Mawista Insurance Review

Not all countries provide as welcoming an environment for digital nomads to live and work. That’s not necessarily because they aren’t keen on nomads or don’t offer a great expat lifestyle, it’s just that their system isn’t set up to cater for new modes of working.

Germany is one of those countries. As anyone who has ever lived and/or worked in this fantastic nation will know, it can be an incredibly bureaucratic place, full of rules and regulations that are confusing to understand, let alone adhere to.

That’s certainly true for its legislation regarding health insurance, which is required for anyone who is resident in Germany for a length of time. If you don’t know the difference between your gesetzliche Krankenversicherung (GVK) and Gebührenordnung für Ärzte (GOÄ), you can quickly get sucked into an internet whirlpool trying to work out what’s required and what’s covered.

Mawista health insurance was essentially created to try and help people navigate this dilemma, with policies that are designed to comply with the laws for expats living in Germany.

What Is Mawista Insurance?

Germany has quite specific legal requirements for anybody who turns up for more than just a brief holiday. Mawista basically carved out their niche by catering to longer-term visitors and expats who found the system confusing and wanted to stump for private health insurance, rather than one of the public health insurance providers.

Some of their policies continue to be mainly for people living and working primarily in Germany, but they’ve also expanded their offering to feature packages that reimburse healthcare costs globally.

Don’t be confused if you see Allianz popping up in a Mawista insurance review. While the brand was founded independently in 2003, they were bought up by Allianz in 2018 – although they continue to operate as their own brand.

Key Features & Coverage

Mawista has three different kinds of coverage that can be used by digital nomads. The right one for you depends on factors like length of stay abroad, whether you want to be covered worldwide and age.

For example, the Expatcare policy is ideal for people working long term in Germany (or Germans working long term abroad). It can run for up to 5 years but only allows for 3 months of coverage outside of your chosen destination per year. There are 3 different tiers of Expatcare: Classic, Comfort and Premium.

Reisecare works best for people who plan to go on short spurts abroad, as the premiums are charged according to the number of days you want covered and can apply to all geographies except your home country.

Visum is only for people who want to be covered while working and travelling around Germany, Switzerland and the Schengen countries within a 6-month period.

In all cases, you will usually need to foot the bill for your medical fees upfront, before applying for reimbursement from Mawista through their claims process.

✅ Medical Coverage

• All emergency inpatient and outpatient treatments are covered up to an unrestricted amount. However, only the Expatcare policy will pay for 100% of your outpatient bills in Germany for the duration of your policy.
• Both Visum and Reisecare only cover outpatient costs up to the 1.8 fold rate of the Scale of Medical Fees (GOÄ). To explain that in plain English, in Germany, hospitals are allowed to charge people with private insurance more if a procedure is considered particularly complex. Mawista will essentially reimburse you for up to 1.8 times the base rate, but bear in mind that the base rate can be multiplied by up to 3.5 at the hospital’s discretion. In other words, you may still be left significantly out of pocket if your treatment is deemed time consuming and/or resource intensive.
• In a medical emergency, transport costs to the nearest hospital are completely covered under all policies.
• Necessary medical aids (like crutches or a wheelchair) are included between €250 to €2,000 per year, depending on the policy.
• Dental is covered for between €250 and €500, depending on the policy.
• Expatcare comes with some preventative and routine care features, such as therapeutic massages, psychotherapy sessions and cancer screenings. The exact benefit varies depending on whether you choose Classic, Comfort or Premium.
• Expatcare will also reimburse you for some pregnancy-related treatment costs after the moratorium period (usually 3 months).
• If you splash out on Expatcare Premium, it’s even possible to receive money back for outlay on dentures (following an 8-month moratorium period).
• Pre-existing conditions are not covered by any of the policies.

✅ Emergency & Evacuation Coverage

• Medical evacuation and repatriation are available up to an unlimited amount across all policies, providing it is medically advisable and justifiable.
• There is no coverage for natural disasters or political evacuation.

✅ Travel-Related Benefits

• Personal liability coverage is included with the Visum package, which allows you to claim up to €250,000 if you damage your rental property and up to €1,000,000 for personal injury. For Reisecare, the same coverage is available as a purchasable add-on.
• There’s no Mawista travel insurance for things like trip delays, lost luggage and flight cancellations.

✅ COVID-19 & Pandemic Coverage

• If there is no travel warning in place for the place that you are travelling, any treatment related to COVID-19 will be covered. Even if there is a travel warning, you may still be covered if you are classified as an expat working abroad in that geography.

Pricing & Plans

Mawista has very transparent pricing, so you can decide upfront whether you want to pop for a more comprehensive policy or one that covers the basics with lower premiums.

Expatcare

• Expatcare is the priciest insurance plan of the bunch, although it also has the lowest age limit, topping out at 60. Policies can run anywhere from 1 month to 5 years, and premiums are taken per month. You must have an address in Germany to purchase this policy, which is why it’s only available to expats planning to reside primarily in Germany or Germans going abroad.
• There’s a different charging structure based on whether you want your coverage to exclude or include the USA and Canada. In almost all cases, choosing a policy that doesn’t cover you for the USA and Canada means you’ll save more than 50% in premiums. There’s also a €500 deductible per year for the USA and Canada, but no deductible for other geographies.
• Classic, which is the most affordable of the 3 Expatcare tiers, starts at €69 per month (€148 USA/Canada) for people up to the age of 40, rising to €79 (€185 USA/Canada) for those aged 41 to 55 and €228 (€570 USA/Canada) for those aged 56 to 60.
• One level up, Comfort adds on coverage for things like visual aids and cancer screenings, as well as reimbursing 80% of psychotherapy session fees. Plans start at €89 per month (€198 USA/Canada) for anyone 40 and under, rising to €109 (€248 USA/Canada) for those aged 41 to 55 and €298 (€745 USA/Canada) for those aged 56 to 60.
• With higher limits for procedures like analgesic dental treatment and featuring vaccinations as part of the coverage, Premium is the most expensive tier, costing €139 per month (€323 USA/Canada) for people 40 and under, €159 (€373 USA/Canada) for 41- to 55-year-olds and €329 (€823 USA/Canada) for 56- to 60-year-olds.

Visum

• There’s only a single tier for Mawista Visum, with coverage ranging from 8 days to 183 days (just under 6 months). The total price is paid upfront.
• The package is generally cheaper the longer your coverage lasts. For example, if you opt for just 8 days (the lowest amount of time available), you’ll pay €13. Go for 62 days (about 3 months) and you’ll pay €67. In other words, 8 days’ cover works out at just under €1.63 per day, while 62 days’ cover comes to about €1.08 per day.
• Coverage for anyone aged 65 to 80 is slightly more expensive, coming in at €26 per 8 days, €134 for 62 days and €398 for 183 days. There’s also a deductible for this age range: €100 for outpatient treatment and €500 for inpatient treatment.
• Since Visum is designed solely to work in Germany, Switzerland and the Schengen region, there’s no separate pricing structing for the USA and Canada.

Reisecare

• The simplest of the bunch, Reisecare is charged per day, valid for a maximum of 365 days (i.e., a year). The premium is paid upfront.
• For anybody aged 64 and under, the cost is €1.25 per day, while those aged 65 to 80 are charged €6.25 per day.
• If you want to have the USA and/or Canada included, prices go up to €3.50 per day for anyone under 64 and €17.50 per day for 65- to 80-year-olds.
• There’s an optional liability and accidental insurance add-on that costs €0.40 per day, regardless of age.
• There’s no deductible on any Reisecare policy.

How Does Pricing Compare to Competitors?

Mawista has very competitive pricing, made doubly good because it offers a single price for anyone under the age of 65 on their Visum and Reisecare products. Even their Expatcare package, which has a greater inclusion of outpatient and routine care options, is cheaper than several market alternatives.

Pros & Cons of Mawista

Pros

✅ Unlimited maximum coverage
✅ No deductible for most policies
✅ Will insure people up to the age of 80
✅ Affordable pricing

Cons

❌ No coverage for pre-existing conditions
❌ No trip-related benefits
❌ Outpatient reimbursement may not cover your entire invoice

How to Sign Up & Use Mawista

• Sign-up process:

1. On the Mawista homepage, select the policy type you would like to apply for.
2. Enter your personal details, including contact information, name, date of birth and address. For Expatcare, you will need to provide an address in Germany.
3. Scroll down and enter the period of insurance.
4. Continue scrolling and select your insurance tariff. For Expatcare, you’ll be able to choose between Classic, Comfort or Premium, as well as whether you want your coverage to include or exclude the USA and Canada. For Reisecare, there’s a similar choice for geographies, as well as an option to add accident and liability insurance. For Visum, there’s only a single option, which will be automatically selected.
5. Scroll down and select your country of origin.
6. If you are applying for Expatcare, enter your planned country of residence. For Visum, this is automatically assumed to be Germany, Switzerland and the Schengen region, while Reisecare provides the same coverage regardless of geography.
7. Choose whether you want to pay by SEPA direct debit or credit card.
8. Tick the “Declaration of agreement” boxes and click “Take out insurance.”

• How to file a claim and get reimbursed:

1. On the Mawista homepage, click on the menu button at the top right of the screen and select “File a claim.”
2. Choose your type of health insurance policy (i.e., Expatcare, Reisecare, Visum), then enter your personal information, including your insurance number.
3. Scroll down and type in the description of your symptoms as well as the treatments you received.
4. Enter the date when your symptoms first appeared and confirm whether you’ve had these symptoms before. There’s also a tick box in this section where you’ll be asked if your claim is related to an accident or not.
5. Enter your bank account details. You must have a German bank account to receive reimbursement.
6. Upload supporting evidence, such as invoices and doctor’s notes.
7. Submit your claim.

• User experience:

There’s nothing fancy or frilly about Mawista’s website – which some might say is a good thing! Both the sign-up and claims process take place on a single screen, so you won’t have to continually click next to proceed. It’s all mobile optimized, and everything looks pretty much exactly the same on a PC and a smartphone.

There is a massive downside to the Mawista user experience though: there’s no way to check the status of your claim without speaking to customer service. As an added annoyance, the company doesn’t provide a very concrete timeframe for processing claims, other than saying they will aim to acknowledge you within 48 hours.

What that boils down to is, you have no idea when to expect a response as to whether your claim has been accepted or rejected – AND there’s no way to get an update unless you spend time calling or emailing Mawista.

Mawista vs. Competitors

*To provide a more direct comparison, we’ve scaled all prices to be equal to roughly a 31-day month. Quotes vary based on age, trip duration, destinations and several other factors, so only treat this as a rough estimate.

Customer Reviews & Ratings

Admittedly, Mawista does not have the best digital nomad insurance rating. On Trustpilot, it’s one of the lowest-scoring insurers, with just 3.7 out of 5. Almost all their reviews are either 5 stars or 1 star, which clearly shows that customers have hugely divergent experiences.

What people like:

• It’s very easy to apply. The form is basically one page long and takes about 5-10 minutes to complete.
• Cheap pricing. Especially for people just looking to fulfil a visa requirement, it’s the most affordable way to get coverage.

What people don’t like:

• The customer service. Several people have complained about how difficult it is to reach a representative, both over the phone and by email.
• The claims process can be opaque. Mawista’s system for registering and responding to complaints is a common source of discontent among their clients.

Who Should & Shouldn’t Use Mawista?

• Recommended for → Budget-conscious nomads, expats working and living in Germany
• Not ideal for → People with pre-existing conditions, freelancers who change location regularly

Final Verdict: Is Mawista Worth It?

Mawista is a good choice if what you are looking for is an affordable policy that’s going to cover your legal requirements while living and working in Germany, either short term or long term. They’re also a good option for older people who are having trouble finding price-competitive coverage.

However, they aren’t necessarily as experienced in other geographies outside of Germany. Plus, their claims system isn’t the most transparent we’ve seen on the market, which can be frustrating if you’re looking for an update.

For people who want a more global facing but still affordable option, SafetyWing is one insurer to consider. If you don’t mind spending a little more on worldwide coverage, Allianz has a couple of different expat packages, including one designed specifically for digital nomads.

Sign up for Mawista.