Planning a Schengen trip in 2024? Here is why you should buy Schengen travel insurance for your trip. The first and foremost reason everyone needs travel insurance for Europe when visiting Europe is that 29 of the European nations form the Schengen area, which has dissolved internal borders and requires a unified visa for entering.
This visa is called a Schengen visa and enables temporary short-term entry into the countries that are part of the Schengen area rather than getting an individual visa for each country. For example, if you are planning to visit France and decide to check Spain out, you can do so without spending more money and time waiting to get approval on the Spain visa.
This has made visiting European countries much simpler and more convenient while also requiring a stricter unified entry requirement for all countries to ensure better security. One such requirement for availing a Schengen visa is Schengen travel insurance, thus making it mandatory for your Europe trip.
What is Schengen travel insurance?
Schengen travel insurance is a specialised policy designed to provide financial protection to travellers visiting a Schengen country from dozens of different medical and non-medical risks and events. This coverage is offered in the form of compensation or reimbursement and is highly beneficial when facing these risks, especially abroad, where the cost of treatment or dealing with certain risks might be much higher than in India.
In addition to this, there are also a number of different benefits, such as being able to avail yourself of better treatment. The most important aspect is getting a visa to enter those countries in the first place. These countries include France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland.
Thus, if you wish to visit any of these countries or obtain a visa for entry, it is important to have international travel insurance with the required coverage.
What are the specific travel insurance requirements for travellers visiting Europe?
If you are looking for the specific requirements to be eligible for a Schengen visa, these particular criteria include a policy with at least €30,000 of medical coverage, including coverage for medical emergencies and repatriation of remains, and the policy being applicable to all Schengen countries as opposed to just one country, such as Germany travel insurance. To ensure that your insurer fulfils these requirements, as it will be verified when checking your visa application for the trip.
What medical coverage is offered by Schengen travel insurance?
There are a number of different coverages offered as part of travel insurance, both medical and non-medical. Thus, both of these coverages need to be assessed based on the traveller’s specific needs and travel requirements.
For example, most insurers offer emergency in-patient and out-patient treatment when travelling internationally, medical evacuation, hospital daily cash, dental treatment, personal accident coverage, ambulance charges, etc.
On the other hand, certain exclusions are not covered by the insurer, and any injury, loss, or expenses arising from them will not be covered, resulting in financial loss, such as pre-existing medical conditions, medical tourism, non-emergency surgeries, etc.
Please note that while most insurers reject claims for pre-existing medical conditions as an exclusion, some, such as Niva Bupa, do offer pre-existing disease coverage during emergencies until the traveller’s condition is stable.
What are the non-medical coverages offered in travel insurance for Europe?
In addition to the medical coverages, travellers can also expect a number of different coverages and benefits that are non-medical in nature, such as delay or loss of checked-in baggage, trip cancellation, interruption, and delay, repatriation, loss of passport, personal liability, compassionate visit, etc.
Note that these travel insurance for Europe coverages and their extents of coverage differ greatly depending on the specific insurer the policy is from, so consider these aspects when planning to opt for a particular policy.
Just like medical coverage, there are several non-medical exclusions, including participating in adventure sports, that need to be assessed and considered when planning to opt for a policy.
Conclusion
When planning an international trip, especially to Europe, specific additional requirements must be considered, ranging from the type of international travel insurance to opt for, the scope and extent of coverage, which specific insurer and policy to opt for, and numerous other aspects. Do note that for most travellers, opting for comprehensive travel insurance from a reliable insurer such as Niva Bupa can ensure complete financial protection and peace of mind when travelling outside India.
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