Green Card vs Travel Health Insurance: The Difference

⏱ 1 min read

These two products are frequently confused, yet they address completely different risks. A family driving abroad needs both.

Green Card

Attached to the vehicle. Covers damage you cause to others abroad. Required at border crossings.

Travel health insurance

Attached to the person. Covers illness, accident, emergency treatment, medication and, where necessary, medical repatriation. Required with a defined minimum limit for Schengen visa applications.

The third product to consider

Comprehensive motor cover with an international extension: damage to your own vehicle, theft and roadside assistance abroad. The Green Card covers none of these.

Checklist before departure

• Green Card: are ALL countries on the route covered?
• Travel health: does the limit meet visa requirements?
• Comprehensive: is there international cover and assistance?
• Vehicle: if rented, is written permission obtained?

Frequently asked questions

Which insurance does a Schengen visa require?

Travel health insurance with a defined minimum limit, valid throughout the Schengen area.

Is my comprehensive cover valid abroad?

Only if the policy includes an international extension; standard policies are usually limited to Türkiye.

Related pages

• En/Green Card Insurance
• En/Travel Health Insurance

Insurance advice in Maslak and the surrounding area

“Green Card vs Travel Health Insurance: The Difference” is one of the questions we are asked most often by clients in Maslak, Seyrantepe and 4. Levent. For clients driving abroad from Istanbul we issue Green Card cover including every country on the route, delivered before departure.

Our office is based in Maslak, Istanbul. We meet clients within a short drive — Maslak, Seyrantepe and 4. Levent — or handle everything by phone, e-mail and WhatsApp, in Turkish and English. If you are searching on your phone for an insurance agency nearby, you can simply call +90 540 384 21 41 or see the related service page.