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Stay abroad

You’d like to learn a language or simply experience new countries and cultures? Travel is very rewarding and broadens your horizons. We help you with everything you need to know regarding your health insurance.

Only 2% of young Swiss people have never left Switzerland. From the age of 12, more than a third have visited six or more countries. And every tenth Swiss citizen aged 12 and over has lived abroad for at least six months. These are the results of a survey conducted by the Swiss Federal Surveys of Adolescents. 

Does your basic insurance cover you abroad?

Your basic insurance in Switzerland covers the cost of emergency medical treatment abroad. But when is an emergency an emergency? An emergency conjures up images of accidents and A&E. However, it's also possible that you are abroad and fall ill. Theoretically, you would have to be treated in Switzerland for basic insurance to cover the costs. However, a return trip to Switzerland just to go to the doctor would be excessive. So you go to a doctor near you. This is also classified as emergency treatment.

Costs covered within Europe

In countries within the EU and EFTA, basic insurance covers the costs that are also covered in the respective countries.

For example, if you go to a doctor in France, France has a copayment of 20% on costs for medical treatment in emergencies. This means we reimburse you 80% of the costs. You have to pay 20% of the costs yourself. You usually have to pay these costs directly while you’re there.

Costs covered outside Europe

If you’re staying in a country outside Europe, costs for medical treatment can vary greatly from those in Switzerland. Here, basic insurance reimburses up to twice the amount that would be covered in your canton of residence for the same treatment in Switzerland.

If you’re staying in a country with high treatment costs, such as Australia, Japan, Canada or the USA, you are advised to take out supplementary insurance.

Recommended supplementary insurance plans

Supplementary insurance covers higher treatment costs and additional benefits, such as the cost of medical transportation back to Switzerland or rescue transport abroad. Ideally, you should combine a supplementary outpatient insurance plan with a hospital plan:

Example

Jump

Supplementary insurance for young people

More details

Hospital Standard Liberty

Hospital insurance for the general ward

More details

Hospital Upgrade

Flexible upgrade to higher hospital category

More details

Easy – low-cost supplementary insurance for travel

If you don’t have supplementary insurance cover already, we recommend that you take out the Easy supplementary insurance plan. It’s low-cost and covers the most important benefits for stays abroad.

More about Easy

Travel – for your trips abroad or for overseas visitors

If you aren’t able to take out any of these supplementary insurance plans due to the results of your medical exam, we recommend the Travel plan. It can be taken out on a weekly basis for up to a year.

More about Travel

Sanitas Assistance: rapid help in the event of emergencies abroad

Sanitas Assistance is included under all supplementary insurance plans. In case of medical emergencies abroad you can rely on rapid and straightforward support from Sanitas Assistance.

 

For example, Sanitas Assistance will organise

  • Medical support on the spot
  • Purchase of medicines
  • Commitment to cover costs and advances
  • Medically necessary transportation, including safe transport back to Switzerland

 

Important: For Sanitas to be able to cover the costs of treatment abroad, you must always contact Sanitas Assistance in an emergency. You’ll find the telephone number on the back of your insurance card.

 

Sanitas Assistance

+41 44 446 47 47

 

Suspending health insurance

If you plan to live abroad for longer, you can apply to suspend your health insurance. If you suspend your health insurance, you can reactivate it at a later date when you return to Switzerland without undergoing another medical exam.

 

Conditions:

  • Minimum suspension period is 3 months
  • Maximum suspension period is 6 years
  • No on-going claims

 

Different conditions apply for suspending basic and supplementary insurance plans. If you’d like to suspend your health insurance, please get in touch. We’ll be glad to help.

 

Advice hotline

0844 150 150

Free vaccination and travel advice

Before you travel, find out about any risks you may face and any measures you can take to protect yourself. In many tropical regions and developing countries you may be exposed to sometimes incurable illnesses For Sanitas customers, this advice is free of charge.

Get advice with the Sanitas Medgate app

  1. Go to your profile in the Sanitas Medgate app.
  2. Scroll down.
  3. Choose “Vaccination and travel advice”.
  4. Press the “Call” button.
  5. You are connected directly to an expert!

Of course, you can also get advice without using the Medgate app. Just call the Medgate hotline and have your Sanitas customer number to hand.

Medical hotline

Sanitas
0844 124 365

Compact One
Compact Basic
0844 111 365

The Sanitas digital vaccination pass

You can enter all the primary vaccinations you’ve had so far in the digital vaccination pass. You can use the vaccine search to find out which illnesses you're protected against. And you can choose to receive reminders for pending vaccinations. The digital vaccination pass is part of the Sanitas Portal app.

More about the Sanitas Portal app

Going abroad for longer?

If you’re planning on going abroad for longer, the best solution depends primarily on your destination. In some cases an international health insurance plan is best. And some countries require mandatory health insurance. Give us a call, we’ll be happy to advise you.

 

Advice hotline

0844 150 150

Sanitas magazine: Spotlight on health-related issues