Your guide to travel medical insurance

Your guide to travel medical insurance

Traveling abroad and want some extra peace of mind? Read on to find out what travel health insurance is and when you might need it.

JUNE 21, 2024

7 min read

What travel medical insurance covers: Travel health insurance helps cover unexpected medical expenses abroad, including doctor visits, hospital stays, tests, treatments, and emergency services.
What it doesn’t cover: Travel insurance plans may exclude pre-existing health conditions, high-risk activities, and specific geographical areas. Always read the fine print to understand what’s covered and what isn’t.
How to claim (and how much): Insurance policies vary in coverage amounts, ranging from €100,000 to €1,000,000. If you can, choose a provider with a straightforward and simple claims process.

If one thing’s for sure, it’s that getting sick or injured is never fun. But when you’re traveling—whether it’s for your dream vacation or a weekend getaway—a medical issue can affect your finances in addition to your health. That’s why it’s always a good idea to consider booking travel medical insurance for extra peace of mind. This type of insurance can help you pay for an unexpected medical problem while traveling, so you can avoid dipping into your emergency fund or going into debt. And yet, with so many different travel insurance plans out there, it’s tough to know where to start. So, to simplify things, we’re answering some of the most commonly asked questions to guide you in finding the right insurance provider.

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What is travel medical insurance?

Put simply, travel medical insurance is a plan that will help cover the costs if you need medical attention when traveling. Injury or illness can be expensive, especially if you’re traveling in a country where your insurance coverage isn’t valid. In general, travel medical insurance will cover reasonable costs like doctor’s fees, hospital visits, tests, and treatments. Of course, like most types of insurance, each plan is slightly different in terms of both what it will cover and how much they’ll pay out. You can get travel insurance for both international and domestic travel. If you’re going abroad, it’s definitely worth considering. The cost of healthcare can vary a lot from country to country, so it’s a good idea to check out international travel health insurance plans before you take off.

What is covered by travel health insurance?

Ultimately, coverage depends on your plan, so we suggest reading the fine print before you buy. Here are some things you should expect to see covered on your plan:

The cost of medicine abroad
Tests and treatments like x-rays, bloodwork, and anesthetics
Bills for doctor appointments or hospital stays
Emergency services, like calling an ambulance
Emergency dental care

Your plan will reimburse you for these costs, up to an agreed limit. It will also outline exactly what is covered in terms of illness and injury. The key thing is to choose a plan that gives you the confidence to enjoy your time away without worrying about the cost if something goes wrong. Sometimes medical travel insurance is part of an overall ‘comprehensive’ plan that also covers other sorts of bad luck, like a trip being canceled or your baggage getting lost.

Who needs travel medical insurance?

If you’re studying or working abroad, visiting family in a different country, or even going away for vacation, it’s a good idea to consider booking travel medical insurance. Travel health insurance isn’t only for those who are vulnerable to illness—medical issues can happen to anyone and are often unexpected. So even if you’re currently in good health, it’s likely there’s an insurance plan out there for you. Whatever your activity of choice—whether it’s deep-sea diving or mountain biking—you’ll likely enjoy it more if you know you’re protected. You may even want to look into special types of insurance for the different types of activities you want to try. If the ski slopes are your next destination, you can get specific winter sports insurance to cover any accidents.It’s important to be aware that if you have a pre-existing medical condition, not all international travel medical insurance plans will cover this, so, be sure to check which conditions are covered by your plan. Heading on a romantic break or a family vacation? You might be interested in insurance that will cover your partner and kids, as well as yourself.

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How to claim travel medical insurance

When you’re deciding which insurer to go with, take some time to look into their terms. Some insurers have long, complicated processes for filing claims, so it’s a good idea to shop around. At N26, premium N26 You and N26 Metal customers can start the process of filing a claim from their phone in seconds. Just open your N26 app and go to ‘My Account’. Tap on ‘N26 You’ or ‘N26 Metal’ under ‘Manage’ and go to ‘Allianz coverage.’ Then, select the type of claim you’d like to file and then tap ‘Start my claim process’. From there, we’ll guide you through the claim filing step-by-step.

How much emergency medical travel insurance do I need?

The level of insurance coverage you need depends on your personal situation, your travel plans, and how much financial risk you’re willing to take on. Most plans range from €100,000 to €500,000 per person for medical emergency expenses, and plenty of travelers find this is enough to give them peace of mind. That said, you might want more depending on the kind of trip you’re taking. For example, if you’re traveling for a mountain climbing trip, or to a country with high medical costs, you might be more interested in plans that cover up to €1,000,000 in emergency costs.Regardless of the insurance amount you think you’ll need, consider the cost of taking out the right plan while you’re saving for and planning your big trip. Sure, insurance is an added cost on top of flights, accommodation, and leisure—but you may find that your extra peace of mind is priceless.

What (usually) isn’t covered by travel health insurance

Even if you have a comprehensive travel health insurance package, there are probably some exclusions and limitations. It’s important to read your policy carefully and understand what isn’t covered — otherwise, you might be the one left holding the bill. Some common exclusions are:

Pre-existing conditions: Coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, such as diseases like diabetes is usually excluded unless the policy specifically includes them.
High-risk activities: Activities like skydiving or scuba diving typically aren’t covered under standard plans unless the policy explicitly includes them. You can look for specialized travel health insurance policies that cover extreme sports.
Areas under advisory: Coverage may be restricted to certain regions or exclude countries with active travel advisories.
Alcohol or drug use: Injuries or illnesses resulting from the use of alcohol or drugs generally aren't covered.
Long-term coverage: There’s often a maximum coverage period with travel health insurance. Or, if you take out a policy that covers a longer period, the length of coverage per trip might be limited. For issues that happen outside of these coverage periods, the policy isn’t valid.
Non-medical emergencies: Standard travel medical policies usually only cover medical emergencies, not issues such as lost luggage or trip cancellations. For wider coverage, you need a comprehensive travel insurance package.

There are a lot of options out there, and not all travel health insurance is created equally. If you have specific questions or need help choosing a policy that fits your travel plans and needs, contact an insurance provider.

Travel with Allianz for peace of mind

N26 has teamed up with Allianz to offer comprehensive travel insurance for N26 You, N26 Business You, N26 Metal or N26 Business Metal customers. Travel with peace of mind with up to 1,000,000 in travel medical coverage, flight delay compensation, lost/delayed luggage insurance, and even trip cancellation and curtailment compensation. Plus, get mobility insurance for car sharing, e-scooters and more, for damages up to 20,000—with rental car insurance abroad for Metal account holders. Lastly, hit the slopes with peace of mind with snow and mountain insurance for compensation in case of accidents. It’s travel insurance built with you in mind!

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Travel health insurance at N26

We believe that your bank should work with your lifestyle, wherever you go. You can get everyday and travel insurance with your N26 account by heading to the ‘Explore’ tab on your app and tapping on the ‘N26 Insurance’ section.

Travel insurance protects you from certain financial risks that can happen if you fall ill or get injured while traveling. If you need medical help while you’re away—such as doctor visits, tests, treatments, or emergency services—it can get expensive fast. The right insurance will reimburse your costs when you make an appropriate claim—avoiding the risk that bad luck on vacation eats up your savings. Every provider differs in their coverage, so make sure to read the fine print.

Every medical travel insurance provider is different, as are each of their plans, so it’s important to do your research to find the one that’s right for you. Usually, you’ll get more coverage for a higher cost. You can try a one-off insurance plan, or see if one of your bank accounts offers one. Our N26 Metal customers get up to €1,000,000 of coverage for medical travel insurance, as well as flight, luggage, and trip insurance included in the €16,90/month account fee.

There are lots of comparison websites and providers out there if you want to look at a few different deals, so do try to shop around. At N26, you can get everyday and travel insurance with your N26 account by heading to the ‘Explore’ tab on your app and clicking on the ‘N26 Insurance’ section. N26 Metal customers get travel health insurance along with your account—we like to keep things simple, so it’s covered under your monthly account fee.

This process will likely be different for each provider, so it’s best to check their guidelines first. Remember to take your travel insurance policy number and their emergency contact number with you when you travel, as you may need these when making a claim. If you want your claim to cover any medical treatment, it’s a good idea to discuss this with your provider first before going ahead. If there is an emergency, try to keep any receipts and paperwork, as you’ll likely need these to get your reimbursement.

You might want to choose an insurance plan that will offer you cover anywhere in the world, rather than in specific regions. Most travel insurance is designed for international travel—like the coverage we offer N26 premium customers—but it’s a good thing to check before you reach for your passport. Because the cost of healthcare can vary depending on where you are travelling, international coverage is almost always a good idea for work trips or vacations abroad.

Getting travel insurance is more of a recommendation than a requirement. But it’s almost always a good idea — depending on where you’re traveling to, you’ll need it to be covered for things like healthcare and repatriation.

The cost of travel insurance varies depending on the destination and length of your trip, the number of people covered and the amount of cover, and any optional extras you might add to the policy. For example, the average cost for a seven-day trip within Europe is €13.62, while for the rest of the world, it’s €23.31.