HanseMerkur review 2026

HanseMerkur is one of the travel insurance specialists and offers one of the most comprehensive catalogues of benefits on the German market. At the centre is the full coverage of all medically necessary treatment costs abroad – with no upper limit and no excess. HanseMerkur is particularly strong on assistance. The company runs its own medical emergency call centre, which can be reached around the clock. In an emergency, this centre coordinates doctor visits, hospital stays and any necessary repatriation. That saves valuable time and avoids language problems. Medically advisable repatriation is also covered – not just "necessary" but also "advisable" transport. That is an important difference, because it means you get home as soon as it is medically advisable, not only once it becomes absolutely necessary. The travel duration of 56 days also covers longer holidays and business trips.

With an annual premium of 25 euros (up to age 64; family/couple 44 euros, from age 65 95 and 139 euros respectively, as of 10/2026), HanseMerkur is among the more expensive providers in our comparison. The higher price is justified by the comprehensive benefits and the specialised support set-up. For families there are attractive family plans that cover all members of the household. Premiums are graded by age but remain comparatively stable over the years. Compared with cheap plans such as HUK-Coburg (14.80 euros) or Debeka (12 euros), you therefore pay significantly more at HanseMerkur. Important for the cost assessment: HanseMerkur avoids hidden costs and surprise price increases. What you pay at the start generally stays constant as long as your age does not move into a new category. For frequent travellers and families, value for money is fair overall.

On claims handling, HanseMerkur has built an outstanding reputation over decades. Foreign bills are settled quickly and without fuss – most reimbursements are in your account within 1-2 weeks. A big advantage is direct billing with hospitals abroad. For larger treatments, the emergency call centre takes over communication with the hospital, so you do not have to pay up front. This is especially important in countries with high treatment costs such as the USA or Switzerland. Submitted receipts are checked fairly and in a customer-oriented way. HanseMerkur is known for deciding in the policyholder's favour when in doubt. Goodwill arrangements are handled generously. Customer experience reports repeatedly praise the pleasant communication and competent advice from staff. That makes HanseMerkur a reliable partner when it matters.

On contract design, HanseMerkur relies on tried-and-tested standard solutions. Cover applies from the moment you cross the border and ends on your return – simple and easy to understand. Annual contracts that renew automatically are offered as standard. The notice period is one month before expiry. There are also separate plans for one-off trips, but these usually make economic sense only for very short trips. Particularly practical: HanseMerkur offers very good options for supplementing basic cover. Trip cancellation insurance, luggage insurance and trip interruption insurance can be added as packages or individually. This lets you tailor the cover to individual needs. For frequent travellers there are also special annual travel packages covering an unlimited number of trips.

In customer service and reputation, HanseMerkur is absolutely top class. As an industry specialist in travel insurance, the company enjoys exceptionally high trust – both with customers and with business partners worldwide. The in-house 24/7 emergency call centre is staffed by medical professionals. In an emergency you reach competent contacts who speak several languages and support you with all questions. The centre has contacts with doctors and hospitals all over the world. In Finanztest, HanseMerkur regularly takes top places. According to HanseMerkur, its annual travel health insurance was rated SEHR GUT (0.5), "very good", as test winner in Finanztest 05/2025. Customer experiences on Trustpilot and Google are predominantly positive, although the number of reviews is lower than for extremely well-known insurers such as HUK-Coburg. This is due to its specialised focus – anyone who chooses HanseMerkur usually already knows what they are getting.