anyway, this can quickly become a big problem.

A good health insurance covers the most important costs for medical treatment, be it outpatient or inpatient. She also pays expenses for medication as well as for a return home, if this is meaningful and reasonable from a medical point of view. If students or students have to be treated after an accident or illness, the health insurance will usually cover these costs. You do not have to worry about anything and can concentrate fully on your recovery.

No, you have to be on German soil, otherwise it is not possible for the insurance company to check the time of the illness.

It is therefore important that the travel insurance covers the entire period during which you are abroad. There are special insurances for language students and students enrolling in a university or language school abroad for a semester or for a longer period of time. For most insurers, students can take out insurance for a maximum of five years - then re-insurance is required. In addition, travel health insurance is often subject to a maximum retirement age; for policies for students and students of max. 34 years.

More and more providers of credit cards offer their customers a special health insurance as part of the credit card agreement. The invoice for medical treatment or medication abroad is then settled directly via the credit card provider. Although at first glance this might seem quite attractive for all credit card holders, one should carefully consider whether this is actually the best option.

Because often the benefits are tied to certain conditions and are thus very limited. Consequently, it often happens that the credit card provider comes up for the costs of first aid, but not for special treatments in private clinics or for medication. It is essential to carefully check the terms and conditions out of personal interest and, if necessary, to discuss them with the insurer. In most cases, it is always better to take out an additional policy that fully covers your medical treatment abroad. You should never rely on the assumption that the term "travel insurance" alone is sufficient.