A road accident, a severe infection, or hospitalization can turn a routine trip into a life-threatening emergency. Assistance and repatriation insurance organizes and finances your medical care on site.
and, if necessary, your transport to a suitable facility or your return to France. A specialist international broker for 30 years, Geodesk helps you find repatriation guarantees: in more than 150 countries, including sensitive and high-risk areas.
Assistance and repatriation insurance are often confused, but they operate according to two different principles. Assistance refers to the operational service: a 24/7 call center, a medical dispatcher who communicates with the local healthcare team, and the logistical coordination of medical transport. Repatriation insurance, on the other hand, covers the financial aspects of these operations and associated costs.
A premium bank card may include repatriation reimbursement without offering real on-the-ground assistance; it is precisely this difference that separates a theoretical contract from protection that works when it is needed.
Repatriation is never decided by the traveler themselves; it is initiated by the medical coordinator of the assistance center in consultation with the medical team in the host country. The decision is based on two objective criteria: the severity of the health condition and the inadequacy of the local medical facilities to treat it. Depending on the situation, the insurance policy arranges repatriation (by air ambulance or scheduled flight with medical escort), transfer to a regional referral hospital, early repatriation for serious family reasons, or repatriation of remains in the event of death. Understanding these mechanisms prevents the most common mistake policyholders make: believing that hospitalization abroad is sufficient to trigger repatriation, when in fact each policy clause strictly defines the conditions for coverage.
A risk that is often underestimated, Geodesk understands the reality on the ground
A suspected case of typhoid required immediate intervention in a difficult-to-access area. Because a contact person was already familiar with the case, assistance was mobilized in less than an hour to coordinate medical care and ensure the traveler's safety.
A road accident occurs in a location where hospitals lack intensive care or the necessary specialized services. Medical repatriation insurance then arranges transport to a regional referral hospital, under continuous medical supervision. The goal is not to return to the country of origin at all costs, but to reach the appropriate medical facilities capable of providing treatment: this medical reasoning, and not solely the patient's wishes, guides every decision.
The death of a loved one, or the sudden hospitalization of a family member, can justify interrupting a trip. This coverage includes transportation and, often, subsequent travel to resume the mission. Unfortunately, this coverage is rarely activated… and yet, it is part of…
Assistance and repatriation, an often underestimated risk: Geodesk understands the reality on the ground
The guarantee organizes and covers medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) by air ambulance or scheduled flight with medical escort, when the state of health requires it and local care is insufficient.
The contract covers the costs and advances the costs directly to the hospital, thus preventing the traveler from tying up several thousand euros at the most critical moment.
365 days a year A platform that is always reachable, with a medical coordinator and management of time zone differences, coordinates each intervention wherever you are.
The guarantee covers the early termination of the mission for serious family reasons as well as, in the event of prolonged hospitalization on site, the travel of a relative to the bedside of the insured.
In the event of a death abroad, Geodesk organizes repatriation and covers the associated costs, a complex administrative and logistical process that the family cannot manage alone.
In countries with evolving risks, where airspace can close and commercial flights can be suspended, Geodesk mobilizes tailored evacuation solutions in conjunction with specialized security partners. This is where traditional insurance policies cease to operate.
With 30 years of experience in international insurance, coverage in more than 150 countries and a network of local partners, Geodesk knows the technical platforms, regulations and access constraints that determine the real feasibility of repatriation.
An intervention in less than an hour in an emergency, 24/7 availability, 365 days a year: the value of a repatriation guarantee is measured by the speed at which it is triggered, not by the length of its contract.
A dedicated contact person from the first interaction until the claim is filed, who is familiar with your case. No anonymous numbers: in an emergency, speaking to someone who already understands your situation makes all the difference.
No standard contracts: each guarantee is negotiated according to the destinations, profiles, and transit route. This expertise in sensitive environments is recognized even within professional security circles (CDSE publication: Circle of Corporate Security Directors).
We identify your destinations, traveler profiles and itinerary to accurately map the situations to be covered.
We build a suitable assistance and repatriation guarantee, checking limits, exclusions and actual intervention capacity per country.
Your clauses are put in place and your teams receive the contact details for the contact platform, which can be reached from the first day of the mission.
A dedicated representative manages changes to the policy, claims, and 24-hour assistance throughout your employees’ stay.
Analysis of Your Needs
We identify your destinations, traveler profiles and itinerary to accurately map the situations to be covered.
Solution Architecture
We build a suitable assistance and repatriation guarantee, checking limits, exclusions and actual intervention capacity per country.
Deployment
Your clauses are put in place and your teams receive the contact details for the contact platform, which can be reached from the first day of the mission.
Follow-up & Support
A dedicated contact person will monitor, manage claims and adjust coverage as your needs evolve.
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.”
Most travelers believe they are already covered by their bank card or health insurance. In reality, repatriation insurance provided by a card is almost always limited to 90 days per trip, subject to a maximum coverage amount, and includes exclusions that are rarely read: high-risk areas, participation in certain sports, age, or travel reclassified as expatriation. French Social Security, for its part, does not reimburse international medical travel and ceases to cover most treatments as soon as you leave the country.
Checking your coverage before you leave takes just a few minutes and prevents a nasty surprise at the worst possible moment. This video explains how to read the actual coverage offered by a payment card, travel insurance policy, or health insurance plan, and how to identify any gaps in coverage that are relevant to your profile and destination.
Coverage for one-time international assignments: administrative fees, liability insurance, and assistance throughout the entire duration of the business trip, with additional coverage for high-risk destinations.
Healthcare coverage worldwide, with direct billing, coverage limits tailored to the actual cost of local hospitalizations, and no disruption to the French healthcare system.
Coverage for the interruption of the stay, including arrangements for return transportation to France.
Comprehensive, long-term health and life insurance coverage for expatriate employees, either integrated with the CFE or providing coverage from the first euro, depending on the circumstances in the host country.
Continuing coverage for death, disability, and incapacity for your mobile workforce, anywhere in the world
Coverage and compensation specifically for personal injury accidents occurring abroad, in addition to health and assistance coverage.
Assistance is the service that organizes the operation: the contactable platform, the coordinating physician, and the logistics. Insurance is the guarantee that finances the cost and associated expenses. The two are generally combined in a single contract, but a payment card can offer the latter without providing genuine on-site assistance.
Medical repatriation insurance covers the insured's medical return (air ambulance, other medical transport, or a flight with a medical professional), emergency treatment costs, and, depending on the policy terms, the repatriation of remains, early return for serious family reasons, and travel expenses for a relative in the event of prolonged hospitalization. The precise scope and coverage limits vary from one policy to another: these are the key points to compare.
The decision rests with the platform's medical coordinator, in consultation with the insured's treating physician. Repatriation is initiated when justified and when local care is insufficient. A traveler cannot therefore demand to return to their country of origin: the coverage addresses a medical necessity, which also protects the insured against premature and dangerous travel.
Check three sources: your card, your travel insurance (if applicable), and your supplemental health insurance. French social security does not cover international medical transport. If in doubt, a review of your existing coverage will clearly identify what is covered and what is missing for your destination and your specific needs.
Examine the actual geographical extent, the capacity for assistance (24-hour availability, languages, medical presence, time difference), the cost caps in relation to local costs, the existence of advance payment of expenses, and the quality of the contact person who will handle your case in the event of a claim.
