Our Insurance Plans
Personal Accident Abroad
Accidents never come with warning. They can happen during an expatriate assignment, a business trip, a humanitarian mission, a university internship, or a study abroad program. We design individual accident insurance solutions for use abroad to protect people worldwide, with coverage tailored to each profile: expatriates, international students, companies expanding their operations internationally, NGOs, French schools abroad, and international organizations. Geodesk, a broker specializing in international insurance for 30 years, provides you with essential individual accident coverage abroad: emergency medical expenses, a lump-sum payment in the event of permanent disability, a death benefit, and repatriation assistance.
A fall while on a business trip abroad, a traffic accident, an incident at a construction site, an injury sustained during a sporting activity, or unintentional damage caused to a third party can have significant medical, financial, and legal consequences, depending on the country in which they occur. However, social security systems, European Health Insurance Cards, French insurance policies, or insurance included with a credit card often provide only partial coverage—or none at all.
A true international personal accident insurance policy protects not only the individual but also the company, NGO, educational institution, or organization sending them abroad. It covers the financial consequences of an accident, supplements reimbursement of medical expenses, provides compensation in the event of disability or death, arranges emergency assistance and repatriation, and safeguards against liability that may arise during the stay. At Geodesk, we analyze your entire situation to design comprehensive international accident insurance coverage—with no gaps—tailored to your destination country, the duration of your stay, and your activities. Whether you’re an expatriate, an international student, a humanitarian volunteer, a teacher at a French high school abroad, or a company deploying employees internationally, you’ll benefit from coverage specifically designed to address on-the-ground risks, anywhere in the world.
Geodesk understands the reality on the ground when it comes to a risk that is often underestimated.
While on a business trip to Morocco, an employee was driving a rental car and caused an accident. The auto insurance policy’s liability coverage compensates the accident victims, but the driver at fault receives no compensation for his own bodily injuries. The Geodesk individual accident insurance solution for travel abroad provides a lump-sum payment in the event of disability or death and supplements healthcare reimbursements to effectively protect both the employee and the employer, in accordance with the employer’s duty of care.
During a humanitarian mission, a study abroad program, or an assignment abroad, a person suffers a serious fall requiring surgery and several days in intensive care. In some countries, a single hospital stay can cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of euros.
Health insurance covers medical expenses, but it is the assistance service that organizes and covers medical repatriation, and it is the individual accident insurance coverage that pays a lump-sum benefit in the event of permanent disability or death. This specific coverage is not available through Social Security, traditional mutual health insurance, or auto insurance policies. The Geodesk solution combines: premium international health coverage; 24/7 medical assistance; fully organized medical repatriation; and international personal accident coverage with a lump-sum payment in the event of permanent disability or death.
While traveling abroad, an employee unintentionally causes harm to a third party: injury, property damage to a residence, or an accident involving another person. Overseas personal liability insurance covers damage caused to others, provided that its territorial coverage extends to the country of assignment. Many liability insurance policies purchased in France limit their coverage to France or the European Union: this geographic exclusion is one of the points that Geodesk systematically checks.
The Geodesk solution verifies, before departure, the territorial limits of your coverage; the exclusions in your policy; the compensation limits; and the specific needs related to your destination, your activity, and your status (expatriate, student, employee, NGO, or educational institution).
An accident abroad triggers several separate coverages; Geodesk coordinates them for you.
Individual accident insurance provides a lump-sum payment or an annuity in the event of permanent disability or accidental death, anywhere in the world, regardless of whether you are at fault for the accident.
Coverage of medical expenses resulting from an accident abroad must be tailored to the actual cost of care in the country where the accident occurred: Geodesk ensures that coverage limits include emergency hospitalization, surgery, resuscitation or intensive care, specialized tests, and medical transportation; and, whenever possible, prioritizes direct payment to healthcare facilities rather than requiring the insured to pay upfront.
Our assistance partners are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to quickly and safely arrange: emergency medical advice; referral to the most appropriate facility; medical evacuation; medical repatriation; and the return of family members when the situation requires it. Geodesk considers this a top priority in its selection criteria.
Overseas personal liability coverage protects you against damages caused to others during your stay, including bodily injury, emotional distress, and property damage. Geodesk verifies that your policy remains valid in the country where you are living or working as an expatriate and reviews the options regarding geographic limitations.
The driver’s coverage provides compensation for the driver’s bodily injury when the driver is at fault for a traffic accident or when no liable third party can be identified. Our coverage provides compensation for your bodily injury even when you are at fault for the accident or when no liable third party can be identified. This coverage, which is optional and often not included in basic auto insurance policies, is essential whenever an employee drives abroad.
Geodesk assists both employees and employers with filing claims and tracking the claims process. You’ll have a single point of contact: a dedicated representative will manage your case from the initial contact through to settlement.
For more than 30 years, Geodesk has been supporting people who live, work, study, or travel internationally in more than 150 countries, including sensitive and high-risk areas. This specialization gives the company in-depth knowledge of local insurance markets, the compensation rules specific to each country where an accident occurs, and a network of insurance and assistance partners located around the world.
At Geodesk, every policyholder speaks with someone who is familiar with their case—a single point of contact who knows your company, your employees, and your policies.
Whether before departure, during the assignment, or in an emergency, you know immediately who to contact. This continuity of service makes all the difference when a claim arises abroad, especially when a quick medical decision is required.
Whether you’re on a humanitarian mission, living abroad, participating in a university exchange program, or traveling abroad for business, our teams and our network of international partners can be quickly mobilized to arrange medical care, medical evacuations, hospitalization coverage, or repatriation when the situation calls for it.
Every international project presents different risks. Geodesk does not offer any standard contracts: each contract is negotiated and tailored to the client’s specific situation, their assignment locations, and their employees’ profiles. Geodesk conducts a free audit of your current individual accident coverage abroad and identifies your risk areas in less than 48 hours—with no obligation and 100% confidentially. You’ll then receive an insurance solution fully customized to your profile.
Geodesk analyzes your country of assignment, the employment statuses and profiles of your employees, the security measures in place in the country, and the coverage already in effect, in order to accurately map your exposure to the risk of individual accidents abroad.
Geodesk is developing a solution that combines individual accident coverage, medical expenses, assistance and repatriation, and liability insurance, while eliminating duplicates and addressing coverage gaps identified during the audit.
Geodesk handles contract setup, issues the necessary travel certificates, and provides your HR teams with procedures for assistance, pre-departure briefings, and claims filing, as well as emergency contact information to use in the event of an accident abroad
A dedicated representative oversees the contract, adjusts coverage as assignments progress, and manages claims, with regular check-ins to ensure coverage remains aligned with changes in your assignment and destination countries.
Analysis of Your Needs
Geodesk analyzes your country of assignment, the employment statuses and profiles of your employees, the security measures in place in the country, and the coverage already in effect, in order to accurately map your exposure to the risk of individual accidents abroad.
Solution Architecture
Geodesk is developing a solution that combines individual accident coverage, medical expenses, assistance and repatriation, and liability insurance, while eliminating duplicates and addressing coverage gaps identified during the audit.
Deployment
Geodesk handles contract setup, issues the necessary travel certificates, and provides your HR teams with procedures for assistance, pre-departure briefings, and claims filing, as well as emergency contact information to use in the event of an accident abroad
Follow-up & Support
A dedicated representative oversees the contract, adjusts coverage as assignments progress, and manages claims, with regular check-ins to ensure coverage remains aligned with changes in your assignment and destination countries.
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.”
Many employers believe that a car insurance policy is sufficient to protect an employee driving abroad. In reality, the third-party liability coverage of this policy only compensates third parties who are victims of a road accident: the driver at fault is not covered for their own bodily injuries, and car insurance does not provide for medical repatriation, disability benefits, or coverage of actual medical expenses in the country where the accident occurs.
This video uses a real-life example to illustrate what actually happens when an accident occurs abroad: which insurer intervenes, under which law the victim is compensated, and what coverages fill the gaps in a standard auto insurance policy. Geodesk details the points to check before any departure to avoid incurring significant expenses for the individual or organization.
Business travel insurance covers your employees during their one-time assignments abroad: medical expenses, assistance, repatriation, and liability coverage for the entire duration of the trip. Geodesk tailors the coverage to the destination, duration, and risk level of each trip, including transit countries and not just the final destination.
Assistance and Repatriation Insurance covers the organization and costs of a medical evacuation, medical repatriation, or the return of a deceased person’s remains, through a platform available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Geodesk distinguishes between assistance (the on-the-ground service) and insurance (financial coverage) and verifies the actual responsiveness of the assistance provider based on the country and time zones.
Early return insurance covers an employee's return before the scheduled end of their assignment due to a serious family matter, a security incident, or a medical reason. Geodesk clarifies the often-misunderstood distinction between early return and medical repatriation, which are subject to different conditions and coverage limits.
Expat insurance protects employees who have settled permanently abroad and, where applicable, their spouses and children: international health coverage, life insurance, and personal and professional liability coverage. Geodesk determines whether to use the primary insurance plan or supplemental coverage through the Caisse des Français de l'Étranger based on each expatriate’s individual situation.
International life and disability insurance provides a lump-sum payment or an annuity in the event of the death, disability, or incapacity of an employee on an international assignment, in accordance with the employee’s status and country of assignment. Geodesk ensures that this coverage is coordinated with other policies to avoid gaps in coverage between different statuses.
Individual accident coverage provides a lump-sum payment or an annuity in the event of permanent disability or death resulting from an accident, regardless of the person’s liability. This coverage forms the foundation of accident protection while abroad and covers the driver beyond the scope of auto liability insurance.
In the event of an accident, the financial consequences can be significant. In some countries, medical care must be paid for upfront before coverage takes effect. A single hospital stay can cost tens of thousands of euros. With Geodesk international insurance, you benefit from 24/7 assistance; coverage of medical expenses based on your selected coverage options; arrangements for medical repatriation, if necessary; and administrative support until the claim is settled.
It depends on the country and your insurance policy. In some states, your French auto insurance may be valid. In others, local insurance or cross-border insurance is required. Before each trip, Geodesk verifies: which countries are actually covered; any exclusions; driver coverage; and any additional needs.
The International Motor Insurance Card system is administered by the Council of Bureaux and covers approximately 40 countries, although coverage may be suspended for certain destinations. The International Motor Insurance Certificate is still required as a physical document in several countries outside the European Union, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Morocco, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Tunisia, Ukraine, and Belarus. On this document, each country that is not crossed out indicates active coverage; a country that is missing or crossed out means that coverage does not apply there.
Before each assignment, Geodesk verifies the actual geographic scope of the policy, the exclusions, and whether international insurance is required.
Under international law, compensation for a victim of an accident abroad is, in principle, governed by the law of the country where the accident occurred, except when both parties involved reside in the same country, in which case the law of that country applies. This is a crucial point: under foreign law, the level of compensation for a disability or personal injury may be significantly lower than it would be under French law. This is one of the reasons why Geodesk recommends doubling the civil liability coverage under an individual accident insurance policy for travel abroad.
No. The mandatory liability coverage under an insurance policy compensates third-party victims but never compensates the at-fault driver for his or her own bodily injuries. Without driver coverage or individual accident coverage, a driver found at fault—or a victim of an accident where no third party can be identified—will receive no compensation for his or her injuries. That is why Geodesk consistently recommends adding individual accident coverage to any international travel plan.
The French Social Security system reimburses medical care received abroad only to a very limited extent, based on French rates and subject to certain conditions, and standard supplemental health insurance rarely covers the full actual cost of medical care received outside France. International health insurance provides additional coverage. Individual accident insurance for travel abroad provides further protection.
