Travel Health Insurance Abroad: The Schengen Requirement and What to Check in a Policy

Travel health insurance is often seen as just another document in the visa file, and the cheapest policy is bought. Yet a hospital visit, an ambulance or an early return abroad can cost thousands of euros, and the exclusions in the small print appear at exactly that moment.

What the Schengen rule says

The Schengen Visa Code makes travel health insurance mandatory for short-stay visa applications. The policy must meet four conditions:

1. Cover of at least 30,000 euros. It must cover emergency medical treatment, hospital costs and medical repatriation.
2. Validity across the whole Schengen area. The policy must cover every Schengen country, including the ones you are not visiting.
3. Cover for the whole trip. The policy dates must fully include the planned entry and exit dates. A policy one day short can lead to refusal.
4. Repatriation of remains in case of death.

For multiple-entry visa applications a policy covering the first trip is enough, and taking out a new policy for each later trip is the applicant's responsibility. Insurance is not a visa requirement for the UK or the US, but health costs there are so high that it should be treated as essential.

Clauses to check in a policy

Amount of cover. 30,000 euros is the minimum. For countries with high medical costs such as the US, Canada and Japan, choose higher cover.

Geographic scope. Read how a policy labelled "Europe" treats non-Schengen countries such as the UK. For multi-country trips, "worldwide" cover is safer.

Deductible. The amount the insured pays for each claim. Low-premium policies have high deductibles, and for minor treatment the policy effectively does not pay.

Pre-existing conditions. Flare-ups of chronic conditions are excluded from most standard policies. Travellers with chronic conditions need a policy that covers them.

Assistance service. A 24/7 support line in the traveller's language, hospital referral and direct billing (so the traveller does not pay first and wait for reimbursement) help most on the ground.

Extra cover. Lost or delayed baggage, flight cancellation and delay, lost passport, personal liability. Baggage delay cover is especially useful on fair and business trips.

Exclusions. Risky sports such as skiing and diving, incidents under the influence of alcohol, and war or unrest zones are excluded from most policies. For a ski holiday, add sports cover.

Age limits. Some policies charge extra premiums or exclude cover above a certain age. For older travellers, read this clause first.

What to do when something happens

1. In an emergency, get medical help first, then call the assistance line in the policy. Direct billing is usually possible at the hospital the line refers you to.
2. Keep all invoices, reports and prescriptions. You will need them for reimbursement if you paid.
3. For lost baggage or flight delays, get a written report (PIR) from the airline. The insurer will ask for it.
4. On your return, send the documents to the insurer within the stated deadline.

Managing insurance for corporate travel

A policy per trip. Simple and cheap for employees who travel rarely, arranged separately with each visa application.

Annual multi-trip policy. More economical and practical for employees with three or four or more trips abroad a year, with no separate arrangement for each trip. These policies cap the length of a single trip, usually at 30, 60 or 90 days, so check the limit before a long trip.

Company group policy. For companies with high travel volume, an annual group policy covering all employees lowers the cost and removes the risk of an employee travelling uninsured. The travel policy should state that insurance is mandatory for trips abroad, and the policy number should be added to the travel summary.

Before you buy the policy

• Is the cover at least 30,000 euros (higher for the US and distant countries)?
• Does it cover the whole Schengen area or the whole world?
• Do the policy dates match the flight dates exactly?
• Does it include repatriation and repatriation of remains?
• How much is the deductible?
• Have the chronic condition and age clauses been read?
• Is there 24/7 assistance and direct billing?
• Is baggage and flight delay cover needed?

We arrange the insurance while preparing your visa file, and if the ticket changes we update the policy dates the same day. Details are on our Visa Services page. For the rest of the application, see our guide to the Schengen Business Visa Application.