Visa-ready plans from $721 per adult, billed annually · see your exact price by age.
The rule in writing
“Austrian residence permits require health insurance that provides benefits in Austria and covers all risks, with claims payable in Austria — a stricter standard than a Schengen travel policy.”
Official source: migration.gv.at & oesterreich.gv.at — residence-permit general conditions — Last verified:
Why US health coverage stops at the Austrian border
Medicare does not cover routine care once you are living outside the United States, so anyone assuming it travels with them to Austria is already unprotected on day one. Our Medicare abroad guide walks through exactly where that coverage ends.
US employer and marketplace plans have the same problem in a different shape. They are built around US provider networks and US residency, not around a foreign address, so once you are living in Austria they are not structured to meet the country's all-risks, payable-in-Austria standard for residence permits.
Austria's all-risks standard and the case-by-case reality
Austrian residence permits require insurance that provides benefits in Austria, covers all risks, and pays claims in Austria; a materially stricter bar than a Schengen travel policy (migration.gv.at, verified July 2026). Case-by-case assessment is the norm, so the exact wording on your certificate matters more than any brochure claim about what a plan generally covers.
For the full mechanics of how this plays out for a specific permit, our settlement permit insurance page and settlement permit insurance guide go deeper, and the Austria healthcare system overview explains how the public system fits around it.
What we arrange for Americans
We arrange international cover valid in Austria with the certificate worded for the authority (partner arrangements confirmed July 2026); if your permit type doesn't fit our arrangement, we say so before you pay; a person reviews your permit type rather than an algorithm waving it through. Plans run from US$1,000,000 to US$2,000,000 in cover, start the same day with no medical exam, and carry a 14-day cooling-off period. Children aged 0-17 are covered at a flat rate.
Pre-existing conditions are plainly excluded, and treatment inside the United States itself is not covered; if you're heading home for a visit, our US trips guide explains how to handle that gap. New applicants are accepted up to age 70 (Essential up to 80). See real Austria prices by age, then start a quote or work through the checklist.
Honest limits: Cover is worldwide but excludes treatment in the United States. Pre-existing conditions are excluded, including conditions you did not know about. We disclose this before you request a quote. Consulates keep discretion, and requirements can change. We show the published rule and its source; the final decision is the consulate’s. US domestic and Medicare cover does not travel with you — see the questions below.