Currently, I am planning a holiday to Sri Lanka. Why would I leave Germany for a holiday with everything it has to offer? Well, northern Germany doesn’t offer much Vitamin D at this time of year. There was a brief rise in temperature in February and it looked like Spring had sprung early but it seems to have regressed. I sit writing this as the rain hammers down on my apartment skylight.  So we’re off in search of sun, sea and Sri Lankan curry.

With flights booked, hotels arranged, thoughts turned to what else we needed to organise for the trip.  Planning a holiday is the same wherever you live. I thought this too but then I realised after travelling to Japan from Germany last year, there are a few things that make the process different i.e. slightly more complicated or expensive.

Firstly, we needed to secure the trip and research travel insurance. Straightforward, right? It is but what I have realised since living in Germany as an expat, this process becomes a bit more expensive than when I was a resident in the UK. I can no longer apply for the same travel insurance I would if I still lived in the UK. This is the situation for any Brits living abroad, if you purchased year-long cover whilst living in the UK, it’s unlikely to be valid when you move to Germany. In the past, it has been relatively inexpensive, for example, 10€ for a two week trip to a country outside of Europe. Sometimes the health insurance you have in Germany will include cover for travelling, ours didn’t plus we wanted insurance that covered loss of baggage, flight cancellations, etc. as well as covering any medical costs incurred. After some internet trawling, the best price I found was between 65€ and 95€ depending on the level of cover. I was close to purchasing this but took another delve into the internet and found a policy, which I think is suitable, for 19€  per person so I went with this. Fingers crossed we won’t need it!

Impfpass to record vaccinations PHOTO: Sarah E

The second part of our preparation was to check whether we needed any Reiseimpfungen (travel vaccinations) or a booster of any previous immunisations. As a child, I vaguely remember having vaccines for Diphtheria, Polio, Tetanus and MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), which was a standard for people living in the UK. I know this probably differs per country. The Federal Ministry of Health stipulates which immunisations are recommended in Germany, they’re not required by law. Living in Germany means it has not been easy to access my past medical records. The NHS (National Health Service) medical centres in the UK are reluctant to provide information over the phone so if you’re thinking of moving to Germany, it might be best to request your medical records in person before you leave, I wish I had done this. Although I managed to speak briefly with an NHS nurse on the phone, details of my past immunisations hadn’t been recorded as it should be so it was a little hazy about what I have previously received.

Without the full picture, this made the discussion with der Ärzte (doctor) in Germany even more complicated. Although we are signed up to a medical centre in Bremen with English speaking doctors, something I insisted on when we moved here, we don’t always get an appointment with these specific doctors. This was one of the occasions that we struggled through in German. I must admit it was quite a stressful appointment discussing a topic, which involves being injected with something that impacts your health, in a foreign language.  Prior to the appointment, I had read the NHS’s recommendations for travelling to Sri Lanka but this differed from what the German health service advised. A debate ensued. Eventually, we settled on what my partner and I needed before travelling and the prescription was written.

Last year we went through the same process before travelling to Japan so I knew roughly what to expect after the initial appointment takes place. Both times we have been given a Rezept (prescription) to take to die Apotheke (pharmacy) and collect the medication before returning to the doctors for them to administer it. Sometimes this is the same day but the pharmacy normally has to order it so expect to return to collect it and pay. This process was a little foreign to me as in the UK, the medical centre provides everything so there is no upfront costs at the pharmacy. At each appointment, we took our Impfpass (Immunisation record), also known as Impfausweis or Impfbuch, with us. We first received this last year, German citizens will receive theirs with their first vaccination, most likely as a child. Once you have received the injection or medication, the label from the packaging is stuck in the Impfpass, signed and then stamped by the doctor.

Luckily, my health insurance company will cover some of the costs of Reiseimpfungen. I have public health insurance with Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) and they reimbursed the cost of Hepatitis A and B vaccinations prior to a trip to Japan. I am waiting to find out if they will also cover my most recent vaccinations of Tetanus, Polio and Diphtheria as well as Typhoral, an oral medication, to cover you against Typhoid. Hopefully, they will as they aren’t cheap, especially when you have several at once.

To give you an idea of the costs of vaccines, this is what I was charged by die Apotheke. On top of these costs, you will most likely receive an invoice from the medical centre for the cost of the appointment and administration.

Tetanus, Polio and Diphtheria = 43€

Typhoid = 29€

Hepatitis A and B =  180€

It’s worth pointing out that I am sharing my recent personal experience and it’s best to check it out with your doctor and get professional advice that’s personal to you. Hopefully, this will be useful if you’re planning a trip outside of Germany though.

– Sarah E