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Am I covered by accident insurance when skiing?

In short

Am I covered by accident insurance when skiing? By the German statutory scheme only at school events such as a school ski course, not on a private ski holiday. Private accident insurance applies worldwide under the model terms and does not exclude skiing. In an office job it costs about EUR 60 to 180 a year. For piste rescue and helicopter you need the rescue costs add-on.

Am I covered by accident insurance when skiing?

What it costs

Publicly quoted premiums for private accident insurance and typical rescue costs in skiing, checked in November 2026.

ExampleTypical range
Adult in an office job, EUR 100,000 basic sum, 350 percent progressionabout EUR 60 to 180 a year
Adult in a manual trade, same sumsabout EUR 120 to 260 a year
Children, classic child accident insuranceabout EUR 50 to 100 a year
Helicopter rescue in Austria, averageabout EUR 3,500
Basic insurance in Switzerland for rescue flightsup to 5,000 francs, you bear the rest

Premiums as of July 2026 from publicly quoted tariff examples.

Rescue costs according to the insurers' association.

Rules on the definition of an accident, physical exertion, rescue,

alcohol and deadlines from the model terms AUB 2020; your tariff may differ.

As a broker we obtain a quote for you.

Worked example

Skier, 42, office job, fall in Tyrol

She catches an edge, falls and tears her cruciate ligament. The helicopter flies her down to the valley. A year later the knee is still restricted, and the medical assessor finds 10 percent permanent disability.

Helicopter call-out in Austriaabout EUR 3,500, of which health insurance usually pays nothing
Rescue costs add-on of the accident insurancerefunds up to the agreed sum
10 percent disability with a EUR 100,000 basic sumEUR 10,000
Statutory accident insurance on a private holidayEUR 0
Premium for private accident insuranceabout EUR 60 to 180 a year

With private accident insurance and rescue costs she gets the helicopter refunded and EUR 10,000 for the knee. Without it she bears the rescue herself and receives nothing for the lasting harm.

Statutory cover only on the school ski course

Germany's statutory accident insurance (gesetzliche Unfallversicherung) protects pupils at school events, including abroad. A ski trip counts if the school plans, organises, runs and supervises it. Then the public accident fund (Unfallkasse) pays, whoever caused the accident.

What belongs to the private sphere is not covered, for example if a pupil leaves the group without permission or goes to a party after lights-out. On a family holiday or a ski trip with friends, statutory accident insurance does not pay.

Skiing situationStatutory accident cover?Private accident insurance under the model terms?
School ski course organised by the schoolyesyes, in addition
Pupil leaves the group without permissionnoyes
Family holiday in Tyrolnoyes
Ski tour off the marked runsnoyes, rescue only with the add-on
Fall caused by alcohol after the après-skinono, if alcohol triggers the fall

What private accident insurance pays after a skiing accident

A fall on the slope, a collision with another skier or an impact against a lift pylon is an accident: an event that acts on the body suddenly and from outside. If lasting harm remains, the insurer pays according to the degree of permanent disability (Invaliditätsgrad). With a basic sum of EUR 100,000 and 10 percent disability that comes to EUR 10,000.

Knees, shoulders and thumbs are often hit in skiing. If a ligament tears through increased physical exertion, for example when you catch yourself after an edge digs in, that also counts as an accident. Menisci and spinal discs are expressly not covered by this rule.

Who pays for piste rescue and the helicopter

In Germany public health insurance pays for a rescue if it was medically necessary. As a rule it does not pay for searches, avalanche rescue or call-outs made only because of bad weather. Abroad it refunds only what a local insurer would pay for its own members.

In Austria, health insurance usually does not cover the cost of a rescue after a skiing accident; only where life is in danger is there a small flat sum. A helicopter call-out there costs about EUR 3,500 on average. In Switzerland basic insurance pays for rescue flights only up to 5,000 francs.

With the add-on for search, rescue and recovery costs (Bergungskosten), private accident insurance refunds these costs up to the agreed sum, as far as no one else has to pay. Under the model terms it is enough that an accident was imminent or was to be presumed.

Accident insurance or the other person's liability cover?

If another skier runs into you, that person may owe you compensation for pain and suffering and your treatment costs. Their personal liability insurance pays if they are at fault and you can prove it. If the other skier stays unknown or fault is unclear, you get nothing from that side.

Private accident insurance pays regardless of fault, even if you fell on your own. The two benefits do not exclude each other.

When you need nothing extra for the ski holiday

If you have private accident insurance with rescue costs, you do not need a second contract for accidents on a ski holiday. Just check how high the rescue costs limit is. For doctor, hospital and repatriation abroad you additionally need travel health insurance (Auslandsreisekrankenversicherung); accident insurance does not replace it.

Step by step

  1. Before the holiday, check whether your contract includes search, rescue and recovery costs and up to what amount.
  2. After the fall, note what happened, the place, the time and any witnesses.
  3. Keep the invoices for piste rescue and helicopter and submit them first to your health insurer and your travel health insurer.
  4. Report the accident to your accident insurer, even if the consequences seem minor at first.
  5. If harm remains, have the permanent disability confirmed by a doctor and claim it within 15 months.

Checklist

  • Private accident insurance with worldwide cover
  • Rescue costs high enough for helicopter call-outs
  • Increased physical exertion included
  • Children also insured privately, not only through the school ski course
  • Travel health insurance with repatriation
  • Personal liability insurance for collisions with others

Common mistakes

  • Believing statutory accident insurance also pays on a family holiday
  • Taking out accident insurance without the rescue costs add-on
  • Doing one more run after drinking at the après-ski
  • Missing the 15-month deadline for permanent disability because the knee looks fine at first

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Is my child insured on a school ski camp?

Yes, by the statutory scheme through the Unfallkasse,

if the school organises and supervises the trip.

Whatever belongs to private free time or happens without permission is not covered.

Does public health insurance pay for the helicopter after a skiing accident?

In Germany, if the call-out was medically necessary.

In Austria health insurance usually does not pay for rescue after a skiing accident;

then the rescue costs add-on helps.

Is a torn cruciate ligament from skiing covered?

Yes, a fall is an accident.

Even without a fall, a ligament tear through increased physical exertion counts as an accident.

A meniscus injury is not covered by that rule.

Am I also covered when snowboarding and ski touring?

The model terms do not exclude winter sports.

Read the exclusions in your own contract all the same.

Does accident insurance pay if I fall while drunk?

No, if alcohol caused impaired consciousness and you were no longer up to the situation on the

slope.

Do I need ski insurance on top?

Not for accidents, if you have private accident insurance with rescue costs.

For treatment and repatriation abroad you need travel health insurance.

Sources

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