Medical travel glossary
Short explanations of the terms that providers, insurers, airlines and authorities use.
What to know
Care
Terms for the kind of care and the documents around it.
- Inpatient and outpatient
- Inpatient care includes staying overnight in a hospital or clinic; outpatient care means visits without an overnight stay.
- Rehabilitation
- A structured programme of therapies to regain function after illness, injury or surgery.
- Medical spa
- A stay that combines accommodation with treatments based on natural resources such as mineral water, prescribed by a spa doctor.
- Second opinion
- A review of existing reports by another specialist, who gives an independent written assessment.
- Discharge letter
- The treating doctors’ summary of the diagnosis, treatment, medicines and follow-up, given when the patient leaves. In German: Arztbrief.
- Fitness to travel
- The treating doctor’s judgement that the patient can travel safely, sometimes with conditions.
Costs and payment
Terms you will see in estimates and invoices.
- Cost estimate
- The provider’s written forecast of what the planned treatment will cost. It is not a fixed price. In German: Kostenvoranschlag.
- Advance payment
- Money paid before admission, based on the estimate, and settled against the final invoice.
- Final invoice
- The bill issued after treatment for the services actually provided.
- Cost guarantee
- A written commitment from an insurer or sponsor to pay the provider for agreed treatment.
- Pre-authorization
- An insurer’s or sponsor’s approval, obtained before the treatment takes place.
Travel and visas
Terms from embassies and airlines.
- Schengen area
- A group of European countries, including Germany and Czechia, with a common short-stay visa.
- Short-stay visa (type C)
- A Schengen visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
- National visa (type D)
- A long-stay visa issued by one country for stays of more than 90 days.
- MEDIF
- An airline’s medical information form, completed by a doctor, for passengers who need medical clearance or special assistance.
Language and documents
Terms for language support and paperwork.
- Interpreting
- Spoken language support during appointments and conversations.
- Translation
- Written translation of documents.
- Certified translation
- A translation confirmed by an authorized translator. Some authorities and providers accept only this kind.
- Power of attorney
- A document that authorizes someone to act for the patient, for example to receive information. What it must contain depends on the country and the purpose.