Geodesk protects reporters, newsrooms, news agencies, and audiovisual production companies that send teams of staff or freelance journalists—including stringers—to the most dangerous locations. Standard travel and health insurance policies almost always exclude war, terrorism, and civil unrest—precisely the situations in which news is reported. As a specialist in insurance for conflict zones for over 30 years, Geodesk designs customized coverage for salaried journalists, freelancers, fixers, and local contributors.
A cover designed with the realities of the field for reporting in mind.
A journalist navigates a series of stopovers, layovers, and connections in countries that are sometimes more sensitive than their final destination. Most insurance policies cover only the country of arrival and leave a blind spot for transit countries, where a security check, a health-related incident, or an administrative hold could occur. Geodesk systematically verifies that coverage extends to the entire route, not just the destination.
The cost of hospitalization abroad often runs into tens of thousands of euros, and even more for intensive care or resuscitation. International health insurance is only valuable if its coverage limits match the actual cost of care in the country of assignment—a point that Geodesk reviews line by line, paying close attention to specific limits for resuscitation, deductibles, waiting periods, and direct payment of expenses rather than mere reimbursement.
What is considered a “routine” reporting assignment can turn into a crisis situation in a matter of hours: a protest that gets out of hand, a coup d’état, or a border closure. Geodesk drafts contracts that anticipate this change in status, so that a reporter is never left without coverage at the very moment the field becomes dangerous.
This is Geodesk’s core business. Standard insurance policies explicitly exclude coverage for war, terrorism, and similar acts: a reporter sent to a front line with only travel insurance is, in effect, uninsured. Geodesk negotiates “war risks” coverage extensions with specialized insurers in cases where the traditional insurance market refuses to provide coverage.
The risk landscape is changing rapidly: a country can go from being a "monitored" area to a "travel-restricted" area in a matter of days. Geodesk continuously monitors geopolitical developments and adapts its coverage to this shifting reality, rather than setting a fixed list of exclusions that will become outdated at the first sign of a crisis.
In addition to medical expenses, reporting in conflict zones exposes journalists to the risk of kidnapping, confinement, and detention. Geodesk includes Kidnapping & Ransom (K&R) coverage and extraction plans—coordinated with crisis management partners—to bring a team back to safety when the situation deteriorates.
A news organization that sends an employee abroad assumes its responsibilities as an employer, including its obligation to ensure safety. The ISO 31000 standard now provides a framework for managing risks associated with business travel: it requires the organization to conduct a documented risk assessment and implement appropriate protective measures. Geodesk helps media organizations structure this process and incorporate it into their contracts.
Some countries require employers to purchase specific local insurance for any foreign worker present on their territory. A company that fails to do so risks noncompliance and a gap in coverage in the event of a claim. Geodesk verifies local regulatory compliance for each country of assignment and highlights the obligations specific to that destination.
Compliance also applies to employment status: a freelancer, consultant, or local fixer is not subject to the same regulations as a salaried journalist. Geodesk ensures that every person assigned to an assignment has a contract that aligns with their actual employment status, so that no one at risk is left out of the system.
Geodesk is a broker 100% specialized in international insurance, with over 30 years of experience and a network of partners covering more than 150 countries. Each client has a dedicated point of contact, from the initial contact through the handling of any potential claim: no anonymity, no impersonal platform, but an ongoing relationship managed by someone who understands the client’s mission and the challenges involved.
Covering war risk requires rare expertise that few brokers truly master. Geodesk’s specialization in this area is recognized even by the Cercle des Directions de la Sécurité des Entreprises (CDSE). Internally, Candy leads missions in high-risk areas, Charlotte specializes in kidnapping and ransom, and Nicolas handles cybersecurity, the ISO 31000 standard, and missions in war zones—three areas of expertise that are directly beneficial to a newsroom that sends teams into sensitive areas.
Pain Without Borders
Pain Without Borders
Pain Without Borders has been using Geodesk's services for several years. Geodesk regularly provides us with insurance solutions tailored to our experts' missions in our various areas of operation, particularly in Ukraine, Ivory Coast, and Mozambique. Communication is always smooth, quick, and efficient, and we are fully satisfied with our collaboration and the availability of our account managers. "
URD Group
A. Lefevre
HR Director
“The travel of Better with Water employees is essential to the success of our field missions. Having a reliable insurance partner allows us to support them with peace of mind, wherever they are working. The quality of the support, the responsiveness of the teams, and the coverage tailored to our needs are a real asset for our organization and for the safety of our employees.”
GERES
X.ARNOULT
HR Director
“For several years, Geodesk and IECD have been developing a structured partnership to benefit the social protection of employees on international assignments. Present in 18 countries, IECD works to promote access to education, employment, and entrepreneurship. Geodesk's support helps to secure these initiatives in sometimes complex or fragile environments, particularly in Lebanon and Madagascar. This long-term partnership is based on a strong and shared relationship of trust between IECD and Geodesk, serving their common commitments on the ground.”
Reporters Without Borders
“RSF has been working with Geodesk for several years. We particularly appreciate the quality of their personalized support. Their teams are always responsive, available, and attentive to our needs. We appreciate their follow-up and always enjoy communicating with them.”
The Alexandre Dumas French Lycée in Moscow
Jean-Paul SCHÜTZ
Principal
“The Lycée Français Alexandre Dumas in Moscow , a school directly managed by the AEFE (Agency for French Education Abroad), places the safety and well-being of its students at the heart of its priorities. This is why we attach paramount importance to the quality of the school insurance we have purchased from CGEA GEODESK. Our school welcomes over 660 students, from preschool to the final year of high school, from numerous nationalities and spread across three separate campuses. In such a demanding international environment, we need a reliable partner. CGEA GEODESK fully meets this requirement. The “INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SCHOOL INSURANCE” coverage protects our students during school hours, on educational outings, and during all extracurricular activities organized by the school, thus providing continuous protection tailored to our daily lives.”
CartONG
L. Cailloce
Administrative and Logistics Officer
“Your speed and responsiveness ensure that we always receive our insurance certificates on time for our employees working in the field, even when we notify you relatively late. This is something we greatly appreciate, and it’s a relief to know that we can count on you in this regard.”
*Offered depending on the type of company and the country of assignment
We review your situation and existing contracts, then we carefully identify your needs to develop coverage that is truly tailored to you—country by country and profile by profile. We identify high-risk areas within each country in less than 48 hours.
We are sending you a draft of your contract. You have plenty of time before your business trip to let us know your comments and requested changes.
Together, we’ll review your finalized contract. All you have to do is sign it to complete your enrollment and set off with complete peace of mind, knowing exactly what’s covered.
Initial Contact
Fill out our online form, specifying the specific needs related to your travel, your assignment abroad, or your business trip. A dedicated representative—based on the type of insurance—will handle your case.
Needs Assessment & Insurance Audit
We review your situation and existing contracts, then we carefully identify your needs to develop coverage that is truly tailored to you—country by country and profile by profile. We identify high-risk areas within each country in less than 48 hours.
Submission of a Proposal
We are sending you a draft of your contract. You have plenty of time before your business trip to let us know your comments and requested changes.
Approval & Contract
Together, we’ll review your finalized contract. All you have to do is sign it to complete your enrollment and set off with complete peace of mind, knowing exactly what’s covered.
No. In almost all cases, standard travel and health insurance policies explicitly exclude coverage for war, terrorism, and civil unrest. A journalist on the front lines who is covered by standard insurance is therefore, in practice, uninsured against the primary risk to which he or she is exposed. Geodesk obtains “war risk” extensions from specialized insurers to fill this gap.
Most often, no—and this is one of the industry’s most dangerous blind spots. A freelance journalist is generally not covered by the contract of the news organization that assigns the story, and a local fixer (who nevertheless takes significant risks) is frequently left without any insurance. Geodesk offers coverage on a per-assignment or contract-term basis that allows these individuals to be included.
This is rarely the case with a general insurance policy. The “luggage” coverage limits under a travel insurance policy are far lower than the actual value of a camera, a set of lenses, a drone, or satellite equipment. Geodesk tailors equipment coverage to the actual value of the equipment and covers both theft and damage.
This is a risk specific to the profession, distinct from simple theft. Geodesk incorporates the issues of data seizure at borders and the protection of source data into its analysis, drawing on its cybersecurity expertise, in order to limit the exposure of journalists and their contacts.
An evacuation requires safety coordination, sometimes a rescue operation, and medical transport depending on the person’s condition. The Geodesk assistance platform operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, with the ability to respond on-site in less than an hour.
Yes, this aspect is part of the discussion. Repeated exposure to violence or traumatic events is a recognized occupational hazard for reporters. Geodesk provides counseling and post-traumatic psychological support as part of the coverage it offers to media organizations.
Yes. As an employer, a media organization has a duty to ensure the safety of its employees while they are traveling, and the ISO 31030 standard formalizes the expectations regarding travel risk management. Geodesk helps newsrooms document their risk assessments and translate them into compliant contracts.
It intervenes in the event of an employee’s kidnapping or false imprisonment and funds, among other things, crisis management and negotiations conducted by specialists. For security reasons, these measures are confidential by nature. Nicolas, at Geodesk, specializes specifically in this K&R expertise.
Each profile comes with its own set of challenges. Choose yours to find out which coverage is right for your situation abroad.
