Our top recommendations for worry-free holidays
Whether you're taking a city break, a beach holiday or off on an adventure, the unexpected can always happen. The following tips and insurance solutions can ensure you are well prepared so you can enjoy your holiday with complete peace of mind.
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Many insurance policies also cover services provided abroad – such as the Outpatient, Basic and Hospital top-up insurance plans. It is worth carefully reviewing your existing insurance cover before you travel to make sure you have comprehensive protection in the event of an emergency abroad.
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Basic insurance covers up to a maximum abroad of twice the cost of treatment in Switzerland, though in many cases less than this figure, and does not cover any medical transportation costs. Top-up insurance offers comprehensive cover abroad. Supplementary accident insurance also covers accidents abroad.
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Personal liability insurance offers global cover for 24 months if you cause any damage. Legal protection insurance also supports you in the event of any legal disputes abroad.
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Car insurance provides cover in all of the countries listed on the international insurance card.
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Vacanza travel insurance offers protection for all eventualities and perfectly complements your health insurance and top-up insurance: worldwide cover, 24/7 emergency assistance, repatriation, medical treatment and hospital costs including international legal protection as well as optional cancellation, luggage and credit card cover.
Insurance for holidays – our insurance solutions
Basic insurance covers treatment costs for emergencies and unforeseen illnesses. However, costs are only covered abroad up to twice the amount that would be paid for comparable treatment in Switzerland. This means you may have to cover a portion of the costs yourself while abroad.
Good to know
- Retention fee and deductible abroad: Treatment costs in EU/EFTA countries are dealt with under the European health insurance card. You do not need to pay any retention fee, but the costs are not counted towards your deductible either. In other countries you are responsible for paying a share of the costs.
- European health insurance card: The reverse side of your health insurance card is valid as your European insurance card – so no additional card is needed.
- Travel insurance included: Vacanza travel insurance is automatically included for eight weeks per trip under the Outpatient, Basic and Hospital top-up insurance plans.
Basic insurance covers the costs of a sudden illness while on holiday, even if you are abroad and regardless of the model you have chosen. If you have an accident while abroad, basic insurance only covers the costs if you also have accident insurance.
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Emergency treatment at public hospitals or physicians’ practices in Switzerland and abroad when return travel is not possible or would be unreasonable.
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Within the EU / EFTA / UK: Basic insurance covers the costs that are also covered in the respective country.
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Outside the EU / EFTA / UK: Basic insurance covers up to a maximum of twice the cost that would be charged for the same treatment in your canton of residence.
Top up your basic insurance with additional cover to give yourself more comprehensive protection while you’re on holiday in Switzerland or abroad.
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Free choice and more comfort in hospital
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Repatriation and rescue services abroad and in Switzerland
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Cost contribution for travel-related and preventive vaccinations
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Cover for the costs of medication not reimbursed under compulsory basic insurance
Accident insurance protects you if you have an accident while on holiday, either in Switzerland or abroad. If you are not insured via a Swiss employer and have not taken out an arranged insurance extension, you should consider including private accident insurance under your basic insurance.
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Cover for medical expenses in the event of an accident (physician, hospital, therapy)
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Daily allowance upon inability to earn a living following an accident
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Invalidity and death benefits
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Supplement to basic insurance (Accident Insurance Act, AIA)
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Can be combined with top-up health insurance
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Worldwide insurance cover
Whether you’ve had an accident in your hotel room, a dispute with the owner of your holiday apartment or an accident with your hire car, personal liability and legal protection insurance is particularly valuable when travelling.
Good to know
- Personal liability insurance is valid abroad for 24 months. Cover is limited to two years if you are travelling or staying abroad for an extended period.
- Maximum amount covered under legal protection insurance: Legal protection insurance covers the costs of advisors and lawyers as well as court costs and party costs awarded of up to CHF 500,000 (outside Europe: CHF 100,000).
You are protected against the financial consequences of property damage or if you cause harm to a third party.
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Worldwide cover
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Liability protection for personal injury, property damage and financial losses
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Protection in the event of damage caused by pets or children
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Cover for lawyers’ fees and compensation costs
Making sure you are legally protected in the event of any disputes while on holiday and receive professional support.
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Traffic legal protection in the event of accidents or fines
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Cover for lawyers’ fees and court costs up to CHF 500,000 – or up to CHF 100,000 outside Europe
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Telephone legal advice included
We’re at your side on every journey. Our insurance gives you the best possible protection when you’re on the road in Switzerland as well as in all countries listed on the international insurance card.
Good to know
European Accident Statement: Always take your international insurance card as well as a European Accident Statement with you when driving abroad. This means that if you do have an accident, you can prove that you are insured and simplify any potential claims handling.
Drive safely and legally abroad with the right car insurance.
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Mandatory personal liability insurance
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Partial and fully comprehensive cover
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Cover in the event of glass damage, theft and parking damage
Vacanza travel insurance fills the gaps in your basic and top-up insurance: It covers physicians’ and hospital costs for illness and accidents worldwide, arranges medical transportation and provides 24/7 support in the event of an emergency.
You can expand your insurance cover with the right additional benefits:
- You can insure your luggage worldwide against theft, robbery or damage with luggage insurance.
- Cancellation insurance covers you if you are forced to cancel your holiday at short notice for urgent reasons.
- Get your cards blocked and secure cover for replacement fees with credit card and customer card insurance if you lose your wallet.
Safe on the road, whatever happens. With Vacanza travel insurance, you benefit from comprehensive cover on all of your journeys and adventures.
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Worldwide protection in the event of illness, accident or emergency
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Flexible rates for individual trips or full-year cover
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Vacanza assistance: 24-hour immediate assistance service
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Cancellation cover and trip interruption insurance
Insurance based on your destination: Where are you travelling?
Which particular insurance makes sense for your holiday also depends on the destination. Depending upon the type of insurance, benefits may only be provided in the event of illness or accident in Switzerland or Europe.
- Basic insurance: Covers medically necessary benefits in Switzerland.
- Top-up insurance: Covers additional gaps in basic insurance.
- Personal liability insurance: Covers the financial consequences of property damage or protects you if you cause harm to a third party.
- Legal protection insurance: Covers lawyers’ fees and court costs up to CHF 500,000 per year.
- Car insurance: Liability insurance covers up to CHF 100 million per claim in the event of property damage and/or personal injury.
- Basic insurance: Covers medical treatment at the social tariff of the country of destination and 50% of the costs of rescue, recovery and emergency transport up to CHF 500 per year.
- Top-up insurance: Covers costs for repatriation and rescue abroad and includes travel insurance for 8 weeks per trip if Outpatient, Basic and Hospital insurance is taken out.
- Travel insurance: Covers physicians’ and hospital costs for illness and accidents, arranges medical transportation and provides 24/7 support in the event of an emergency with foreign legal protection insurance. Cancellation costs, credit and customer card insurance as well as luggage insurance can also be included.
- Personal liability insurance: Covers the financial consequences of property damage and protects you if you cause harm to a third party for a period of 24 months.
- Legal protection insurance: Covers lawyers’ fees and court costs up to CHF 500,000 per year.
- Car insurance: Insurance cover in all countries listed on the international insurance card.
- Basic insurance: Covers medical treatment up to two times the cost of treatment in Switzerland and 50% of the costs of rescue, recovery and emergency transport up to CHF 500 per year.
- Top-up insurance: Covers costs for repatriation and rescue abroad and includes travel insurance for 8 weeks per trip if Outpatient, Basic and Hospital insurance is taken out.
- Travel insurance: Covers physicians’ and hospital costs for illness and accidents, arranges medical transportation and provides 24/7 support in the event of an emergency with foreign legal protection insurance. Cancellation costs, credit and customer card insurance as well as luggage insurance can also be included.
- Personal liability insurance: Covers the financial consequences of property damage and protects you if you cause harm to a third party for a period of 24 months.
- Legal protection insurance: Covers lawyers’ fees and court costs up to CHF 100,000 per year outside Europe.
- Car insurance: Insurance cover in all countries listed on the international insurance card.
Your advantages at a glance
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Tailored insurance solutions for all kinds of holidays
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Covered worldwide in the event of illness or accident, with Vacanza travel insurance
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Anyone taking out Basic, Outpatient or hospital top-up insurance gets travel insurance included free of charge, for eight weeks per trip
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Straightforward assistance in emergencies – by phone or digitally
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Worldwide coverage of hospital costs
Receive comprehensive information in relation to any questions or uncertainties so that you can enjoy your holiday with peace of mind.
Useful services for you
In most EU countries, you no longer need to carry this insurance card with you. However, it is still compulsory in some Eastern European countries, as well as in Turkey.
You receive it automatically by email as a PDF, along with your policy, the GCI, the standard insurance card, and notification of your annual premium on the principal expiry date.
If you can no longer find this email, no problem. There are several easy ways to request the documents again:
- Online form
Fill in our form. Your query will immediately be forwarded to our service team. - Email
Email us at auto@visana.ch and state your vehicle registration number. - Your Visana agency
Give us a call or drop by – we will resend the PDF to you by email, or print the documents for you at the counter.
Find an agency near me
We will make sure that you receive your insurance card quickly and easily, so you have protection when travelling – even abroad.
Insured with peace of mind in every life situation
Frequently asked questions about insurance abroad
Trip cancellation insurance is part of Vacanza travel insurance and provides financial protection if you cannot make a scheduled journey for a reason covered by your insurance.
There is no difference between trip cancellation insurance and cancellation insurance. Both provide the same benefit of paying your costs if you cannot make a scheduled journey for a reason covered by your insurance.
You can make a claim under your cancellation insurance if you cannot make a scheduled journey for an unforeseen reason that is covered by your insurance. Such reasons include:
- illness
- accident
- death of a close relative
- other circumstances under which you cannot reasonably travel
In such cases, your trip cancellation insurance covers the cancellation costs incurred or the costs of the travel services you are unable to use.
Cancellation insurance can only be taken out in combination with Vacanza travel insurance basic cover and as a package with baggage insurance and credit/customer card insurance.
| Trip duration | 8 weeks | 16 weeks | 26 weeks | 8 months | 10 months | 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium per person | CHF 102 | CHF 124 | CHF 146 | CHF 162 | CHF 182 | CHF 204 |
| With Basic, Outpatient or Hospital top-up insurance | ||||||
| Insured for private ward worldwide (residents of Switzerland) | Included for 11 months per trip | |||||
| Adults, other wards | Included | CHF 124 | CHF 146 | CHF 162 | CHF 182 | CHF 204 |
| Children under 18, other wards | Included | CHF 124 | CHF 146 | CHF 162 | CHF 182 | CHF 204 |
To make sure you are properly covered while you are travelling, we recommend insurance protection that goes beyond what compulsory health insurance offers. Visana recommends the following insurance for holidays in Switzerland and abroad:
- Vacanza travel insurance: Covers treatment costs abroad, organises repatriation to Switzerland and offers international legal protection.
- Cancellation insurance: Covers your costs if you have to unexpectedly cancel your trip or cut it short. Can be taken out as top-up cover within Vacanza.
- Baggage insurance: Covers your luggage in the event of loss, theft or damage.
- Credit/customer card insurance: Covers you if you lose your card and pays the cost of replacement cards.
You should also review your existing insurance – particularly the coverage your health insurance provides abroad – and add to it as needed.
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