What exactly Schengen insurance is, how to get it, where to get it, its cost, and which are the best Schengen travel insurance options for visa applicants and travelers to Europe.
VisaGuide / Travel Insurance / Europe Travel Insurance / Schengen Visa InsuranceIn this article
As stipulated by Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and the Council of 13 July 2009, which entered into force on April 5, 2010, all foreign nationals who apply for a Schengen visa must submit proof of purchased travel insurance.
Schengen travel health insurance is a mandatory travel insurance policy that you must purchase if you are applying for a Schengen visa.
One of the easiest ways to research your Schengen insurance is to use comparison tools and marketplaces like Insubuy. Here, you can research different US-based providers and compare the insurance policies they offer. Insurte is another great option that allows you to explore insurance plans from some of the best international companies that offer Schengen insurance, such as AXA, and Allianz.
You can also check and compare by yourself the plans of Europ Assistance, and Mondial.
There are other similar tools online; you can usually find them with a quick Google search. Another great option is to look into reviews that real-life people discuss in online forums like Quora and Reddit; you get insight from actual people who purchased insurance and their experiences.
The Schengen visa travel insurance is different from “traditional” travel insurance because it needs to meet these requirements:
It’s important for you to understand the requirements that define “Schengen travel insurance” because if you buy the wrong insurance policy, then your Schengen visa will be denied.
You have a few options where you can buy your Schengen travel insurance as listed here:
You can buy your Schengen insurance either in person or online at a local insurance provider in your country. To do this, you need to find the website of the Schengen embassy of the country where you’re applying for your visa. There you will find a list of local insurance providers that the Schengen embassy has approved.
You can pick out any insurance provider from this list and then buy your Schengen insurance without any worries about whether your insurance will be accepted or not.
Of course, you can also pick out a local provider that is not included in the list; you just need to make sure of the following things:
Another option where you can buy your Schengen insurance is an international insurance company or provider. This kind of insurance is usually sold by EU-based companies, and some of the most popular companies among visa applicants include the following:
In this case, you can buy your insurance entirely online. After you complete your payment, the insurance provider will email you the insurance certificate. Some Schengen embassies will also include these companies in their pre-approved list of insurance providers.
An insurance broker is an intermediary between you, the person who wants to buy the insurance, and the insurance company, the provider who is selling you the insurance.
So, you can also use an insurance broker to buy your Schengen insurance because it comes with its own advantages:
For example, US residents can use Insubuy to find Schengen insurance, as it offers many US-based companies that sell it. Insurte, on the other hand, offers several policies from famous companies like AXA and Allianz.
Both of them, Insubuy and Insurte, allow you to compare two or more providers side by side and their policies so you have a better understanding of what each company and each provider offers you.
If you book your Schengen trip via a travel agency, you can buy your insurance at that agency. Typically, travel agencies are aware of which insurance policies are accepted by Schengen embassies, so they work with the providers who sell those policies.
So, you can be at peace knowing that you are buying your Schengen insurance from a respectable insurance company, which means the embassy will not have an issue with your insurance.
A quick reminder!
Your current health insurance policy may have a built-in Schengen travel insurance plan. So, please check with your current provider and see whether they offer this kind of insurance. In this case, you don’t have to buy a new policy, but you can submit proof of having Schengen travel insurance from your health insurance provider.
Here’s how you can buy your Schengen travel insurance:
Once you settle on an insurance provider or company, you now have to pick out an insurance policy. While all of the plans they offer you meet the Schengen visa requirements, some insurance plans can offer you a higher amount of coverage, i.e., over €30,000, and have different benefits and prices.
For example, let’s say you have selected an international provider from the approved list, like Europ Assistance. They offer two Schengen insurance plans.
Finally, you can complete the payment for your Schengen insurance, for which you need to provide the following information to your insurance provider:
Then, as a final step, you must pay for your insurance and wait for your insurance provider to confirm the payment.
Finally, after you complete your payment, your insurance provider will hand you an insurance certificate or official document to submit with your Schengen visa application. One copy remains with your provider, one for you, and you can submit another copy for your visa application. The insurance certificate must have the following information:
Expert tip:
Because sometimes, at entry borders in the Schengen Area, border patrol officers may ask you to show proof of insurance, you should always carry a copy of this insurance certificate showing that you have the required insurance to stay in the Schengen Area.
Consider the following list of questions to aid in your evaluation and decision-making:
| Evaluation Questions | Yes | No |
| Does the policy include the mandatory Schengen coverage requirements? | ||
| Is the insurance sold by a pre-approved or expert provider in Schengen insurance? | ||
| Have I researched the insurance provider’s reputation through customer reviews or ratings? | ||
| Will the insurance policy cover all the countries I plan to visit within the Schengen area? | ||
| Does the policy offer additional benefits I need during my Schengen trip? | ||
| Is the premium cost for the coverage provided affordable and reasonable? | ||
| Does the policy offer additional benefits such as 24/7 emergency assistance or travel concierge services? | ||
| Does the insurance policy provide coverage for pre-existing medical conditions? | ||
| Is the claims process clearly outlined and easy to understand? | ||
| Have I carefully read and understood the policy fine print, including terms and conditions? | ||
| Is my policy within my budget? | ||
| Is customer support readily available for inquiries or assistance? | ||
| Is my trip duration within the insurance policy’s coverage period? |
If you’ve answered most of these questions and statements with YES, you are headed towards buying a suitable Schengen medical travel insurance. If you answered NO to most of these questions, you might want to review your policy again and look into another option before making your final purchase.
Here’s how you can pick out your Schengen insurance as easily as possible:
The best option for selecting a provider is to find a list of approved insurance providers that each Schengen embassy posts on its website.
For example, let’s say you want to apply for a German visa from the Philippines. The website of the German embassy in Manila has a list of recommended insurance companies where you can buy insurance, as shown here. You can pick any provider from the list and buy your insurance from them, and you know for sure it’s a reputable provider since it’s being recommended by a Schengen embassy.
Most Schengen embassies will have a similar list of preferred insurance providers, so you can’t go wrong if you pick out a provider there.
However, you also have the option of buying your Schengen insurance from another provider outside the list as long as the insurance meets the Schengen visa requirements.
If you opt for this option, you need to find a reputable provider. But we’ve made this part easy for you by finding some of the best Schengen insurance companies and their plans.
Once you pick out a provider, check out the benefits of the Schengen policies they offer. Of course, it’s important that the policy meets the basic Schengen requirements, which include the €30,000 medical coverage, validity in all Schengen countries, and a validation period of your entire stay.
That being said, Schengen insurance can come with additional benefits, such as trip cancellation coverage, lost or stolen items, luggage coverage, liability coverage, etc. It can also offer you higher coverage for medical expenses up to €100,000.
Some other additional benefits you can look out for if you need them include:
Benefits and limitations go hand in hand, so it’s also very important to know your policy’s limitations and what it doesn’t cover— which, in the majority of cases with travel insurance, includes the following:
Additionally, some policies have age limitations, where individuals above a certain age are not covered, or time limitations, where you have to wait a specified period to file a claim with your insurance provider.
It’s important you understand all these limitations related to the policy so that when you want to file a claim on your insurance, there won’t be a chance of having your claim rejected.
Another important aspect of insurance is understanding how the claim process works. If you do it incorrectly, your insurance provider will not reimburse you.
Some things to consider about the claim process include:
These and other questions you need to discuss with your provider so you understand how the claim process works.
One important tip is to check out customer service and reviews to understand what kind of track record that insurance provider has with claims.
Generally, Schengen travel insurance is not overly expensive, and its costs tend to range between €15 and €100, depending on how long you plan on staying and how many people are insured.
Still, you don’t want to buy a highly expensive insurance plan because you think you need all the benefits it offers. There are some great Schengen insurance options that are affordable and have plenty of coverage. We’ve selected some of the cheapest Schengen insurance out there for you.
Expert tip:
Schengen insurance sold by a local insurance provider in your country usually tends to be cheaper than insurance sold by international providers. So, the more affordable option for you may be an insurance provider in your country.
However, this is not always the case, so it’s important you spend a little more time doing your research to find the best affordable plan for you.
Read the fine print of your insurance policy carefully. This section has all the information you need about what your insurance doesn’t cover, how you can make a claim, what you need to make a claim, and pay attention to the language used carefully. Here you can usually spot hidden costs not mentioned in the policy, like additional co-payments.
If there is anything you do not understand, you can always consult with an insurance agent or even a legal professional to make sure you have a clear understanding of the policy you’re purchasing.
You should buy your Schengen travel insurance as early as two weeks before you submit your Schengen application. While there is no set timeline for when to buy your insurance, you must do it before you apply for your visa.
No, you need to buy your insurance before traveling so you can submit proof of insurance with your visa application.
If you don’t need a visa, then you can buy your insurance after you arrive or at the airport, but you are not covered for the time you traveled without insurance.
It takes a few minutes after you finish your payment to get your Schengen insurance certificate. If you buy your insurance in person you’ll receive the certificate immediately at the insurance company. If you buy your insurance online, you will receive an email containing the insurance certificate.
Let’s say you get food poisoning while you’re in the Schengen Area, so you visit an emergency room. Once you’re there, you’re admitted for urgent treatment, and you spend a night in the hospital and receive treatment.
You pay for the medical services and the medicine you need, and you provide your insurance details to the clinic. Meanwhile, you save all the important documents, such as hospital records, admissions, and receipts. Then, immediately after you’re feeling better, you call your insurance provider to file a claim on your insurance.
Once your claim is processed, you will receive a reimbursment from your provider for the services you paid.
Yes, you can. With most insurance providers, if you cancel within a specific timeframe after buying your insurance, for example, after 10 days, you will receive a refund for your insurance. The same will happen if your Schengen visa is denied.
Of course, you need to discuss this option with your insurance provider before you buy your insurance, as some providers won’t give you a full refund or don’t have cancellation timelines.
No, you can use your current travel insurance as long as it’s valid and meets the Schengen insurance guidelines.
But, you must make sure that the embassy of the Schengen country you’re submitting your application for accepts your current insurance.
Yes, if you’re traveling with your friends or family members, you can get a group Schengen insurance policy.
But it’s very important to keep in mind that all of your friends and/or family members need a separate insurance certificate so they can submit it with their visa application.
There are usually no age restrictions for Schengen insurance, as all visa applicants must possess valid insurance regardless of age.
However, some insurance companies may be more hesitant to cover senior citizens. In this case, you need to find an insurance policy that offers specific coverage for seniors.
Yes, in fact, you have no choice but to buy a Schengen travel insurance policy for your visa application, regardless of whether you have a pre-existing condition. In this case, however, you need to find a policy that also covers your pre-existing condition.
Expert tip:
Travel health insurance plans— whether Schengen insurance or not— rarely cover pre-existing conditions, but they may cover you for the “acute onset of a pre-existing condition.” What this means is that if you have an unexpected medical episode while traveling in the Schengen Area due to your pre-existing condition, your travel insurance will cover the medical costs you need for your treatment. It is important to mention that this kind of coverage can increase the overall cost of your insurance.
If your Schengen visa application is denied, most insurance companies will refund you for the travel insurance. You will also need to provide proof to your insurance provider that your visa was denied.
Of course, a refund option may not be available with all companies—you need to discuss this possibility with your insurance provider before you buy your insurance.
According to Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and the Council of 13 July 2009, also known as the Schengen visa code, you can be exempted from having travel insurance if you meet one of the following conditions:
Please note that in some cases, family members of EU citizens can also be exempt from the insurance requirement. However, it’s still strongly recommended that you have insurance and verify this option with a corresponding Schengen embassy.