SCHENGEN VISA TRAVEL INSURANCE

Introduction

There is great need for visitors travelling to the Schengen Area in Europe to prepare for the occurrences of unforeseen circumstances such as emergency sickness which will attract unexpected medical expenses in case of accidents or injuries while on the journey. Thus, to ensure financial support and peace of mind during the journey, it is mandatory requirement for travelers to the Schengen area of Europe to obtain the Schengen Visa Travel Insurance at the point of applying for a Schengen visa.

The compulsory nature of the policy is properly backed up by law, the provision of “Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009”, which commenced on April 5, 2010 states;

“… 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” (…)

What is Schengen Visa Travel insurance?

The Schengen visa travel insurance is a class of insurance policy that  provides the policyholder with travel and medical insurance in all the 27 countries that make up the Schengen Area. The level of coverage for the policy is for all trips across the continent. It also covers journeys for holidays in any nation within the Schengen Area.
similarly, for those who possess the Schengen visa, this is the list of countries that you can visit with Schengen visa travel insurance  and they include; Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Malta, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Lithuania  The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and Sweden.

However, not all travelers require a Schengen Visa travel insurance to travel to the Schengen Area. Some of these countries include; U.S.A., Mexico, Canada and Brazil. They all have visa-free arrangements with the Schengen Zone. However, it is strongly and highly necessary that you obtain your travel insurance to cover all your medical bills and those that may accrue in the event that something goes wrong in the course of your journey. And in which case, there will not be any insurance coverage for you and you will have to bear the financial burden yourself. Therefore, if you have the intention of travelling to more than one Schengen country, obtaining the schengen visa travel insurance is a splendid way to ensure insurance coverage in a vast number of the European countries which covers medical costs of up to €30,000.

COST OF SCHENGEN VISA TRAVEL INSURANCE

The Schengen Visa travel insurance can be very affordable, with premiums for a one-week insurance policy ranging for as low as between €18 – €20. However and generally, the cost of Schengen Visa Travel Insurance largely depends on several factors such as your age, the amount of coverage you want, the duration of stay, and the insurer.

The foremost insurance company providing a low Schengen visa travel insurance that will meet your insurance requirements when traveling to the Schengen Area from as low as 18- €22 per week ,. This premium will cover you for medical expenses up to €30,000 in all Schengen countries.

Filling a Claim

If you have the travel insurance and has medical issues while in the schengen area, the thing to do is to quickly notify your insurance company and they will guide you properly on what to do. They will usually get you a treatment of pay for an accrued one or may help you to travel home. In all, the indemnity or coverage you will get from your insurer will depend on the terms of your insurance policy.

SCHENGEN VISA TRAVEL INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

Medical insurance for a Schengen visa must meet the following requirements:

1. A minimum coverage of medical costs: at least 30,000 EUR (equivalent to 32,000 USD as of March 2023).
2. Coverage must extend to all the member states of the Schengen Area.
3. Cover any expenses that might arise with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent health attention and/or emergency hospital treatment or death.

What Schengen visa travel Insurance Cover?

A good travel insurance policy for the Schengen area covers the following costs:

1. Medical emergencies such as accident or sickness while in the Schengen Area
2.  Repatriation of remains
3. Return of minors
4. Emergency evacuation
5. Accidental death, injury or disablement benefit
6. Overseas funeral expenses
7. Usually, the insurers cover pregnancy associated expenses, if the travel occurs within the first trimester. After that, insurance coverage varies from one insurer to another.

What the travel insurance in the Schengen area may not cover

Notwithstanding the fact that every travel insurance company is different and handles its issues differently, there are ones that make provision for additional cover and costs. However, some of the items that may not be expressly covered by your policy include;

1. Pre-existing conditions such as Asthma, diabetes etc.
2. Activities which are by its nature with an elements of risk such as skiing, scuba diving etc.
3. Travel to high-risk countries as a result of existence of war, natural disasters or acts of terrorism etc.
4. Acute onset of pre-existing conditions – It means a sudden and unexpected occurrence of pre-existing medical conditions without any prior warning from a health care professional. If you have pre-existing conditions, make sure to get this coverage to protect you against any emergency situation that arises due to pre-existing conditions despite taking care.

How to Find Cheap Travel Visa Insurance for Europe?

The best approach at finding a cheap travel insurance company and policy while travelling to the Schengen Area is by making an individual finding and thorough research.  This research may entail a search online for your appropriate travel insurance policy.

Similarly, It is recommended that you do a comparison of travel insurance products and companies before you decide which company to settle for and the best travel insurance for your Schengen travel insurance visa.

It is also worthy of not that it is not all low-cost travel insurance policies that contain low-quality services. On the other hand, it is not all expensive insurance plans have a high-quality offer.