PRO: Digital 24/7 telemedicine & easy app billing.
As soon as you move your centre of life abroad, the protection of German statutory health insurance generally ends. Within the EU and in countries with social security agreements, limited arrangements apply; outside that, you are simply uninsured without your own solution.
International health insurance closes this gap. Which provider fits depends on four questions: how long are you staying, in which region, do you want to pay up front, and are you planning to return to Germany?
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The terms are often mixed up but mean two different things:
The most expensive mistake is starting with a short-term plan and trying to extend it year after year. At some point that stops working – and then your health at that moment decides your cover.
Up to twelve months with a clear return date: a short-term plan is enough. Several years or an open end: an open-ended solution with medical underwriting is the more solid choice.
The USA and Canada are the biggest cost driver. A plan without adequate North America cover is effectively worthless there – and one with an unnecessary USA option costs too much permanently.
If advancing four-figure sums is a problem for you, direct billing (Foyer, Cigna within its network) or a payment card (PassportCard) matters more than the last percentage point of benefits.
If you held German private health insurance, consider a prospective entitlement to preserve your entry age and state of health. If you were in statutory insurance, know the conditions for re-entry. This question belongs before departure.
If you would rather think in terms of your way of life than by provider: health insurance for expats, for digital nomads, for freelancers abroad, and the overview at health insurance abroad.
Besides health cover, these matter for Germans abroad: international liability insurance, legal protection for expats, accident insurance and retirement planning abroad. The full list is in the emigration checklist.
Planning to emigrate or stay long-term? Write to us on WhatsApp (+49 151 28937141) or via the contact form.
Usually only to a limited extent. Within the EU and in countries with social security agreements special arrangements apply, but often only for acute treatment and at the local benefit level. If you move your residence permanently, cover generally ends altogether.
Travel health insurance is designed for short stays and acute emergencies. International health insurance is open-ended, covers ongoing healthcare and is intended for living abroad. Short-term plans cannot be extended indefinitely.
That depends on the chosen area of cover. Because of very high cost levels, these countries are priced separately in almost all plans. If North America is relevant to you – even for business trips or stopovers – plan for it from the start.
A prospective entitlement (Anwartschaft) lets you suspend existing German private health insurance during your stay abroad instead of cancelling it. It preserves your original entry age and state of health. It is relevant for anyone with private cover who does not rule out returning.
Open-ended plans require medical underwriting. Depending on the diagnosis, acceptance, a risk surcharge or an exclusion is possible. What matters is declaring everything in full – incomplete statements are the most common reason for refused benefits.
Most international plans provide home cover with a time limit per year. How long it applies and whether longer stays are included varies considerably, so clarify it before you apply if you return regularly.
Want to know which provider fits your destination and your outlook? Book a free initial consultation or start the insurance check.
PRO: Long-term, ideal for genuine emigrants (indefinite).
PRO: Exclusive, free choice of doctor worldwide (incl./excl. USA).
We have advised Germans abroad since 1996 – independently and across the whole market. On international health insurance you get a clear recommendation, not a list of providers.
Abroad, every hour counts. We are available via WhatsApp, video call or phone – across time zones.
You see area of cover, limits, deductible and duration rules side by side – not just the monthly premium.
Sabbatical, emigration, posting or nomadic life lead to different types of plan and different providers.
On a change of country, an extension or a return to Germany we accompany the transitions – that is where gaps appear.
