Patients and families: bringing a loved one home
A relative is in hospital abroad and you are far away, or you are the patient and want to go home. We explain each step, we tell you what we need, and one coordinator stays your contact until the patient arrives.
What to do first
- Check the insurance. If the patient has travel insurance, an assistance contract or a bank card with assistance cover, call its emergency number before anything else. Many contracts only pay for a transport they have agreed in advance.
- Contact us. By phone at any time, or with the quote form: where the patient is, where they should go, their condition in a few words and how they can travel.
- Give us the hospital’s details. The name of the hospital, the department and the treating doctor: our medical team obtains the medical report from them.
- Choose one family contact. One person who speaks with us, so that information stays consistent.
What we do for you
- A medical assessment with the treating doctor, to choose the safest transport.
- A written, itemised quote, free of charge, before any commitment.
- The search for a bed in a receiving hospital, taking the family’s preference into account when possible.
- The formalities: airline approval, flight permits, ambulances at both ends.
- News at each step through your coordinator, until the handover at the receiving hospital.
The steps are detailed in how a medical repatriation works.
If there is no insurance, or the insurer refuses
A private repatriation, paid by the patient or the family, remains possible. The price depends mainly on the type of transport, the distance and the care needed during the flight: our page on medical repatriation costs explains it. Our payment terms for private clients: [payment terms for private clients].
If the insurer refuses, ask for the reason in writing: it helps to discuss the decision with them. Our guide to insurance and repatriation lists what to check in a contract.
Travelling with the patient
A relative can often travel with the patient, depending on the type of transport and the space on board. They need their own valid travel documents and, if they are not a national of the destination country, the right to enter it: check visas as early as possible. A relative does not replace the medical escort.
Our guide to the documents for a medical repatriation lists the papers to gather for the patient and for the relative.
Your information is protected
We only ask for the health information we need, and it is reserved for our medical team. Please do not send medical records by ordinary email: we tell you how to send them securely if we need them. Details are in our privacy policy.
Questions from families
I live in Europe and my relative is in hospital in Africa. Can you help?
Yes, we organise repatriations from Africa to Europe. Our guide to medical repatriation from Africa explains the steps and what affects the timescale.
Can I talk to a doctor?
Our medical team speaks with the treating doctor about the patient’s condition. Your coordinator passes on your questions and explains the medical plan to you in plain words.
What if the patient is not well enough to travel?
We tell you clearly, and we stay in contact with the treating team until the transport becomes possible.
Do I have to pay before the transport?
For private clients: [payment terms for private clients]. When an insurer covers the transport, we work on its guarantee of payment.
Tell us about your relative
A few details are enough to start: where the patient is, where they should go and how they can travel.