Debeka
Debeka is a travel insurance for the DE market with online purchase and 24/7 assistance.
Direct payment
Debeka advances payment upon notification of the insured event and settles the claim in accordance with policy conditions; the insured must submit original invoices. For costs in foreign currencies, reimbursement is made in EUR at the ECB exchange rate on the day invoices are received.
Geographic scope
DE
Worldwide outside Germany (and outside any other country where the insured person has a permanent residence)
Starting from
€12
Unique selling points
- Extremely low annual premium starting at EUR 12 per adult and EUR 6 per child, with no surcharge for seniors aged 68+, up to age 67 flat rate.
- No monetary cap on medical treatment and repatriation transport costs – the policy reimburses 100% of all medically necessary expenses abroad without an upper limit.
- Debeka advances payment upon notification of the insured event so the insured does not have to finance costs out of pocket before reimbursement.
- Worldwide 24/7 emergency hotline included at no extra cost, with telephone costs for contacting the service reimbursed under the policy.
- Coverage automatically extends beyond the 70-day trip limit if medically impossible to return, with no administrative action required by the insured.
Coverage limits
Medical expenses (outpatient, inpatient, alternative practitioners)
Covered
100% reimbursement of costs incurred abroad for medically necessary treatment, including outpatient medical and dental treatment (pain relief, fillings, provisional dentures, prosthesis repairs), medicines, dressings, therapeutic aids, diagnostic radiology, inpatient hospital treatment including surgery, and treatment by alternative practitioners (Heilpraktiker, chiropractor, osteopath). No monetary cap stated in the policy.
SourceEmergency medical treatment
Covered
Coverage for all medically necessary treatments arising from illness, accident or other insured events occurring abroad, paid at 100%. Includes emergency treatment by any licensed physician or dentist chosen freely by the insured. Debeka advances payment when the insured reports the claim.
SourceInpatient hospital treatment
Covered
100% reimbursement of inpatient hospital treatment abroad including operations. The insured has free choice among hospitals under permanent medical supervision with sufficient diagnostic and therapeutic facilities. If a child is hospitalised, accommodation and meals for one accompanying adult are also covered.
SourceOutpatient treatment
Covered
100% reimbursement of outpatient medical treatment, medicines, dressings, therapeutic aids, diagnostic radiology, and outpatient treatment by alternative practitioners (Heilpraktiker, chiropractor, osteopath) abroad. Free choice of licensed physicians and practitioners.
SourceEmergency dental treatment
Covered
Covered at 100%: pain-relieving dental treatment, necessary fillings and provisional dentures in basic form, and repair of existing prostheses. New dentures including crowns and orthodontics are explicitly excluded.
SourceEmergency medical transport (local)
Covered
100% reimbursement of medically necessary transport to the nearest suitable hospital or physician for initial treatment, and if necessary from the initial care facility to the nearest suitable hospital in the same country.
SourceMedical repatriation / evacuation to home hospital
Covered
Repatriation transport to the nearest suitable hospital at the insured's place of residence is covered when: (1) medically reasonable and appropriate, (2) expected costs of treatment abroad would exceed repatriation costs, or (3) inpatient treatment is forecast to last more than 14 days. No monetary cap stated.
SourceRepatriation of remains or burial abroad
Covered
In case of death abroad, the policy covers repatriation of remains to Germany (Überführung). Alternatively, if burial abroad is chosen, the costs are covered up to the amount that would have been payable for repatriation.
SourceSearch, rescue and recovery costs
Covered
Search, rescue and recovery costs up to EUR 5,000 are covered if incurred due to illness, accident or death of the insured person abroad. An accident is defined as an unexpected external event causing involuntary bodily injury.
SourceCOVID-19 treatment
Covered
COVID-19 is not explicitly excluded by the policy. As a general illness occurring abroad, medically necessary treatment costs are covered under the standard medical expenses clause. The policy excludes only treatments arising from foreseeable war events or deliberately caused illness.
SourcePre-existing conditions
Conditional
If an insured event (illness) already existed before the start of the trip, costs are only reimbursed to the extent that a worsening of the pre-existing condition requiring treatment occurs during the trip abroad. Treatments whose necessity was already medically established before departure are excluded, unless the trip was undertaken due to death of a spouse, civil partner or first-degree relative.
SourceWinter sports cover
Covered
Winter sports injuries are not explicitly excluded from coverage. Accidents during winter sports abroad are covered as general accident events under the standard medical expenses and search/rescue clauses. No separate winter sports rider is mentioned.
SourceAdventure / extreme sports cover
Covered
Adventure and extreme sports are not explicitly excluded. Accidents caused by external, sudden, involuntary events are covered as accidents under the standard clauses. No specific exclusion or sublimit for adventure sports is stated in the AVB/AR.
SourcePregnancy complications
Conditional
Pregnancy complications including miscarriage, premature birth and emergency termination are covered as an insured event. Coverage does not apply if the complication occurs after the 36th week of pregnancy, unless the continued stay abroad was necessitated by a previously occurring insured event. After delivery, necessary medical treatment for the newborn abroad is also covered until mother and child are fit for transport, provided the delivery costs are reimbursed.
SourcePersonal liability
Excluded
Personal liability coverage is not included in Tarif AR. The policy covers only medical expenses, transport, repatriation, search/rescue and related benefits. No personal liability clause appears in the AVB/AR or IPID.
SourceLegal assistance abroad
Excluded
Legal assistance is not included in Tarif AR. The policy is limited to health-related benefits. No legal assistance or bail bond clause appears in the policy documents.
Source24/7 emergency assistance service
Covered
A 24-hour emergency hotline (24-Stunden-Notrufservice) is included. Telephone costs for contacting this service are reimbursed at 100%. The service provides worldwide emergency assistance for accidents, illness, hospital search and related matters.
SourceKey conditions
Assistance call deadline
No explicit deadline for contacting the 24-hour emergency service is stated in the policy. However, the insured is obligated to minimise damage and must cooperate with the insurer in establishing the facts of the claim.
Unauthorized treatment
The policy does not impose a specific penalty for seeking treatment without prior authorisation. However, if treatment exceeds the medically necessary extent or the fee is unreasonable, the insurer may reduce its benefit to an appropriate amount (§ 5 Nr. 2 AVB/AR).
Purchase while abroad
If the contract is concluded during a trip abroad, insurance coverage only begins with the commencement of the next new trip abroad (§ 2 Nr. 2 AVB/AR).
Chronic conditions
Chronic diseases are not explicitly excluded. If a chronic illness existed before the trip, only treatment costs necessitated by a worsening of that condition during the trip are reimbursed. Scheduled treatments known to be necessary before departure are excluded (§ 1 Nr. 1 and § 5 Nr. 1 lit. j AVB/AR).
Pregnancy
Pregnancy complications including miscarriage, premature birth and emergency termination are covered. No coverage for events occurring after the 36th week of pregnancy unless the continued stay abroad resulted from a previously occurring insured event. After delivery, treatment of the newborn is covered until mother and child are fit for transport (§ 4 Nr. 7 AVB/AR).
pre_existing_conditions
If a condition existed before departure, only treatment necessitated by a worsening during the trip is covered. Treatments whose necessity was already established before departure are excluded, unless the trip was made due to the death of a spouse, civil partner or first-degree relative (§ 1 Nr. 1 AVB/AR).
coverage_duration_limit
Coverage applies for each trip within a policy year for up to 70 days. If return travel is medically impossible at the end of the 70-day period, coverage extends until the insured is fit for transport. The policy year is annual (§ 1 Nr. 5, § 7 lit. b AVB/AR).
Documents
AVB/AR Tarif AR – Allgemeine Versicherungsbedingungen (Stand: 1. September 2024, Ausgabe 14.03.2025)
terms_and_conditions
IPID KV 56 (11.04.2025) – Informationsblatt zu Versicherungsprodukten Tarif AR
ipid
IPID KV 56 – Informationsblatt zu Versicherungsprodukten Auslandsreise-Krankenversicherung Tarif AR (alternative URL)
ipid
Policy specifics
Medical repatriation transport
Coverage for medically necessary repatriation/return transport to Germany if medical treatment abroad is not possible
Search and rescue costs
Coverage for search and rescue costs incurred during travel, up to 5,000 EUR
Death repatriation or burial
Coverage for repatriation to home country or burial abroad in case of death, up to 11,000 EUR
Maximum coverage duration per trip
Coverage period for each trip is limited to maximum 70 days; extends beyond 70 days if return is medically impossible
Germany residence requirement
Insured person must have permanent residence in Germany to be eligible for coverage
Pre-existing condition limitation
If illness existed before trip, only costs covered for worsening of the condition during trip; applies only when worsening occurs
Worldwide coverage with residence exception
Coverage applies worldwide except in countries where insured person has permanent residence
Annual contract term
Contract must be concluded for full one-year period before trip start; automatic renewal unless cancelled with 3 months notice