Statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung)
Within the European Union (EU + EEA + Switzerland):
Emergency medical treatment is covered via the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which is usually printed on the back of the German health insurance card.
The cover includes:
Emergency visits to a doctor
Hospital admissions
Only medically necessary treatment during the stay
Important:
Not all costs are necessarily covered (for example co-payments, private or special treatments).
It is therefore strongly recommended to take out additional travel health insurance.
Outside the European Union:
Statutory health insurance does not automatically cover medical treatment in countries such as:
Turkey
United Kingdom (after Brexit)
United States
and many other non-EU countries
In these cases, you should take out a special travel health insurance policy (Auslandsreise-Krankenversicherung).
Is school insurance sufficient?
The Schülerunfallversicherung (student accident insurance) only covers:
Physical injuries during official parts of the school trip or school-organised activities
It does not cover:
Illness or non-accident-related medical treatment
Therefore, it cannot replace international health insurance.
Recommendations for schools and parents
Most schools ask parents to arrange additional health insurance when travelling outside the EU.
Some schools organise a group insurance policy (Gruppenversicherung) for all participating pupils.
It is advisable to send a copy of the insurance policy with the child – either on paper and/or in digital form (for example stored on a smartphone).
What should be checked before travelling?
| Item | Check |
|---|---|
| Yes | Does the health insurance card include international cover? |
| Yes | Do you need additional travel health insurance? |
| Yes | Does the insurance cover chronic conditions (e.g. asthma or diabetes)? |
| Yes | What is the insurer’s international emergency phone number? |
Cost of international health insurance for children
Usually very inexpensive: around 5–15 euros per week.
It can be purchased easily online from companies such as:
HanseMerkur
Allianz Travel
Ergo Reiseversicherung
The editorial team of the website aims to provide accurate information based on thorough research and consultation of multiple sources. However, errors or uncertainties may still occur. Therefore, the information in these articles should be regarded as an initial reference only, and readers are advised to contact the relevant authorities and insurers for binding and up-to-date information.
