Country information USA

Health insurance for foreign guests in the USA

The USA is one of the most visited countries in the world. As a guest in the USA you have the opportunity to experience the U.S. culture, visit world famous metropolises like New York and Los Angeles and admire wonders of nature like the Niagara Falls or the Grand Canyon. No matter how long you stay, visitors in the USA have a large number of attractive destinations to visit.

The USA has a long history as an immigration country. Hence, guests in the USA meet the influences of different cultures in every day life in America. Maybe you will also start dreaming about living and working in the USA after your trip?

Eligible group

Generally, if you want to enter the USA as a citizen of a foreign country you must obtain a visa. An exception are travellers who are qualified for a visa-free entry under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The VWP allows citizens of certain countries to stay up to 90 days without a visa application.

Citizens of the following countries are eligible for the Visa Waiver Program: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Malta, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom. (as of 01/01/2016)

In order to enter the USA as a guest via the Visa Waiver Program you will need a valid passport and an ESTA authorization. ESTA stands for “Electronic System For Travel Authorization”. The ESTA authorization is only available online and can be applied for at any time, even if you don’t know the exact travel dates. The ESTA authorisation is valid for two years from the date of issue or if your passport expires, depending on what happens first. Here you can find the ESTA online portal.

If you are not eligible for the Visa Waiver Program or you want to stay longer than 90 days you will need the B-2 visa. The B-2 visa is designed for visitors of the USA who travel for private or tourist purposes. Following requirements have to be met for the B-2 visa:.

• You must have a permanent residence in a country outside of the USA
• You must prove that you want to stay in the USA only temporarily
• You must prove sufficient funds to finance your stay in the USA
• Proof of completion of a vocational training program or proof of the completion of 12 years of schooling.
• You must prove, that you have strong bonds to your homecountry and want to return there after your stay in the USA

After it is issued the B-2 visa remains valid for a period of ten years. As a visitor with a B-2 visa you can stay in the USA for a maximum of 180 days per entry. You can enter the USA as a guest several times as long as your B-2 visa is still valid. Here you can find further information on the B-2 visa application.

Legal basics about health insurance for guests in the USA

There are no requirements for visitors in the USA to have a travel health insurance for the B-2 visa. Guests in the USA have to pay for their own medical costs. As a guest in the USA you are not insured through the satutory health insurance in your home country. The costs for medical care in the USA are exceptionally high. It is advisable to take care of a comprehensive travel health insurance in order to make the costs for medical care in the USA controllable.

Insurance advice

Every country has its own healthcare system. On the basis of characteristics like your home country, the duration of your stay, the reason of your stay and the destination of your trip different needs for health insurance appear. Our organistion recommends Care Concept AG from Germany for health insurance solutions abroad. Click here for further informations about Care Concept AG.

As a guest in the USA you are noct insured throgh the statutory healthcare system in your home country. If an event occurs that necessitates medical treatment, visitors in the US must bear the costs themselves. In order to make the exceptionally high costs for medical care in the US conrollable we recommend a travel health insurance that fully covers the costs of medical care. For Guests in the USA we recommend the health insurance Care Discover.

Topics about the USA

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