Safe when you’re travelling – insurance cover in foreign countries
Thanks to the BIG you’re free to enjoy a worry-free holiday. If an emergency does arise, you can obtain treatment in any country with which there is an agreement for health insurance cover abroad. Simply present your health insurance card with the integrated European Health Insurance Card or an entitlement certificate (Anspruchsbescheinigung).
Valid internationally
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is valid automatically in the following countries:
Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, United Kingdom, Eire, Iceland, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary and Cyprus (Greek section) as well as the territories of EU countries like Martinique, Madeira, the Azores, Greenland or Gibraltar for example.
For the former states of Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro) as well as for Turkey and Tunisia we can issue, there and then, a certificate confirming your entitlement to medical treatment. You can obtain detailed information for all countries from the German liaison body for health insurance abroad (Deutsche Verbindungsstelle Krankenversicherung Ausland) at www.dvka.de. The EHIC is not valid on the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. We are not able to cover the costs for travel to other countries.
Detailed information for all countries
Treatment abroad
In addition to the EHIC, take your passport or identity card to the doctor so you can prove your identity. Treatment is carried out to the extent and for the length of time as allowed by regulations in the country you are holidaying in – as if you were insured in that country. The doctor then arranges for payment of the contractually agreed rates with the foreign health insurance provider and the latter settles this with BIG. It is however also possible that the invoice has to be paid on the spot. In this case, make sure you are issued with a detailed invoice, which details which treatments and measures the doctor has carried out, and then forward the original to us.
Private travel health insurance is also advisable
A private travel insurance policy will also cover additional expenses, e.g. treatment by a private doctor, which cannot entirely be covered by BIG. Repatriation from abroad is also covered.
00800.54565455 – our number when you call from abroad
If you are in Spain, Italy, France, Austria or the Netherlands, you can reach BIG toll-free on landline phones at 00800.54565455. From Turkey call 00800.491.54565455.
Further details
- Travel vaccinations
- Concordia health cash plan (German Language)
