Schengen Visa Insurance – Europe Travel Insurance For Schengen Visa
If you’re thinking of traveling to Europe, you’ll need to get your Schengen visa application started as soon as possible. As you may be aware there are a lot of documents that you need to supply to the embassy or consulate you’re dealing with. One specific piece of evidence you will need to provide is proof that you have adequate travel insurance. Without this, your application may well be rejected.
If you’re not sure how to go about purchasing a suitable travel insurance policy for a Schengen visa this article will give you all the information you need.
What is Travel Insurance?
Generally, travel insurance covers you for medical expenses for injury or sickness while you are visiting a foreign country. It’s important that when you travel outside of your own country you have travel insurance to prevent you from having to pay expensive medical bills. Travel insurance doesn’t just over health related issues, most policies also cover against lost baggage and cancellation of flights, so it really is a good idea to consider this type of insurance before you travel – you just don’t know what might happen, so it’s best to cover against all potential disasters!
What does Travel Insurance cover?
Travel insurance policies vary depending on the insurer, but most cover the follow risks:
- Medical emergencies for accident or sickness
- Emergency evacuation
- Repatriation of remains
- Return of a minor
- Trip cancellation
- Trip interruption
- Accidental death, injury or disablement benefit
- Overseas funeral expenses
- Lost, stolen or damaged baggage, personal effects or travel documents
- Delayed baggage (and emergency replacement of essential items)
- Flight connection missed due to airline schedule crash
- Travel delays due to weather
- Hijacking
- Pregnancy related expenses (if travel occurs during the first trimester after which this type of cover varies by insurer)
What is not covered under Travel Insurance?
There are certain things that are not covered by travel insurance and you need to know what they are. When you are considering which policy to buy, you must take note of these exclusions. In addition, the terms and conditions regarding any exclusions may vary between insurance companies, so it’s advisable to check thoroughly before purchasing the policy. If these are not covered, you may wish to consider taking additional cover to ensure you are fully protected.
- Pre-existing conditions such as asthmas or diabetes
- Any sports which are deemed as high-risk such as skiing or scuba diving
- Travel to high-risk countries where there could be war, natural disasters or terrorism
- Acute onset of pre-existing conditions. This means a sudden or unexpected outbreak or recurrence of a pre-existing condition which occurs spontaneously and without advance warning either by a physician’s recommendation or by symptoms, is of short duration, is rapidly progressive and requires immediate care
Why do you need travel insurance for a Schengen visa?
There are many reasons why you need travel insurance for a Schengen visa, but here are just a few.
1) Health emergencies
Travel insurance ensures that any health emergencies are taken care of during your travel. These could range from having an accident to falling sick and requiring medical attention. If this were to happen, you may be looking at expensive medical bills. Not only that, some countries might not even give you access to medical help if you do not have travel insurance. In addition, each country’s health system is different, for example, some hospitals provide their ambulance services through a private company, so you would be expected to pay for that.
2) Travel delays
It may have never happened to you before and the likelihood is small, but lost luggage, cancelled or delayed flights do happen which could seriously affect your trip, so this is another reason why travel insurance is so important.
3) Schengen Visa
If you are applying for a Schengen visa, you must provide proof of adequate travel insurance. Without this, there is really no point in applying because it is a mandatory requirement for all visa applicants. It is one of the most important documents that needs to be submitted to the embassy when you apply for your visa.
According to the “Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009”:
“Applicants for a uniform visa for one or two entries shall prove that they are in possession of adequate and valid travel medical insurance to cover any expenses which might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment or death, during their stay(s) on the territory of the Member States. The insurance shall be valid throughout the territory of the Schengen Area Member States and cover the entire period of the person’s intended stay or transit. The minimum coverage shall be EUR 30,000”
Requirements for travel insurance when applying for a Schengen visa
As the above law states, when you apply for travel insurance for a Schengen visa, the policy must meet the following requirements:
- Insured for at least €30,000
- Cover is valid in all the member states of the Schengen area
- Must provide cover for emergency hospitalization, emergency medical attention, repatriation and death
- Must provide cover for the entire trip regardless of your reason for traveling
It’s best to check on the website of the embassy or consulate you are dealing with because they may have additional requirements regarding travel insurance. For example, the Spanish embassy in London states:
“Travel Medical Insurance obtained in the UK (not applicable to airport transit visas). This document shall cover the entire period of the intended stay, be valid for all Schengen States and cover any expenses which might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgency medical attention, emergency hospital treatment or death during the stay. The minimum coverage must be €30.000. If a bank covers the visa applicant while abroad, a letter from the bank stating that the above conditions are fulfilled must be provided.”
The Italian embassy in Washington states:
- “Current legislation requires all applicants to have health insurance coverage prior to their departure, in case of a medical accident or emergency during their stay in Italy
- Please check carefully whether your medical insurance covers costs for medical treatment abroad. If it does not, you are required to obtain a health insurance coverage for your stay in Europe. Generally, all major U.S. health/travel insurance companies cover costs for emergency medical treatment abroad
- To prove coverage, you must provide a letter from your insurance company confirming that your health insurance policy is covering a minimum of Euro 30,000.00 for emergency hospitalization and repatriation expenses, valid throughout the Schengen area and for the whole length of your stay
- We do not accept insurance cards or insurance booklet information”
The German Consulate General in New York states:
“A health insurance covering at least €30.000, valid for all Schengen countries, including medical treatment, medical evacuation and medical repatriation back into the USA as well as repatriation of mortal remains. Only insurance confirmation, no letters of employer, is accepted. The insurance has to be issued in either the US or in Germany.”
Who needs travel insurance?
Generally anyone who is traveling to any of the countries in the Schengen area needs to take out travel insurance. However, for citizens who enjoy visa-free status it isn’t mandatory to have travel insurance although it’s still a good idea to have some. For citizens who need a visa to be able to enter the Schengen area, as mentioned above, it is a mandatory requirement of the visa application process. Proof of travel insurance must be provided to the embassy to avoid a rejected application.
Where to get travel insurance?
There are two ways to get travel insurance. The first is to do your own research on the internet. This is fine, but you must ensure that the policy covers everything that is required by law, particularly if you are applying for a Schengen visa. This option may take time to look through all the different packages offered by hundreds of travel insurance providers. Holiday planning should be fun, not stressful!
The other alternative is to use Visa Reservation. We are here to help you with your travel insurance requirements easily, without any hassle. We have years of experience in helping customers with their visa applications and can tell you what travel insurance plans would be suitable for a Schengen visa.
To assist you through this process smoothly, our team at Visa Reservation has created several packages to suit the needs of different kinds of travelers. These packages not only include travel insurance for visa, but other required documents too, such as Hotel Booking for Visa Application, flight itinerary for visa application.
With regards to Schengen travel medical insurance for visa, Visa Reservation, offers three kinds of service options for you to choose from:
- Normal delivery – receive insurance letter for visa within 24 hours
- Priority delivery – receive insurance letter for visa within 6 hours
- Rush delivery – receive insurance letter for visa within 1 hour. You can speak with the support representatives on how to get this done
Simply pick a delivery option and we will get the job done for you quickly and efficiently. Let us do all the hard work, so you can enjoy the countdown to your trip!
Additionally, if you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for your visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:
- Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
- Submit the travel details and make the payment online
- Receive flight itinerary by email
See What Customers are Saying About Visa Reservation!
At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.
FAQs
1) Is travel insurance mandatory for all Schengen countries?
Yes, you must take out travel insurance if you are traveling to any of the Schengen countries, unless you are from a country whose citizens do not require a visa
2) How do I find the correct travel insurance for travel to the Schengen area?
You can search online or use an agent such as Visa Reservation
3) Does the travel insurance have to cover all the Schengen countries?
Yes. Even if you are traveling to just one Schengen country, the travel insurance must cover all 26 countries
See Also
How to get flight itinerary for visa or flight reservation for visa application
How to get hotel booking for visa or hotel reservation for visa application
How to get Schengen visa appointment
Last Updated on
