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Everyone who travels to the Schengen states with a visa needs health insurance. Without an insurance policy, a Schengen visa will not be issued.
Many insurance companies offer to buy insurance online. To do this, travellers fill out an online application form with trip and passport information and provide an email address to receive the policy.
The EU Visa Code establishes the Schengen insurance policy requirements.
The insurance must be valid in the territory of 29 countries of the Schengen Area, and the minimum insurance coverage must be at least €30,000. At the same time, the policy must cover all expenses related to the following:
- return to the home country for medical reasons;
- providing emergency medical care;
- emergency hospitalisation;
- death in one of the Schengen states.
The insurance policy must be valid for the entire trip and 15 days after it if the dates change unexpectedly.
When a traveller fills out a policy application, they provide the end date of their trip, to which these 15 days are usually added automatically. We recommend double-checking the validity period of the received policy.
Countries where the insurance must be valid:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Insurance is required for citizens of all countries that receive a European Union entry visa. The visa will be refused if you do not include the current insurance in the documents when applying.
Some of the countries whose citizens need insurance to travel to the Schengen Area are:
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- China
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
Insurance is unnecessary if the person has a residence permit in a Schengen state. Additionally, insurance is optional for citizens of the countries that have signed a visa-free Schengen Area. If you get a second citizenship in one of these countries, you can travel to the Schengen states without a visa or insurance.
What expenses do Schengen visa insurance policies cover, and how much to pay for one
The cost of an EU or Schengen visa insurance policy depends on four factors:
- traveller’s age;
- coverage;
- the validity period of the insurance;
- list of risks.
For example, an insurance policy for a week-long relaxing holiday in the Schengen Area can be purchased for €20-40 if the insured person is between 20 and 45 years old. When calculating the cost of a policy for children and the elderly, an increased coefficient is applied.
Maximum validity period for a Schengen Visa insurance policy
You can purchase a policy with a longer validity period, for example, a one-year policy. This is useful for those who make at least 10 trips to the Schengen states per year.
Annual insurance costs start at €100.
The cost of insurance will increase if you add extra options. For instance, engaging in active recreation, such as skiing, increases the cost of insurance by 2 times. Engaging in freeride, which is an extreme sport, increases the cost of insurance by 4 times.
Options that can be added to health insurance
| Option | Expenses for medical services that are covered by insurance |
| Beach vacations | Treatment of sunburn, dermatitis, fungal diseases, sulfur plugs and infections caused by the herpes virus |
| Active recreation, extreme sports | Treatment of injuries and other expenses that arose as a result of the incident |
| Presence of chronic diseases | Contacting a chronic disease specialist in a situation that is not life-threatening |
| Pregnancy | Medical assistance for complications of pregnancy or preterm birth |
| Alcohol intoxication | Assistance even when intoxicated |
| Natural disasters, terrorist attack | Medical assistance for events that occurred as a result of a natural disaster or terrorist attacks |
| PCR testing | PCR tests that travellers may be asked to take to board a flight, upon arrival in the destination country and upon return to their home country |
In addition to insuring life and health, a policy can also cover other situations:
- cancellation of the trip;
- flight delay;
- lost or delayed baggage by the airline;
- lost or stolen documents;
- forced quarantine;
- legal assistance;
- damage to the vehicle;
- civil liability — unintentional injury to another person or damage to someone else’s property.
Do Schengen visa insurance plans cover COVID-19 cases?
Coverage for coronavirus treatment is included in most insurance plans by default. Travellers are compensated for emergency medical care, transportation to the clinic, and COVID-19 treatment in the hospital or at home.
Suppose there is no such clause in the contract. In that case, the insurance will only cover the cost of emergency medical care, and the traveller will have to pay for coronavirus treatment separately.
Additionally, a traveller can add PCR test coverage and coverage of transportation costs associated with a trip delay in cases of mandatory quarantining due to coronavirus contracting.
How to get an EU travel insurance
European travel insurance for Europe or the Schengen Area can be obtained either in person or remotely. Of all documents, you will only need a passport. To get an insurance policy for a child or a disabled person, you will need a passport of a parent, guardian, or legal representative.
Some visa application centres partner with insurance companies and offer to get insurance through them right before applying for a visa. In that case, the policy cost will increase at the expense of the centre’s visa application commission.
Applying for an insurance policy yourself is more cost-effective, but you need to do this before visiting the visa application centre.
To get insurance for a Schengen visa or EU online, you need to fill out a form on the insurance company’s website: enter your personal data, email address and trip information. After the payment, the policy will be sent to the provided email address.
To get a Schengen visa, the insurance policy must be printed out and included in the application documents. If the policyholder already has a valid visa to the Schengen states, printing is not needed — saving it on a smartphone is enough. Still, we recommend taking a printed copy with you on the trip in case your phone runs out of battery or gets stolen.
To get full-time insurance for a Schengen visa or Europe, you need to come to the office of the selected insurance company with your passport. The staff will clarify the trip details and recommend additional options based on them.
Getting insurance doesn’t take much time: you can get it on the day of applying for a visa or on the day of departure if the previous insurance has ended and the visa is still valid.
The policyholder and the insured can be different people. For example, if the whole family goes on a trip, one of the members can hold insurance for all of them. Also, the policyholder may be a legal entity.
If the insured person is a child or a disabled person, their legal representative should apply for assistance in an insured event. In all other cases, the insured can apply in person, even if they are not the policyholder.
A scenario: Michael acted as a policyholder and purchased a Schengen visa insurance policy for himself, his wife and his child. Michael contacted the insurance company when his son had a fever and required a doctor’s consultation. When Michael’s wife needed emergency dental care, she contacted the insurance company herself.
How to act in an insured event
If an emergency occurs during your trip, you must:
- Call the 24-hour service centre of the insurance company; the phone number is always provided in the insurance policy.
- Describe the incident details to the operator.
- Follow the operator’s instructions.
- Save all receipts related to an insurance event, even if it’s a taxi ride bill.
If you need medical assistance, the operator will find a doctor and send a guarantee letter to the clinic so that the insured traveller will be accepted free of charge.
If you don’t require medical assistance, the operator will tell you what to do to cover your expenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it mandatory to get insurance when travelling to the Schengen states?
Yes, all travellers who enter the Schengen Area with a visa must have an insurance policy. This rule is enshrined in the EU Visa Code.
Will I be able to enter the European Union without insurance?
Border control officers do not always ask for an insurance policy, so this is possible. However, this is also illegal: everyone travelling with a Schengen visa is required to have insurance.
What documents will I need to get insurance?
To get an insurance policy, you only need a passport.
Can I apply for an insurance policy online?
Yes, large insurance companies provide an opportunity to buy Schengen visa insurance online.
To do this, fill out a form on their website: enter your personal information, email address, and trip details. After payment, the policy will be sent to the specified email address: you will need to print out the insurance or save it to your phone.
How much does travel insurance for the Schengen Area cost?
The cost of a Schengen visa insurance policy depends on its validity period, the amount of coverage, the risk list, and the insured traveller’s age.
For example, an insurance policy for a one-week trip to the Schengen Area can cost from €20 to €40. Such insurance will not cover expenses related to active and extreme sports.
What risks does the insurance cover?
Schengen Area travel insurance must cover all expenses related to:
- return to the home country for medical reasons;
- providing emergency medical care;
- emergency hospitalisation;
- death in one of the Schengen states.
For an additional fee, you can include extra options in your insurance: active, beach and extreme vacations, chronic diseases, pregnancy, alcohol intoxication, natural disasters and terrorist attacks.
Will a Schengen visa insurance policy cover the costs associated with COVID-19?
Yes, most insurance plans already have a default coronavirus treatment. However, this must be clearly stated in the contract.
Suppose there is no such clause in the contract. In that case, the insurance will only cover the cost of emergency medical care, and the rest of the coronavirus treatment will have to be paid separately.
How to proceed in case of an insured event?
The insured traveller calls the phone number listed on the insurance policy, tells the operator what happened, and follows the operator’s instructions.
If the traveller needs help or medical advice, the operator will find a suitable clinic. They will send a guarantee letter there so the insured patient can be accepted free of charge.
