What is Incoming Travel Insurance?
Incoming travel insurance, also known as visitor insurance or inbound travel insurance, is a type of coverage specifically designed for individuals visiting a foreign country. It provides protection against unforeseen circumstances, such as medical emergencies, trip cancellations, lost baggage, and more.
Here, we have all the important information regarding the travel insurance, how to choose it, from where one can opt for it and more.
Do I Need Travel Insurance for Germany?
The short answer is always yes.
In order to apply for a Schengen visa and enter Germany, or any other Schengen country, you need a valid travel insurance policy that fulfils certain requirements.
According to India Diplo, when a guest is entering Germany, they must have insurance with a minimum coverage of 30,000 Euros. This needs to cover the entire period of the person’s intended stay. You also need to make sure this is valid in the whole Schengen region, and not only Germany. This is one of the main criteria to get a visa approved.
You also need to make sure that coverage is also provided for all medical expenses, repatriation for medical reasons, all emergencies, and unfortunate instances of death.
Incoming travel insurance typically covers all medical expenses, including doctor visits, hospitalization, medication, and emergency medical services. It ensures your parents receive the necessary medical attention without the stress or risk of expensive bills.
Sometimes, unforeseen circumstances can disrupt travel plans. Insurance can cover trip cancellations or interruptions due to illness, injury, a family member’s death, or other valid reasons. This ensures that you are reimbursed for non-refundable expenses like flights and accommodations. Likewise, for lost or delayed baggage.
One Insurance – 26 Countries
Travel insurance for guests in Germany is a type of health, or medical insurance, that covers your medical expenses while you are visiting Germany.
Insurance is required if you, your parents, or others are applying for a Schengen visa to enter Germany. Schengen visa is a type of visa that allows you to travel within the whole Schengen area, which consists of 26 European countries, including Germany.
Travel Insurance in Germany from a Non-EU Country
The German Missions only accept Indian Travel Medical Insurances from approved Indian Travel Insurance companies.
In the past and also sometimes now, we hear negative reviews from the people who opted for travel insurance from their home country, which is not in the European Union. Some people have had issues with their claims, either that they were not approved easily, or that they needed to run behind agents multiple times to get the claims approved.
Sometimes the claim even gets rejected stating for reasons of not being legitimate and so on. For that reason, Vanakkam Germany recommends that you opt an insurance from the country where the person applying for the visa is travelling to. For example, if your parents are planning to travel to Germany, opt for insurance providers based in Germany.
There are multiple providers in the Indian market and the list of insurance providers which are approved by the India Diplo website. It’s not mandatory to take insurance from the home country. You can also opt for it from the German Insurance providers too.
Choosing Trusted Travel Insurance Providers for Europe
European Union-based insurers understand the local healthcare billing practices, ensuring a smooth process while claiming.
When you opt for insurance providers based in non-EU regions, it may lead to complications during claims due to unfamiliarity with policies, coverage, and billing norms. There are many providers in Germany, like ADAC, HanseMerkur, Allianz, and others, which are well recognised.
Personally, I haven’t seen any negative reviews with these providers, and due to the trust, we have opted the same for my family.
Which Insurance Provider is the Best for Travel Insurance in Germany?
When selecting the best travel insurance for yourself, or for bringing your parents and others to visit Germany, I highly recommend two major providers in particular:
- ADAC incoming Versicherung
- HanseMerkur incoming insurance
ADAC and HanseMerkur both have positive reviews from my personal experience and are my top recommendations for reliable travel insurance.
Among the two, HanseMerkur offers affordable prices and comprehensive protection for travellers, for long term stays. They offer different types of insurance to cover you in various situations for the entire duration of your stay, for up to five years. Both these are also approved by German embassy. We know this from personal experience, because we have opted for both in the past.
It is important to note, however, that in any insurance policy, pre-existing issues are not included, and need to be specified separately to get accurate quotes.
Details of their policy and extensive travel insurances will be explained in detail below. Both these providers also provide you an additional liability insurance which can be combined with the incoming insurance, although it is not mandatory.
How Much Does Travel Insurance Cost for Germany?
How much do you pay for insurance in Germany? This is a very common question for most people, so, let’s take a look the factors that influence this, and the best insurance for travelling.
The cost of travel insurance in Germany varies based on several factors, including:
- the length of your stay
- your age
- the coverage options you select
- need for special coverage (like for pre-existing medical conditions)
- additional services for children
- provider
For accurate quotes, it is important to compare prices from multiple insurance providers. Here, we will discuss ADAC and HanseMerkur in particular.
What Advantages Does the ADAC Insurance Offer for me?
Travel health and liability insurance for your guests from abroad (Die Reisekranken- und Haftpflichtversicherung für Ihre Gäste aus dem Ausland) offers a flexible contract between 1 and 12 months and also a maximum coverage amount of EUR 1 million per insured period. Insurance rates start from as low as €48 for one month for those under 66 years of age. For those above 66 years of age, this starts from €118 for one month.
You can also obtain an insurance policy even if your guest has already arrived. However, once their trip has begun, the policy must be purchased in-person at an ADAC office. Also, it must be taken out no later than one month after entering the insured area. ADAC travel health insurance for guests from abroad includes a waiting period of seven days.
Travel health insurance for guests from abroad covers the following:
- doctor
- dentist
- surgery
- medical repatriation
- telephone costs
- repatriation in the unfortunate event of death
- rescue of persons
ADAC Amount Insured
The total benefit for all damage events during the insurance period concluded is limited to the one-time maximum insured amount of €1,000,000.
In the incoming travel health insurance, as per this policy, the deductible in the event of a claim is €50. This means that while submitting claims with ADAC, you pay €50 minimum for each visit to the doctor. If the person visits the doctor twice then you pay 50*2 =100 euros which gets added on top of the original premium.
You can take out incoming travel health insurance and travel liability insurance individually or in combination.
What Advantages Does the HanseMerkur Insurance Offer?
One major advantage of HanseMerkur insurance policies over others is that it can be opted on a daily basis. This means that if your parents or other guests are travelling for just a few days, you can pay accordingly instead of for the whole month. It also has policies that cover longer trips of up to five years.
One major advantage of policies from HanseMerkur is that if you decide to depart early, or leave the country early, they have certain reimbursement options, which makes it cost-effective.
Policies start from €1.70 per day for anyone below 64 years, up to 93 days. For those between 64 and 74 years of age, this amount is €3.50 per day.
In the incoming travel health insurance, as per this policy, the deductible in the event of a claim is €25 for Hansemerkur, which is much lesser than ADAC.
How can I Apply for HanseMerkur Insurance?
Follow the simple steps below to easily apply for insurance directly on the HanseMerkur website.
- You can check or calculate the cost of your insurance on the website, to get a cost estimate.
- Fill out the application form on their website. Here is the link to easily apply online: HanseMerkur Online Application.
- Complete the payment process successfully.
- Your document will be prepared after the payment is confirmed.
- You will receive the Versicherungsschein (insurance certificate).
Please note that you will be required to submit a copy of the Versicherungsschein at the consulate to process the tourist visa.
ADAC vs HanseMerkur
| Feature | HanseMerkur | ADAC | Which is better? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flexible Contract? | Choose from one-day, monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annually. | 1 to 12 months | HanseMerkur |
| Cost Effective? | Starts from €1.7 per day. | Plans starting from €48 per month. | HanseMerkur |
| Deductible? | €25 per insured event. | €50 minimum, and adds on for each subsequent claim. | HanseMerkur |
| Age Ranges vs Cost | Lesser costs for those under 64 years of age. | Lesser costs for those under 66 years of age. | ADAC |
When you compare the costs closely, ADAC might initially seem cheaper. However, based on my personal experience, and also from the table above, HanseMerkur ends up being more cost-effective when it comes to claiming the insurance.
Also, it is much more convenient for short-term stays if you choose to pay per day, instead of paying for the entire month.
In case of an emergency, HanseMerkur also offers multilingual 24/7 guidance on choosing doctors or for other quick assistance. Also, if you wish to end the trip early HanseMerkur has easy options to reimburse a part of your payment for the remaining days.
You can access HanseMerkur’s emergency services by clicking on this link.
Why You Should Choose German Travel Insurance
At the end of the day, I strongly recommend opting for a German travel insurance provider instead of another country’s for several reasons:
- bureaucratic efficiency
- simple claims processes
- policies specifically tailored for long-term stays and visa requirements
- access to local customer support
Mainly, it will save you the hassle and provide a more secure and simple experience during your stay in Germany.
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For any questions, or for more assistance, book an appointment with Vanakkam Germany!
References
- HanseMerkur travel insurance
- Incomingversicherung – Schutz für Ihre Gäste | ADAC
- Information on travel medical insurance – German Missions in India
- Langzeit-Auslandskrankenversicherung – HanseMerkur
- Overview of prices – HanseMerkur
- Schengen Area – Migration and Home Affairs (EU)
- Travel insurance for foreign guests – HanseMerkur
- Travel Insurance for Visitors/Tourists in Germany
