Germany is one of Europe’s largest countries as it encompasses a diversity of landscapes, plains, and the forested hills. The country is located in the heart of Europe and has a history that includes both bad and good. It borders nine countries, which is more than any other European country.
Nevertheless, traveling to Germany gives you a lot of opportunities to explore and visit new places; but you can’t ignore the health and travel risks that you may be exposed to when in Germany. That is where Germany travel insurance comes into the picture, to help you safeguard your trip. Most importantly, while healthcare expenses are quite exorbitant in Germany, even a single hospitalization is enough to drain all your savings.
Travel insurance plans for your Germany trip are available in India. A single Germany travel insurance plan offers comprehensive coverage to most of the risks that may arise during the trip. Can’t ignore the fact that Indians are among the most frequent travelers to the Schengen Area, and the demand for Germany visas is quite high. In 2017, approximately 1 million Indians visited Europe. Out of them, more than 1.5 lakh applied for German visas.
Official Name |
Federal Republic of Germany |
Form of Government |
Federal Republic |
Capital |
Berlin |
Population |
82,422,299 |
Official Language |
German |
Dialing Code |
+49 |
Currency |
Euro |
Major Rivers |
Rhine, Elbe, Main, Danube |
Area |
134,838 square miles |
Most Visited City |
New York City |
Those planning to travel to Germany must get familiar with the different aspects of passport and visa formalities ahead of time to ensure a hassle-free trip to the country.
So, before beginning with the application process, one has to figure out where to apply for a Germany visa. In Delhi, there is one German Embassy and there are four consulates across India that are listed below:
You can apply for a specific visa base on the purpose of the visit. One can apply for a tourist visa while visiting friends and family or for vacation purposes, Student Applicant Visa (Visum Zur Studienbewerbung), Business Visa, Language Course Visa, Student Visa (Visum Zu Studienzwecken), Airport Transit Visa, Working Visa, Internship Visa/ Guest Scientist Visa Training, Medical Treatment Visa , Job Seeker Visa, Trade Fair & Exhibitions Visa and the likewise.
Before you apply for a visa, it is important for you to know your visa type and you will need to arrange all the documents for your application as listed below:
You can apply online at a German Consulate/ Embassy with the jurisdiction (as mentioned in the below table). Your visa application will be examined in the consulate or embassy and you may be called for an interview if required. Once the verification process is completed and is approved, your traveling visa will be issued.
Consulates/Embassy |
Address |
Contact Details |
Website / email |
Working Hours |
Consulate General of Germany |
St. Mark's Road & Residency Road, Cash Pharmacy Building Corner, 2nd & 3rd floor, Bengaluru: 560 025 |
918045300100 |
http://www.india[.]diplopp[.]de/ |
Mon to Thurs Friday (8:00 AM to 2:00 PM) |
Embassy of Germany |
Shanti Path, No. 6/50G, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi: 110021 |
(011) 44199199 |
info[@]newd[.]diplo[.]de |
Mon to Thurs Friday (8:00 AM to 2:00 PM) |
Consulate General of Germany |
Alipore, 1 Hastings Park Road, Kolkata 700027 |
91-(0)33-2479 1142 |
http://www.india[.]diplo[.]de/ |
Mon to Thurs Friday (8:00 AM to 2:00 PM) |
Consulate General of Germany |
R.A. Puram, No. 9, Boat Club Road, Chennai: 600 028 |
91-44-2430 1600 |
http://www.india[.]diplo[.]de/ |
Mon to Thurs Friday (8:00 AM to 2:00 PM) |
Consulate General of Germany |
193, 10th Floor, Backbay Reclamation, Hoechst House, Nariman Point, Mumbai: 400 021 |
91 22 2283 2422 |
http://www.india[.]diplo[.]de/ |
Mon to Thurs Friday (8:00 AM to 2:00 PM) |
Travel Insurance- However it is not essential to buy a travel insurance cover when traveling to Germany, it makes sense to get one as it will compensate your unanticipated expenses and travel-related emergencies. The cost of availing medical facilities is exorbitant in a foreign land. It is suggested that you take a preventive measure of buying travel insurance cover when away from home. Here are some of the benefits of buying a travel insurance policy for people traveling to Germany:
Category |
Coverage |
Medical Coverage |
|
Medical Cover with medical evacuation costs |
SI ranging from USD 50,000 to USD 5,00,000 |
Repatriation of Mortal Remains |
Compensation up to USD 7,500 for repatriating the mortal remains back to the home country |
Daily Hospital Cash Allowance |
USD 50/ day for a max. of 5 days, if the hospitalization exceeds 2 days |
Dental Treatment Cover |
USD 300 for natural teeth surgery in case of an injury |
Personal Accident Cover |
USD 15,000 in case of accidental death/total permanent/partial disabilities during the trip |
Personal Liability Cover |
USD 1 lakh for legal liability incurred by the policyholder for accidentally causing property damage or bodily injury to third parties |
Accidental Death Cover ( Common Carrier) |
Up to USD 5,000 |
Non-medical Coverage |
|
Loss of Checked-in Baggage |
Compensation for delay of checked-in baggage for more than 6 hours |
Trip Cancellation & Interruption |
USD 500 for trip interruption and cancellation due to terrorism, medical problems, and natural disasters |
Catastrophe Evacuation and Political Risk |
USD 7,500 |
Missed Flight Connection |
USD 500 |
Trip Delay |
USD 500 |
Accidental Death (Common Carrier) |
USD 5,000 |
Compassionate Visit |
USD 7,500 |
Loss of Baggage and Personal Effects |
USD 2,000 |
*Data culled from ICICI Lombard travel insurance policy brochure. The coverage may vary from one insurance company to another.
It depends on your purpose of visit and your idea of a holiday. Germany has cool winters and mild summers. Mountains in the South receive maximum snow and rain during June, July, and August.
July is the hottest season with rains just like India and January is the coldest time of the year. But July sees the maximum tourist and it makes it the most expensive time of the year.
The public transportation system in Germany is excellent. Even in medium-sized cities, public transportation is well-connected through trams, buses, and urban/suburban rail lines. Most of the metro cities have the U-Bahn/Untergrundbahn for underground rapid transit.
S-Bahn, which is a suburban commuter rail, operates within the city including the nearby towns and suburbs. They also work well in bigger cities such as Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Cologne-Düsseldorf-Ruhr District, Frankfurt-Mainz-Wiesbaden, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Dresden, Magdeburg, Leipzig-Halle.
Tickets can be purchased at one time daily, weekly and monthly pass. With one valid ticket, you can have access to all the public transports within the city including U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams, buses, and ferries.
For night transportation, buses make the cheapest mode of transportation.
Airport |
City |
Hamburg Finkenwerder |
Hamburg |
Frankfurt Airport |
Frankfurt |
Dortmund Airport |
Dortmund |
Berlin Tegel Airport |
Berlin |
Kiel Holtenau |
Kiel |
Germany has a lot to explore including its natural beauty, culture, and much older history. Mentioned below are some of the best places that you can visit to really get into the nitty-gritty of this European nation:
The mall culture is not so prominent in Germany. Every important city has vibrant shopping streets that can offer you something interesting and unique for the shopaholic in you. Here is a list of popular German shopping destinations and markets:
1. Schildergasse, Cologne
2. Zeil, Frankfurt
3. Konigsallee & Schadowstrasse, Dusseldorf
4. Ku’damm, Berlin
5. Mall of Berlin
6. Kleinmarkthalle, Frankfurt
7. Mauerpark Flea Market, Berlin
8. Kathe Wohlfahrt’s Christmas Shop
9. Ingolstadt Village Designer Outlet
10. Mönckebergstraße, Hamburg
You can relish some of the best Indian delicacies at these Indian restaurants in Germany:
Restaurant |
Cuisines |
Budget ( Euro) |
Maharadscha Indisches, Berlin |
Indian |
134 to 1,073 |
Indian Mango, Munich |
Indian |
201 to 872 |
EatDoori, Frankfurt |
Indian |
604 to 1,140 |
Taj Tandoori, Frankfurt |
Indian |
2,615 to 10,461 |
Jaipur Palace Restaurant, Dusseldorf |
Indian |
469 to 872 |
Amrit, Berlin |
Indian |
201 to 1,006 |
*Prices are subject to change.
Germany has always been a popular tourist destination and the country offers countless accommodation options across all the cities. Hotels in Germany are relatively expensive and do not offer a refund upon cancellation. And this is where travel insurance will come in the picture and if there is a sudden trip cancellation you can get at least your hotel cost recovered.
Some of the best hotels for accommodation in Germany are listed below. You can choose one as per your requirement and budget:
Nearly 50 percent of the hospitals in Germany are public and 30 percent of the hospitals are university hospitals. And the rest of them are private hospitals, from which 30 percent are non-profit hospitals and the remaining are profit hospitals. Many of the Germany hospitals offer healthcare services to international citizens. Make sure that you have a travel insurance policy that covers medical expenses while you are traveling to Germany. Here is a list of some of the Best International Hospitals in Germany for Visitors :
Germany University Hospitals are institutions that are a great combination of a hospital and medical students/medical research. University hospitals are usually affiliated with university medical schools in Germany. Here are some of the popular ones:
Before flying if you have some knowledge about home country’s consulates and country’s embassy it can prove to be useful in different situations involving political tension, loss of identification, a catastrophe that results in evacuation and the likewise. Here are the Indian Embassy and Consulate locations in Germany:
EMBASSY |
WORKING HOURS |
WEBSITE/EMAIL |
ADDRESS |
CONTACT DETAILS |
Consulate General of India |
Monday–Friday |
consular[@]cgihambur |
Graumannsweg 57, 22087, Hamburg |
040 338036 | 040 324744 |
Consulate General of India |
Monday–Friday |
consular[@]cgifrankfurt[.]de |
Friedrich Ebert Anlage 26, 60325, Frankfurt am Main |
+49 69 1530050 | +15300510 |
Embassy of India |
Monday–Friday |
cons[.]berlin[@]mea[.]gov[.]in |
Tiergartenstr, 17, 10785 Berlin |
0049-30-257950 |
Consulate General of India |
Monday–Friday |
www[.]cgimunich[.]com |
Widenmayerstr, 15, 80538 Munich |
089 210239-0 |