Advigon Versicherung AG

What Advigon is and what it sells

Advigon is an insurance company, not a broker or a comparison site: it issues the policy and pays the claims itself. Its company page says: "The Liechtenstein insurer Advigon AG, headquartered in Vaduz, is a member of the long-established German HanseMerkur, based in Hamburg." It gives the head office as Postfach 11 30, Drescheweg 1, 9490 Vaduz, Liechtenstein, and says the name comes from the English "advice" and the Latin "via". Its German-language homepage shows a wider retail range sold in Germany: dental and hospital top-up insurance, outpatient top-ups, a cancer policy called Krebs-SCHUTZ, disability insurance and fund-based investments in Swiss francs.

For people coming to Germany, Advigon sells "incoming" travel health insurance. The English menu lists Foreign guests, Young travel, Expat insurance and Freelancer insurance, and the FAQ says Advigon offers "Young Travel health insurance for students and expat insurance for people who are coming to Germany that are self employed or freelancers." The expat page describes Foreign Guests, which Advigon calls its expat medical insurance, in two plans, Basic and Profi.

The page headlines the policy as a "Travel health policy for Germany, EU & all Schengen states" that "Meets 100% Schengen visa requirements" and offers "Insurance cover of up to five years." On the need for it, the page says that people from outside the Schengen area or some third countries "need health insurance to enter and work in Germany if you stay longer than 90 days." On cover from home, it writes: "For most people, we recommend cancelling your health insurance in your home country for the time you are in Germany," because "Usually these insurances do not cover benefits in other countries anyway," and it suggests calling the home insurer first with three questions about treatment abroad, chronic illness and reimbursement. It adds that many health insurance policies do not cover longer stays abroad, and says it "strongly" recommends taking out medical insurance in Germany. On the German side of the site, the incoming insurance is described as cover for guests visiting Germany from abroad and for people planning their own trip to Germany, with Young Travel listed next to the policy for foreign guests.

What the two tariffs cover

The benefits table gives both tariffs out-patient treatment, which it says is reimbursed according to the German Schedule of Fees for Doctors (GOÄ), with "Treatments otside Germany are reimbursed at the normal local rates." Both cover prescribed medication and surgical dressings, radiation, light and physical therapy, in-patient treatment under general care, defined as "multiple-bed room without optional services", operations, and ambulance transport to hospital. Both pay repatriation "if medically desirable" and the repatriation of mortal remains or a funeral in Germany up to 10.000 €, with follow-up liability until the insured can travel for up to 3 months. Pregnancy treatment due to complaints, including childbirth up to the end of the 36th week, a miscarriage or a medically necessary abortion, is covered on both.

The tariffs differ on caps and extras. Basic caps prescribed therapeutic aids after an accident at 500 € a year and massages, compresses and inhalations at 300 € a year, where Profi marks both simply as covered. Profi alone covers non-accident aids up to 500 € a year, glasses and contact lenses up to 200 € a year, cancer screening check-ups up to 300 € a year, German statutory screening check-ups for children, and dental check-ups up to 200 € a year. Dental treatment for pain relief is capped at 500 € a year under Basic and 1.000 € under Profi. Dentures are not insured under Basic; Profi pays "Up to 80 % of the cost for medically required dentures" up to 1.250 € a year. Pregnancy examinations and deliveries are Profi-only, "After a six-month waiting period," which the page calculates "from the start of insurance and, if the contract is extended, from the start of the extension."

Both tariffs carry the same "Deductible per insured event 25 €".

Prices and who can buy

Advigon prints its daily premiums. In the 0 to 64 age band, Basic costs 2,40 € a day and Profi 3,40 €; in the 65 to 74 band, Basic costs 8,60 € and Profi 12,70 €. The FAQ repeats the figures: "The daily premium starts at € 2.40 for a Foreign Guests Basic tariff", and from the age of 65 it gives € 8.60 per day for Basic and € 12.70 for Profi.

The FAQ defines eligibility: "The Foreign Guests insurance is suitable for people who plan to live in Germany for a limited amount of time (up to five years) and keep their residence in their home country. We insure people up to 74 years of age." The page's worked examples show the intended buyers: a Polish couple working as research assistants for three years, where the Profi tariff covers pregnancy examinations and delivery after the waiting period, and a 49-year-old Canadian sent by his employer for four years, who takes out the Basic tariff before moving, uses it for his Schengen visa application and is covered for appendix surgery in his second month. Cover is bought online through the page's "Take out insurance" button, and the downloads section offers a price overview, an information sheet and the insurance terms and conditions for Foreign Guests.

Assistance and claims

Advigon runs a worldwide emergency assistance line for everyone it insures, which the page says is available at any time, around the clock, including Sundays and public holidays, on +49 621 5490-1906. For service, the English menu offers forms to report a claim, ask about a contract, request a certificate or change contact details. The German homepage adds a separate route to submit invoices for travel insurance and a free RechnungsApp: "Mit der kostenlosen RechnungsApp der Advigon können Sie ganz einfach Ihre Rechnungen, Arztrechnungen, Rezepte oder Überweisungen mit nur wenigen Klicks an uns übermitteln" (with the free invoice app, you can submit bills, doctor's invoices, prescriptions or referrals to us in a few clicks), and says the app shows the processing status of each invoice. The expat page does not state how pre-existing conditions are treated or give a claim deadline; those sit in the terms and conditions it links.

Who it suits

Foreign Guests fits someone from outside the Schengen area who is moving to Germany for up to five years, keeps a home residence elsewhere, is 74 or younger, and wants a visa-ready policy from the insurer itself with prices on the page. Basic covers the core medical costs with fixed yearly caps on extras; Profi adds eyewear, screenings, dentures and routine pregnancy care after six months.