Six dials
Each dial comes with a question about your situation. Together, the answers give the frame in which quotes can be compared at all.
Country of residence and region
The place where you live and get treated shapes the starting point.
Where will you mainly live, and where do you want to be treated?
Area of cover
Region only, worldwide excluding the USA or worldwide including the USA: the area of cover you choose is one of the points that can change the premium.
Where do you travel regularly, and where should treatment be possible?
People and age
Age, number of insured people and life stage change the frame.
Who belongs in the plan, today and in the coming years?
Scope of benefits
Outpatient, inpatient, dental, preventive care, pregnancy: depending on which components matter to you, the picture changes.
Which benefits do you really need, and which could you do without?
Deductible
A higher own share can lower the ongoing premium, but shifts costs to the time of treatment.
What amount could you bear yourself if it came to it?
Individual assessment
When you apply, insurers generally assess information about your health. The result can affect acceptance, scope or premium. This information belongs in the application, not in a first email.
When is the right time to apply, and what will be asked for then?
Why there is no from-price here
A single figure hides exactly the conditions that determine the premium. A from-price applies to a certain person, place and scope that may have little to do with your situation.
We would rather talk about your dials first. After that, you will know which quotes are comparable for you at all.
Premium today, premium tomorrow
- How can premiums change over the years, and what does that depend on?
- What happens to the premium if you move or people join?
- Can the scope be adjusted later, and on what terms?
What to prepare for a first cost estimate
Helpful
- Destination country and period
- Number of people and their ages
- Desired area of cover
- Benefits that matter most to you
- Budget range or preferred deductible
- Your current cover in Germany
Not needed, please not by email
- Diagnoses and findings
- Medical reports and medication lists
- Contract documents containing health information
Sources and last updated
Here you can read the legal bases and bodies behind the questions on this page yourself. Page last updated: .
- § 19 VVG (German Insurance Contract Act), duty of disclosuregesetze-im-internet.de · German-language source
- § 7 VVG (German Insurance Contract Act), information for the policyholdergesetze-im-internet.de · German-language source
This page asks questions and puts things in context. It does not replace advice in an individual case. What is binding are the law, the terms of your contract and the competent bodies.
Related topics
Frequently asked questions
Roughly what does international health insurance cost?
There is no reliable flat price, because the premium depends on your situation: on age, country of residence, area of cover, scope of benefits, deductible and the result of the health assessment.
For plans covering long trips abroad, Stiftung Warentest names length of trip, destination and age as price factors, and in private health insurance age and state of health are among the important factors in the level of the premium. A higher deductible can lower the ongoing premium, but shifts costs to the time of treatment.
That is why we do not give a from-price here that you cannot apply to yourself. Instead, define destination country, period, people, age and area of cover and ask for quotes with the same key details. Then compare not only the premium, but also the deductible, benefits and limits.
Does the premium fall if I choose a high deductible?
Often the ongoing premium then falls. In return, you pay more yourself when treatment is needed. Whether that works out for you depends on budget and risk appetite.
Do I have to give health data to get a first cost estimate?
No. In first contact you should not share health or diagnosis data by email or messenger.
Sources for the answers
- Stiftung Warentest: comparison of long-term travel health insurance – well covered on long trips (German-language source) Date: 5 May 2026, retrieved 10 October 2026The test covers plans for long trips that can be taken out without a health assessment. It does not cover international health insurance for emigrating.
- PKV-Verband: refusal and cancellation of German private health insurance (PKV) (German-language source) no date given, retrieved 10 October 2026Describes German private health insurance. International plans from other insurers may differ.
- Imprint and initial information (German), insurance4expats.com
This page provides orientation and does not replace individual advice. The law, your contract terms and the competent authorities are binding.
