Abroad
Home contents insurance abroad for students
You often need home contents insurance when renting apartments and rooms abroad.
How does home contents insurance work for students abroad?
Many students spend one or two semesters abroad as part of their studies. It's certainly appealing to live in a foreign country for a while, experience the culture, improve language skills, make international contacts, and develop personally. A semester abroad can also be a valuable addition to a CV. At some universities, a semester abroad is even mandatory for certain degree programs.
You should allow yourself enough time, at least a year, to organize and finance your semester abroad and develop a plan for when you want to take care of what.
Your checklist will include points regarding health, liability, and household insurance. It's important to inform these insurers about your stay abroad in a timely manner and check whether you have coverage.
Home contents insurance within the European Union, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland
In some European countries, proof of household insurance is mandatory.
For example, in France. Anyone renting an apartment or room for the duration of a semester abroad must provide proof of household insurance. This also applies to accommodation in a student residence hall. Otherwise, the move-in cannot take place.
The reason for this is that household damage can occur abroad as well. The insurance ensures that any damage to your belongings will be covered. This way, you don't have to worry about your financial security and can fully concentrate on your studies.
You will be reimbursed for your damaged or stolen household goods at their replacement value or new value.
The following risks are usually covered by insurance:
- Fire damage
- Explosion damage
- Water damage
- Loss due to burglary
The landlord usually requests the household insurance certificate either in English or in the respective national language.
Are you going to another EU country and already have home contents insurance?
If you already have home contents insurance, check with your insurer whether coverage extends to your semester abroad. Even if you're still covered under your parents' home contents insurance, you may still have coverage through what's known as "off-premises" coverage. In this case, you simply need to inform your insurance company about your semester abroad and obtain the insurance confirmation in the foreign language, which you should request well in advance.
Are you going to another EU country soon and need home contents insurance?
If you don't already have home contents insurance for the duration of your semester abroad, you can take out insurance directly online using our rate calculator.
Insurance coverage is then provided through what is known as external coverage, which, however, varies considerably among different insurance policies. We currently like the Ammerländer Insurance's Comfort plan. It offers coverage of 50% of the insured sum for up to 12 months.
How does it all work? You take out a household contents insurance policy at your German residential address and ensure that you have sufficient coverage for items outside your home.
Click here to access our home contents insurance rate calculator – IMPORTANT: a German address must be entered for the rate calculation . Coverage is then provided via the benefits in the area of off-premises insurance.
Home contents insurance outside the European Union
If you're planning a semester abroad outside the European Union, your household contents are usually also covered by the external insurance. However, it's important to note that this external insurance only applies for a few months, a maximum of six. Furthermore, the sum insured is reduced to a percentage.
Apart from that, everything proceeds as described in the text above, “Home contents insurance within the European Union”.
In conclusion, your household insurance will cover your belongings during your semester abroad. If you already have household insurance, check in advance whether it covers your stay abroad. If you don't yet have insurance, apply for it in good time with an insurer of your choice.
Are you already informed?
You no longer need any information and would like to order your home contents insurance online? Then you are just one click away from the tariff overview.