What is Alpenverein Weltweit Service?
Alpenverein Weltweit Service (AWS) is the insurance included in the membership fee of the Austrian Alpenverein. The insurer is Generali Versicherung AG. You do not sign a separate policy: you are covered as long as your fee for the current year is paid. The figures below are a summary; the applicable terms are binding.
What does Alpenverein insurance cover?
Rescue from inaccessible terrain is covered up to €25,000, all year and worldwide, Slovakia included. Repatriation and medical treatment abroad up to €10,000 are covered for the first 8 weeks of each trip, for accidents and illness. Personal liability up to €3,000,000 and criminal legal protection up to €35,000 apply in Europe for activities.
| Area | Limit | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| Rescue from inaccessible terrain | up to €25,000 / person / claim | year-round, worldwide including Slovakia, leisure time |
| Repatriation from abroad | no sum limit* | first 8 weeks of each trip abroad |
| Medical treatment abroad (accident and illness) | up to €10,000 (outpatient up to €2,000, €70 deductible per stay) | first 8 weeks of each trip abroad |
| Personal liability | up to €3,000,000 (€200 deductible for property damage) | year-round, Europe; for activities |
| Criminal legal protection | up to €35,000 | year-round, Europe; for activities |
| Legal advice on injury compensation claims | up to €500 per claim | Europe; for activities |
*Repatriation must be organised by Europ Assistance, whose contact details are on your membership card. Otherwise reimbursement is capped at €750. The table is an overview; the full scope and exclusions are on the Insurance page and in the applicable AWS terms.
How much is Alpenverein membership with insurance?
Membership for 2027 costs €83 for an adult aged 28 to 64, €66 for juniors, seniors, mountain rescuers and partners, and €32 for children under 18 and people with a disability. A family pays €83 to €149, and children under 18 and students up to 27 are free. The insurance is included in the fee.
Adult
83 €
Membership with insurance for 2027
Adult aged 28 to 64
Who is an adult?
A person who is or will be aged 28 to 64 in 2027 (born 1999 – 1963).
Discounted
66 €
Membership with insurance for 2027
Junior up to 27, senior from 65, mountain rescuer, partner
Who is discounted?
- junior aged 19 – 27 (born 2000 – 2008)
- senior aged 65+ (born 1962 and earlier)
- HZS mountain rescuer
- partner
Youth / disability
32 €
Membership with insurance for 2027
Children under 18, disability of 50% or more (inclusive)
Who is youth / disability?
- children under 18 (born 2009 and later)
- severe disability of 50% or more (including 50%)
Family
83 – 149 €
Membership with insurance for 2027
Married couple / partners + children free
Who is the family?
149 €: married couple / partners + children free
- Children free up to 18, students up to 27
- Everyone in the Family category must live at the same address
- Unmarried couples and same-sex couples also count as partners
83 €: single parent + children free
- A single parent raises children in the household without a partner
- For example widowed, divorced, or without a life partner
- Children under 18 and students up to 27 are free
Age is based on how old the member turns in 2027. Details are in the price list.
Does the insurance apply in Slovakia, and for which sports?
Yes. Rescue is covered at home and abroad, so it also applies when the Slovak Mountain Rescue Service (HZS) comes out for you. What counts is the terrain, not the sport itself (apart from the exclusions in the terms): searching for you and getting you out of inaccessible terrain, including gorges, streams and rivers, is covered if you are there in your leisure time and not on an ascent above 6,000 m. Climbing from UIAA grade 5, free solo and ice-fall climbing are explicitly covered.
Medical treatment, however, is only covered abroad, not in the country where you live.
What does Alpenverein insurance not cover?
Two misunderstandings come up most often. Medical treatment abroad is not year-round; it covers the first 8 weeks of each trip. Liability cover is not worldwide; it applies in Europe only. Expeditions above 6,000 m and competitions also need a closer look.
Medical treatment and repatriation abroad
Only the first 8 weeks of each trip abroad. For a longer stay you need the premium travel add-on.
Ascents above 6,000 m and polar regions
Trips with a planned ascent above 6,000 m, trips to the Arctic, Antarctica and Greenland, and expeditions are excluded. The mainland of Finland, Norway and Sweden is covered even beyond the Arctic Circle.
Competitions
Hobby races, such as trail running or ski-touring races, are not excluded, and rescue from inaccessible terrain covers you there. Regional, national and international competitions in skiing, snowboarding, freestyle, freeride, bobsleigh, ski-bob, skeleton and luge, including training, are excluded. So are all mountain-bike competitions, including downhill, four-cross and dirt jump.
Paid work
Rescue is covered in your leisure time, not when you are working for pay.
Want us to look at a specific situation? Write to us and we will go through it with you.
When is an add-on worth it?
The basic cover pays for medical treatment abroad up to €10,000 and only for the first 8 weeks of a trip. For longer trips, ascents above 6,000 m or a higher medical limit, you can buy the premium travel add-on with medical cover up to €500,000. For permanent disability over 50% after a leisure accident, the permanent disability add-on pays a lifetime pension of €500 to €1,500 a month or a lump sum.
How do I buy membership with insurance online?
You can do the whole order online, without visiting an office.
- Choose a category from the price list.
- Fill in the order form.
- Pay the membership fee. AWS insurance is part of it.
- After payment you receive a membership card or confirmation. You are covered once the fee is paid before an insured event.
What should I do after an accident or hospital admission?
In an emergency, call 112 first, or the Slovak Mountain Rescue Service on 18 300. If you are admitted to hospital abroad or need transport, contact Europ Assistance as soon as possible: +43 1 253 3798, aws@alpenverein.at. This applies to repatriation, transport, inpatient treatment abroad and transfer within your home country, not to the rescue itself. Without that call, reimbursement may be capped at €750.
Then report the claim using our form. We will help you with the report and follow it through until it is settled.
Who helps you with your membership?
Alpenverein Slovensko is run by Horský klub s.r.o. from Liptovský Mikuláš. We are the official Alpenverein representative in Slovakia and part of the Alpenverein-Edelweiss Vienna section. We register you, issue your membership card and, if you have a claim, see the report through with you until it is settled. If you are not sure whether you are covered, call us. The line is open every day.
Alpenverein Slovensko
Frequently asked questions
How much is Alpenverein membership with insurance for 2027?
An adult pays €83, the discounted category €66, children under 18 and people with a disability of 50% or more €32, and a family €83 to €149 depending on the household. Alpenverein Weltweit Service insurance is included in the membership fee.
What is Alpenverein Weltweit Service?
It is the insurance included in your Alpenverein membership fee. The insurer is Generali Versicherung AG. You do not sign a separate policy; you are covered as long as your fee is paid.
Does Alpenverein insurance apply in Slovakia, for example in the Tatras?
For rescue, yes. Rescue from inaccessible terrain is covered at home and abroad, so it also applies when the Slovak Mountain Rescue Service (HZS) comes out for you. Medical treatment, however, is only covered abroad, not in the country where you live.
Does Alpenverein cover ski touring, climbing and via ferratas?
Yes, if you need to be rescued from inaccessible terrain during these activities in your leisure time. Higher-risk mountaineering is explicitly covered too: climbing from UIAA grade 5, free solo and ice-fall climbing. Exclusions include regional, national or international competitions and trips with an ascent above 6,000 m.
Am I covered off marked trails and in water?
Yes, if you need to be rescued from inaccessible terrain. That includes gorges, canyons, mountain streams and rivers. What matters is the nature of the terrain, not whether you were on a trail. Exclusions are listed in the applicable terms.
Does Alpenverein cover illness abroad?
Yes. Medical treatment abroad applies to accidents and illness, up to €10,000 (outpatient up to €2,000, €70 deductible per stay), during the first 8 weeks of each trip abroad. It does not cover, for example, treatment that started before the trip or chronic conditions other than acute flare-ups.
Does Alpenverein replace travel insurance?
Partly. It covers rescue, repatriation, medical treatment abroad up to €10,000 for the first 8 weeks of a trip, and personal liability in Europe. It does not cover trip cancellation or luggage. For longer trips or a higher medical limit, there is the premium travel add-on.
Is liability cover worldwide?
No. Personal liability (up to €3,000,000) and criminal legal protection (up to €35,000) apply in Europe in the geographic sense, which also includes Iceland, the Canary Islands and the Asian part of Turkey. They apply to Alpenverein section events and to listed mountain sports such as hiking, climbing, skiing, ski touring and mountain biking on paths and tracks.
When does cover start after I pay?
You are covered if the fee for the current year is paid before the insured event. If you pay after 31 January, cover starts at midnight after the day of payment. New members who join from 1 September are covered until 1 January without paying for that period.
Are children free in family membership?
Yes. Children under 18 and students up to 27 are free in family membership. A married couple or partners with children pay €149, a single parent with children €83. Everyone must live at the same address.
What if I do not contact Europ Assistance?
For repatriation, transport of a deceased person, inpatient treatment abroad and transfer within your home country, reimbursement is capped at €750 without contacting Europ Assistance. This does not apply to the rescue itself.
Where are the binding insurance terms?
On the Insurance terms page. The German Alpenverein and Generali wording is binding; the Slovak and English translations are for orientation. If something is unclear, write to us.
