Expat health insurance and inbound travel health insurance both fall within 'incoming' insurances.
Whilst these are both technically a type of private insurance, they are not full statutory private health insurance, but rather are designed for accessible and basic short-term coverage at an affordable price.
Expat health and travel health insurances often get mistaken for the same insurance, but there are differences! Below we will clarify some of the primary differences between the two.
Use within country of residence
Our expat health insurance is designed for use by those living in Germany. You are not eligible for expat health if you are not living in Germany.
However, for travel health insurances, there are two types:
Inbound travel health insurance: these can be used for basic insurance within your country of residence but are typically only recommended for the first days or weeks of being in your new country before moving to a more comprehensive insurance option.
Outbound travel health insurance: these are to be used when traveling to a country outside of your residence country. Eg. the travel insurance Feather offers is an outbound travel insurance and can only be used outside of Germany, so it would not be a suitable option for use as your primary health insurance in Germany.
Health Coverage
Expat health policies are typically more expensive than travel health policies, and that is because there is a higher level of coverage. Expat health policies will typically cover treatment costs for new illnesses, injuries and accidents within the country of their residency/policy. Repatriation to ones home country is normally only used as a last resort.
Travel health insurances on the other hand will typically cover for emergency circumstances only and then aim to repatriate back to ones homes country as soon as possible.
Worldwide coverage
This varies a little between different insurance providers.
But for our policies - expat health covers you in Germany, and temporary trips to the countries of the European Union, the Schengen countries, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican City.
For our outbound travel insurance, we offer worldwide cover, however there is no cover within Germany.
Additional coverage
Expat health policies focus predominantly on health related cover, and can sometimes include health related extras such as dental, physical therapy, cancer screenings and budget for fitness apps.
Travel insurance is typically much more basic with health cover, but there might be add-ons available, such as cancellation and luggage insurance. Check the T&C's though, since not all travel insurance plans will offer these extras.
Claims
Both expat health and travel health insurances typically work by paying for treatment and services upfront, and then submitting claims to your insurer for processing and reimbursement.
Visa eligibility
Our Expat health insurance is accredited locally in Germany through BaFin and is therefore sufficient for most first-time visas.
BaFin is the regulatory authority for banks, insurance companies, and the trading of securities in Germany. Visa and residence permits will often require that your insurance is BaFin approved in order to be considered for approval.
Standard travel health policies, on the other hand, are usually not BaFin-regulated and therefore are less likely to be accepted for a visa or residence permit.
Disclaimer:
The information provided here is a guide based on the common differences between incoming expat and travel health policies in Germany. Ultimately, though, there is no set definition for “travel health insurance” (or expat health insurance). The definitions can vary country to country.
If you would like to learn more or sign up for our expat health insurance, you can do so here.
If you would like to learn more or sign up for our outbound travel insurance, you can do so here.
If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us via our support page.