How to claim Travel insurance
The right insurance cover is also crucial when travelling – whether you're travelling as a package, backpacking or relaxing on the high seas. The mood quickly changes when a hotel room is broken into or you can't even go on holiday due to illness. Travel insurance protects holidaymakers from the financial consequences of such situations. On this page you will find an overview of all information about travel insurance, such as the benefits of the individual insurance policies, when a trip cancellation is insured and which additional policies should not be missing on any holiday.

What travel insurance is available?
There is no such thing as travel insurance. The term travel insurance refers to insurance policies that are taken out separately in the context of travel - whether in a travel agency or online. They are valid either for a single trip or for a set period of time. Depending on the type of trip, holidaymakers should get the right travel insurance. "Typical" travel insurance policies include:
- travel cancellation and trip interruption insurance
- Luggage insurance
- the travel cover letter (also called emergency aid or emergency aid insurance)
- the foreign travel health insurance
What does travel cancellation insurance cover?
The travel cancellation insurance reimburses the cancellation fees charged by the tour operator if you are unable to take a booked trip.
When is a trip cancellation insured?
- Death, serious accidental injury or unexpected serious illness
- Damage to the property of the passengers, either by fire, explosion or natural hazards (flood, flood, etc.) or by the intentional crime of a third party, provided that the damage is significant or the presence of the passengers is necessary for clarification.
- Vaccination intolerance and pregnancy
- Loss of job due to unexpected redundancy
- the unexpected commencement of an employment relationship, provided that the policyholder was registered as unemployed at the time of booking the trip.
Ukraine war: Does travel cancellation insurance pay?
Does the travel cancellation insurance pay if I have booked a trip to Ukraine, Russia, Belarus or a neighboring country, but no longer want to take it due to the war?
No. Travel cancellation insurance protects you if, for example, you have to cancel your trip due to an unexpected serious illness. A cancellation because the situation in the destination country could not be secure is usually not insured.
However, package travellers can cancel a trip free of charge if "unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances" occur at or near the holiday destination that significantly impair the stay at the holiday destination or the journey there. A travel warning from the Federal Foreign Office is a possible indication of this, but not absolutely necessary. Even without a travel warning, the conditions for a free cancellation may be met. If you do not want to go on a trip, you should contact your travel agency or tour operator.
What does travel interruption insurance cover?
In addition to the travel cancellation insurance, you can take out travel interruption insurance. It reimburses the additional costs incurred if you cannot make use of travel services that have already been paid for due to an early return journey or if you are forced to extend your stay.
When is a trip interruption insured?
- Death, serious accidental injury or unexpected serious illness
- Damage to the property of the passengers, either by fire, explosion or natural events (flood, flood, etc.) or by the intentional crime of a third party, provided that the damage is significant or the presence of the passengers is necessary for clarification.
What does luggage insurance cover?
Luggage insurance pays out if, for example, the traveler's suitcase is stolen. Luggage insurance is available as a weekly, monthly or annual policy. You can get them directly from the insurance company, travel agency or online travel providers.
What types of loss does baggage insurance cover?
Luggage insurance protects the entire luggage of the customer and his accompanying family members against theft, robbery, transport accidents, natural hazards and force majeure during the entire travel period. In addition, baggage is protected against loss, destruction and damage as long as the baggage is in the custody of a carrier, such as an airline.
What does the insurance cover cover?
The protection includes the following things up to the maximum amounts defined in the contract:
- All personal travel items
- checked baggage, e.g. at the train station or hotel
- Video and photo cameras, jewellery, travel souvenirs, gifts and computer equipment
- Sports equipment including accessories, provided that they are not in use (e.g. skis that are stolen at the hotel – but not skis that break while skiing)
What does international health insurance do?
If you travel abroad and have statutory health insurance, you absolutely need international health insurance - for the following reasons:
1. The statutory health insurance funds only reimburse medical expenses in countries that either belong to the EU or with which Germany has concluded a social security agreement. Exceptions apply to persons who, for example, are chronically ill and foreseeably need treatment during a trip abroad (e.g. dialysis patients).
2. The medical costs are only covered up to the usual amount in Germany. Rescue by helicopter – for example after a skiing accident – is usually not insured.
3. Beyond European borders, you are (almost) always a self-payer. This means that anyone who is injured or ill will not be reimbursed for the treatment costs by the statutory health insurance company. Especially in the USA, high costs can quickly arise, easily exceeding an annual income.
4. In principle, statutory health insurance does not provide insurance cover for medically necessary repatriation.
What measures are included in the insurance cover?
- Medical care and medical treatment in the event of acute illnesses and accidents
- Inpatient treatment
- Pain-relieving dental treatment
- Medicines, dressings and remedies
- medically necessary ambulance transport to Germany
- Repatriation costs in the event of the death of an insured person or funeral costs incurred abroad
International health insurance can be taken out flexibly
International travel health insurance can be taken out both as a temporary policy with a certain number of travel days and as an annual policy for any number of trips within a year. There are also contracts for longer-term trips abroad, such as Work & Travel or a stay as an au pair.
Important for people with private health insurance
Privately insured people should also check their existing policy before going on holiday. This is because private health insurance is valid worldwide and within Europe for an unlimited period of time – but outside Europe usually only for a maximum of three months.
In addition, privately insured persons should check whether, for example, the return transport is also insured. A supplementary international health insurance policy can close any gaps, absorb possible deductibles and secure a premium refund. Further information can be found in the consumer portal of the private health insurance company.
What does a travel cover cover?
The travel protection letter, also known as emergency aid or emergency insurance, helps travelers with practical problem solving in the event of damage. Especially when language difficulties and cultural differences complicate the situation, the quick and unbureaucratic help organized by the insurer's service center is extremely useful. Therefore, the number of the service center should definitely be stored in the mobile phone.
These services are included in a travel insurance letter:
- Help at the holiday destination in the event of illness, accident and death
- Reimbursement of the costs of repatriation – even if the insured person has a pre-existing condition
- Information about medical services at the holiday destination
- Mediation between family doctor and treating hospital
- Notification of relatives
- Reimbursement of travel expenses for a relative if the inpatient stay lasts longer than five or ten days.
- Advance payment for inpatient hospital costs
- Settlement with third parties who bear the costs of the inpatient treatment of the insured.
- Assistance in the event of loss of means of payment and prosecution: mediation of lawyer and interpreter
What does "unexpected serious illness" mean?
Travel insurance pays out in the event of unexpected serious illnesses. The illness must be "unexpected" and "severe" for the insurance to take effect. In practice, "unexpected" means, for example, the following:
- Case 1: Any first occurrence of an illness after taking out the insurance and booking a trip is considered unexpected.
- Case 2: The recurrence of an illness is also insured if no treatment has been carried out for this illness after a number of months specified by the travel insurance company before the insurance policy was taken out or, in the case of an existing insurance contract, before booking the trip.
- Case 3: If no treatment has been carried out for an existing illness after a number of years(s) specified by the travel insurance company before taking out the insurance or, in the case of an existing insurance contract, before booking the trip, the unexpected deterioration of this illness is also insured.
Regular medical examinations to determine the state of health do not count as treatment. The examinations are not carried out on the basis of a specific reason and do not serve to treat the disease. Examples of serious illnesses that can lead to an unreasonableness of the trip (not exhaustive):
- the attending physician has certified that he is unfit to travel,
- the medically certified health impairment is so severe that the insured person is unable to take advantage of the planned main travel service due to symptoms and complaints of the illness,
- the presence of the insured person is necessary due to a medically certified illness of a high-risk person.
Other insurances that are important for holidaymakers
Regardless of travel insurance, there are policies whose benefits can suddenly become relevant on vacation - be it on the Mediterranean beach or on the ski slopes.
Liability insurance is valid worldwide – and thus also protects you when you're on the move, for example in the event of damage
- on vacation
- in the holiday home
- during a visit abroad.
2. Household contents insurance
Household contents insurance includes an "external insurance" component, which means that it does not only extend to your own four walls: On holiday, luggage is also insured to a certain extent, for example in the event of robbery or theft from the hotel room.
3. Private accident insurance pays out in the event of accidents at work and in your leisure time – worldwide. Depending on the tariff, this insurance covers the costs of rescue and transport to the hospital, repatriation home as well as the additional costs incurred by accompanying relatives due to the unplanned itinerary, such as accommodation or rebooking costs.
In the event of permanent injury or death, accident insurance pays:
- the contractually agreed sum insured
- an accident pension in the event of particularly serious consequences of an accident
- Hospital daily allowance
- Convalescence allowance
- Transitional benefits
Motor vehicle liability insurance is valid throughout Europe and compensates the accident victims, including the passengers of the accident driver. It pays for personal injury, property damage and financial damage incurred. For damage to their own car, travelers need partial or fully comprehensive insurance.