Gouda Reseförsäkring (trading name of Gjensidige Forsikring ASA, Norway – Swedish Branch)
Gouda
Gouda is a travel insurance for the Sweden market with online purchase and 24/7 assistance.
Direct payment
Gouda's 24/7 alarm centre (Gouda Alarm/Travel Assistance) can issue direct payment guarantees to healthcare providers at the time of treatment; if a provider does not accept a guarantee, the traveller pays upfront and submits original receipts and medical documentation for reimbursement afterwards.
Geographic scope
Selectable region at purchase: Europe, Worldwide, Worldwide incl. USA, or Worldwide incl. Thailand, as stated on the insurance certificate
Applies in the region chosen at purchase (Europe/Worldwide/Worldwide incl. USA/Worldwide incl. Thailand); can also be taken out for domestic trips within Sweden that include an overnight stay away from the insured's registered municipality
Unique selling points
- Applies with zero deductible on the core travel insurance (legal protection excepted), unlike many competitors that apply a standard excess.
- Own 24/7 alarm centre (Gouda Alarm/Travel Assistance) provides medical guidance, referral to nearby healthcare providers, and can issue direct payment guarantees to hospitals and clinics.
- Nearly 30 years of specialization exclusively in travel insurance for Swedish travellers, insuring more than 2 million travellers per year.
- Comprehensive personal protection package covering doctor and hospital care, medicine, ambulance and other medical transport, and repatriation, bundled as standard rather than sold piecemeal.
- Flexible structure lets customers choose full primary cover from day 1 of the trip or a lower-cost complement to their existing home-insurance travel protection.
Coverage limits
Medical and hospital expenses
Covered
Covers necessary and reasonable costs for acute medical care, hospital treatment and medicine in case of acute illness, acute injury or accident; the terms state no fixed monetary ceiling, only that costs must be necessary and reasonable.
Emergency medical treatment
Covered
Emergency medical care must be sought at the place of stay immediately following the onset of illness, injury or accident; necessary and reasonable costs are reimbursed with no stated monetary cap.
Hospitalization
Covered
Necessary and reasonable hospital care costs during acute illness, injury or accident are covered, with treatment/discharge location decisions reserved to Gouda; no fixed ceiling is stated.
Outpatient treatment
Covered
Outpatient acute medical treatment, prescribed physiotherapy and related care (with referral required for alternative medicine) are reimbursed at necessary and reasonable cost, with no stated ceiling.
Emergency dental treatment
Covered
Necessary and reasonable costs for temporary treatment of acute dental problems and for accident-related dental injury are reimbursed per claim event; reimbursement for acute dental issues is limited to costs within 60 days of the first dentist visit and requires proof of regular dental check-ups every 12-18 months.
Local transport for treatment
Covered
Necessary and reasonable costs for local transport (e.g. to doctor, hospital, physiotherapy, dental appointments) are reimbursed; car travel reimbursed at the applicable Swedish mileage rate, no fixed ceiling stated.
Medically necessary return home / evacuation
Covered
If the treating physician at the destination determines that the traveller must interrupt the trip and return to Sweden for medical reasons, the necessity and mode of travel must be prescribed by the doctor and approved by Gouda Alarm; extra costs for the return are covered without a stated ceiling, provided the return occurs within 60 days (illness/injury) or within 3 years (accident) of the first medical visit/accident.
Repatriation of remains
SEK 25,000
If illness, injury or accident leads to death, repatriation of the deceased to Sweden is covered (Gouda Alarm must always be contacted); as an alternative to repatriation, burial costs at the place of death are covered up to a maximum of SEK 25,000 (burial costs in Sweden are not covered).
Search and rescue
No limit stated
No dedicated search-and-rescue benefit is described in the reviewed terms and conditions or IPID; the policy covers medical transport/evacuation and evacuation due to natural disaster or war-like events, but not a standalone search-and-rescue cost benefit.
COVID-19 treatment
No limit stated
The reviewed terms and conditions (2010.4, Sep 2023) and IPID do not contain an explicit COVID-19 clause; COVID-19 is not listed among the exclusions in E.10, implying it would be handled under the general acute-illness benefit, but this is not explicitly confirmed in the official documents reviewed.
Pre-existing conditions
Conditional
The insurance does not apply to medical conditions that showed symptoms, were subject to medical care (beyond routine check-up) or changed medication/treatment less than 6 months before the insurance period started. If the insured has a stable pre-existing condition that does not meet this exclusion, sudden and unforeseen deterioration is covered, but only for the extra costs caused by the deterioration and only until the acute phase is over.
Winter sports cover
Covered
Winter sports on officially marked tracks/slopes are classified in Group 1 and are covered under normal protection, including full medical, invalidity and death benefits.
Adventure/high-risk sports cover
Conditional
Activities classified in Group 2 (e.g. American football, bungee jump, skydiving, kite surfing, off-piste with guide) are covered for medical/other benefits but invalidity or death compensation is excluded. Activities classified in Group 3 (e.g. combat sports, extreme diving beyond 30m, off-piste without guide, mountaineering/ice climbing, motorsports) are not covered by the insurance at all.
Pregnancy complications / childbirth
Conditional
Unexpected acute childbirth is covered under the medical benefit, including neonatal care for the newborn. Abortion, sterilisation, and fertility treatments/investigations are explicitly excluded. General pregnancy complications beyond unexpected acute delivery are not separately addressed in the reviewed terms.
Personal liability
SEK 5,000,000
Covers claims for damages for personal injury or property damage caused by the insured as a private traveller during the insurance period; maximum compensation is SEK 5,000,000 per claim event, including if multiple losses arise from the same cause at the same time.
Legal assistance (legal protection)
SEK 100,000
Covers legal costs for disputes as a private traveller that can be tried in a district court (or higher instance), subject to listed exclusions (e.g. criminal matters, disputes related to profession, real estate, motor vehicles). Maximum compensation is SEK 100,000 per dispute; disputes on the same side arising from essentially the same events count as one dispute.
24/7 assistance
Covered
Gouda Alarm (Travel Assistance) is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing medical guidance, referral to the nearest healthcare provider, contact with treating physicians, and payment guarantees to providers who accept them.
Key conditions
Assistance call deadline
No single fixed hour deadline is stated, but the traveller should contact Gouda Alarm before seeking treatment where possible so a payment guarantee can be arranged; several benefits (return home for medical reasons, repatriation of remains, evacuation) explicitly require the treatment/transport plan to be prescribed by a doctor and pre-approved by Gouda Alarm before action is taken.
Unauthorized treatment
Gouda reserves the right to decide whether treatment should take place at the destination or in Sweden; costs for tooth repair, property repair/reacquisition, and certain relocations require prior approval, and failing to secure required approvals or safety-precaution compliance can result in reduced or denied compensation.
Purchase while abroad
The policy must normally be taken out and paid for before departure from Sweden. If the traveller wishes to take out or extend the insurance after having already left Sweden, they must contact Gouda by phone; any extension must be of a policy already held with Gouda and the applicant must still meet the requirements for a new policy.
Chronic conditions
Checks and medication for pre-existing (chronic) illnesses and injuries are not covered, and conditions that showed symptoms, required medical care (beyond routine check-ups) or changed medication within 6 months before the policy started are excluded, except for extra costs caused by a sudden unforeseen deterioration of a stable condition.
Pregnancy
Unexpected acute childbirth is covered as part of the medical benefit, including neonatal care for the newborn; abortion, sterilisation and fertility treatments/investigations are explicitly excluded from cover.
Pre-existing condition exclusions
The insurance excludes medical conditions that showed symptoms, were treated (beyond routine check-up) or had medication/treatment changed within 6 months before the insurance period began, even if diagnosed only after the start of cover; stable conditions meeting this look-back are covered only for extra costs from a sudden, unforeseen worsening.
Coverage duration limit
Compensation for acute illness or acute injury applies for costs incurred within 60 days of the first doctor's visit (a new period starts after being symptom-, treatment- and medication-free for 30 days); compensation for accident-related claims applies for up to three years from the accident. The overall insurance period chosen by the policyholder is a maximum of 12 months per policy taken out.
Policy specifics
24/7 Travel Assistance
24/7 access to Gouda's alarm centre for medical guidance, referral to nearest healthcare provider, and payment guarantees
SourceMedical and pharmacy costs
Coverage for necessary and reasonable medical care and pharmaceutical costs without upper limit
SourceHome transport on serious illness
Coverage for transportation home if the insured becomes seriously ill during travel and requires further treatment in Sweden
SourceHoliday guarantee (semestergaranti)
Compensation for lost travel days if the insured becomes ill and bedridden during the trip; can be added as optional coverage
SourceProperty coverage (egendomsskydd)
Coverage for personal belongings taken on the trip; covers theft and loss
SourceAge eligibility
Standard adult Travel Insurance available for ages 0-69; senior variant available for ages 70+; youth variant for ages 1-34
SourceComplement to home insurance or full coverage
Can be purchased as a full travel insurance from day 1 of trip or as a complement to existing home insurance travel coverage; if complement, becomes primary from day 46 onwards
SourcePre-existing condition exclusion
Not established from the insurer's documents
Conditions with symptoms or treatment within 6 months prior to departure are not covered
SourceThird-party source, not the insurer's documentPayment guarantee procedure
Travel Assistance can issue payment guarantees directly to medical providers at time of treatment
SourcePre-authorization requirement
Not established from the insurer's documents
Certain guarantees require pre-approval from Gouda; failure to obtain approval may result in reduced or denied reimbursement
SourceThird-party source, not the insurer's document