January 5, 2025, 6:37 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Skiing vacations can be a costly affair. However, it becomes particularly expensive if there is an accident on the slopes. You can find out which insurance policies apply in such cases here.
Accommodation, equipment, ski pass—a winter vacation involves numerous costs and can quickly become expensive. However, the potential financial burden of incidents on the slopes where the right insurance would come in handy should not be overlooked. Nobody wants to be in such situations, but it is wise to protect yourself accordingly. Experts recommend the following insurance policies:
- Personal liability insurance
- Foreign travel health insurance
- Accident insurance
Here is a brief overview of why these insurances make sense and what you should look out for when making your choice for a safe winter trip:
Personal Liability: In the Event of a Collision on the Slopes
A moment of carelessness on the ski slopes is enough to endanger more than just your own health. Collisions can also injure others—with potentially high financial consequences if claims for damages are made. This is why personal liability insurance is essential for winter vacations, emphasizes the German Insurance Association (BdV).
Another advantage of this insurance is that if you are injured by another skier through no fault of your own, your own liability insurance can step in if the person responsible is not insured. The prerequisite for this is that cover for loss of receivables is included in the contract, explains the BdV. It is also important to know that in Italy, for example in the ski resorts of South Tyrol, personal liability insurance is required by law. According to the German Insurance Association (GDV), violations can result in fines of up to 150 euros and the withdrawal of your ski pass.
To avoid problems, it is advisable to obtain appropriate proof from the insurer before the trip. The GDV provides a sample form online for this purpose. If you do not have personal liability insurance or are unsure whether it covers winter sports, you can take out a temporary policy at many large ski resorts for an additional charge.
Travel Insurance Abroad: Protection Against High Treatment Costs
Anyone with statutory health insurance who travels to EU countries for a winter vacation enjoys basic protection thanks to the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This card is usually found on the back of the health insurance chip card and is also valid in Norway and Switzerland, among other countries. However, the EHIC only covers the benefits that people with statutory health insurance receive in the country they are traveling to. The European Consumer Center (ECC) warns that additional costs, such as co-payments or private medical services, may still be incurred.
Another catch: Statutory health insurance companies never cover the costs of return transportation to Germany. Such transportation can quickly reach five-figure sums, which you have to pay yourself, explains the German Association of Insured Persons (BdV). Foreign travel health insurance offers protection against these risks. It covers additional treatment costs on site, as well as repatriation—and at favorable conditions. For individuals, good rates are often available for less than ten euros a year, for families for less than 20 euros.
It is important that the insurance also pays for repatriation when it is medically advisable, and not only when it is absolutely necessary. The BdV recommends that private insurers also take out such a policy, as they do not always cover all costs.
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Accident Insurance: Protection Beyond the Moment
What happens if a fall leaves permanent damage? In such cases, private accident insurance comes into play: for example, it covers the costs of necessary home modifications, pays transitional benefits, or provides a pension. It can also pay for recovery costs that other insurance policies do not cover. According to the German Insurance Association (BdV), anyone wishing to include this benefit should choose a rescue sum of at least 25,000 euros.
The reason: As with medical care, the scope of cover for rescue costs also depends on the regulations in the respective country, explains the German Insurance Association (GDV). In Austria, for example, rescue costs after skiing accidents are often not covered at all. Without appropriate cover, you would have to pay for a helicopter mission yourself, which according to the GDV costs around 3,500 euros on average. In Switzerland, too, helicopter rescues can quickly result in high additional costs.
Private accident insurance applies if rescue costs are included in the contract. Alternatively, foreign travel health insurance can also cover these costs, depending on the tariff. It is important to know that in Germany, statutory and private health insurance companies do cover air rescue from the runway in the event of serious injuries. However, search and rescue operations in open terrain, for example after avalanches, are generally excluded. This is where private accident insurance steps in—a sensible supplement to normal insurance, even for those with private insurance.
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And What About Ski Insurance?
According to the Brandenburg consumer advice center, winter sports enthusiasts do not have to take out additional insurance for their equipment. Regardless of whether they have bought or borrowed it. The loss of skis, whether owned or rented, does not usually pose a threat to your livelihood and is often bearable.
The equipment may even already be insured. Damage to borrowed skis could be covered by personal liability insurance, depending on the contract. If your own equipment is stolen, for example from the ski cellar, your household contents insurance could step in if you have one. It is worth checking your own documents to clarify such cases.
With material from dpa