What insurance does my child need for a year abroad or work and travel?
In short
For a year abroad or work and travel, your child above all needs long-term travel health insurance, for young people from about EUR 21 a month, often EUR 480 to 1,400 for a year. German public health insurance mostly pays nothing outside Europe and never pays for repatriation. Also check how long your family liability policy covers stays abroad.
Guide values from published 2026 tariffs and tests for long trips.
Example
Typical range
Long-term travel health insurance up to age 27
about EUR 21 a month (EUR 41.90 for 2 months)
Single person, 12 month trip, recommended tariffs
about EUR 480 to 1,400
Trip over 12 months, under 55
from about EUR 1.63 a day without North America, from about EUR 2.20 with
3 month trip, single person
about EUR 60 to 170
Family liability with cover abroad
about EUR 60 to 180 a year
Guide values as of October 2026 from publicly quoted tariffs and tests.
The total in the worked example is a guide value from our quoting practice.
Prices depend on age, duration and destination; we obtain the exact quotes for you.
Worked example
Daughter, 19, twelve months of work and travel in Australia
This is the cost if the family liability policy already covers the stay.
Long-term travel health insurance, 12 months
about EUR 480 to 1,400
Family liability, foreign stay clause up to 5 years
EUR 0 extra
Own liability policy if the family policy does not cover her
about EUR 40 to 120 a year
Around EUR 480 to 1,400 for the year, roughly EUR 40 to 120 a month. Repatriation must be included in any case.
Why public health insurance is not enough
In the EU, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland your child's German public health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) continues, but benefits follow the host country's rules, and some clinics do not accept the European Health Insurance Card.
For a year in Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the US the public fund usually pays nothing. It never pays for repatriation to Germany, not even in an emergency. That is exactly what long-term travel health insurance (Langzeit-Auslandskrankenversicherung) is for.
What host countries and programmes require
Canada requires work and travel participants to hold insurance for medical care, hospital and repatriation for the entire stay. If the policy ends earlier, the work permit ends on the same day, and entry may be refused without insurance.
Anyone going to the US on a J-1 visa, for example as an exchange student or au pair, needs at least USD 100,000 per illness or accident, USD 50,000 for medical evacuation and USD 25,000 for repatriation of remains under US federal rules.
Destination
Health insurance requirement
Canada, work and travel
medical care, hospital and repatriation for the entire stay
USA, J-1 visa
USD 100,000 per case, evacuation 50,000, remains 25,000, deductible up to 500
EU, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland
public cover continues, private top-up for repatriation advisable
Other countries
check embassy and exchange organisation rules
Liability: how long does the family policy cover a year abroad?
Under the model terms of the German insurance association, adult children stay covered by the parents' liability policy (Familienhaftpflicht) only while unmarried and in school or training that follows directly. Military service, federal volunteer service and a voluntary social year are expressly kept.
A work and travel year between school and university is not named there. Many tariffs handle such gaps generously, some do not. Check your policy before departure, or your child needs separate liability cover for that year.
Then there is the foreign stay clause: in Europe often unlimited, outside Europe usually one to five years. German residence must almost always continue, and rental cars are not included.
What work and travel adds
During work and travel, jobs, accommodation and travel legs change constantly. The health policy must cover both work and travel, without excluding physical jobs such as fruit picking or hospitality.
If your child buys a car locally, it needs motor insurance under local law. German family liability does not pay for damage caused with a car.
What your child does not need
Separate private liability only makes sense if the family policy does not cover the stay. Luggage insurance pays only with many conditions and rarely protects a phone or laptop well.
A year abroad does not require life insurance or disability cover. Disability insurance may still be worth it, but that is a question of age, not of the trip.
Step by step
Read the visa and exchange organisation rules, especially minimum sums and duration.
Take out long-term travel health insurance for the whole stay, with repatriation and no exclusion for work.
Check in the family liability policy whether your child is still covered and for how long abroad.
Ask the public health fund how membership continues during the absence.
Give your child the policy and emergency number digitally and on paper.
Checklist
Health insurance for the entire stay, extendable
Repatriation with no cap or a high sum
Visa and programme rules met, for example J-1 or Canada
Family liability covers the duration in the destination
Local motor insurance if a car is bought
Common mistakes
Relying on an annual travel policy that often ends after six to eight weeks per trip
Buying a policy shorter than the stay and shortening the Canadian work permit
Assuming the child stays covered by the parents' liability policy during a gap year
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
What insurance does my child need for a school year abroad?
Above all health insurance for the whole stay, often with rules set by the exchange organisation.
As a pupil your child usually stays in the family liability policy,
if the foreign stay clause covers the duration.
Is the European Health Insurance Card enough for a year in Spain?
For state healthcare yes, for private clinics and repatriation no.
A cheap private top-up makes sense.
Does Canada require specific insurance for work and travel?
Yes.
It must cover medical care, hospital and repatriation for the whole stay.
If it ends earlier, the work permit ends too.
What must insurance cover for a J-1 visa?
At least USD 100,000 per illness or accident, USD 50,000 for evacuation,
USD 25,000 for repatriation of remains,
and a deductible of no more than USD 500.
Can the policy be extended while abroad?
With many tariffs yes.
Apply in good time before it ends and check at purchase that an extension is possible.
