Schengen Visa Travel Insurance

For the tourists, who apply for Schengen visa, getting health care insurance is necessary.

In 2001 twenty six countries have signed Schengen agreements. According to this documents, if one of these 26 countries allowed the entry into its territory, all the other countries allow if too automatically. So, if you get Schengen visa, you can travel to Belgium, France, Hungary etc on business or for pleasure and can save a lot of time, applying for one visa only, not for several visas.

For the tourists, who apply for Schengen visa, getting health care insurance is necessary.

Is Schengen visa travel insurance mandatory?

It is the most frequently asked question. People, who apply for Schengen visa, may be insured at home or not, in any case they are interested, if it is possible to avoid Schengen visa travel insurance. In fact, getting this insurance is mandatory. If you apply for visa, you should gain the package of documents and travel insurance is a must have in that package.

There are basic requirements for Schengen visa insurance as for medical service and repatriation. They are:

1. Costs for the recovery of unexpected illness or wound must be compensated by your insure. The minimal amount of compensation is $40,000.

2. Emergency evacuation is a must have in the policy.

3. Repatriation is also a must have in the policy.

Many tourists get the minimal level of coverage, because their aim is not to protect themselves in case of an emergency but just to get visa. They don’t care about safety; they just want to reduce the payments. But life is changeable and nobody can be sure, that sudden injury or infection won’t affect him. The coverage that is required to get Schengen visa is not enough. Very often tourists get expensive medical help in some of European countries and then get just a small part of coverage from their insurance company. All the other bills are paid by the tourists and it is ruinous for the budget. That’s why it is advisable to get the appropriate insurance plan with the necessary level of coverage, not the minimal one.

What Schengen visa insurance plans exist?

Many companies in USA and abroad sell Schengen visa travel insurance. They have various insurance plans; starting from the basic ones and ending with all risks included policy. There are three main Schengen visa insurance plans, that your insurer will offer you, when you come to his office.

1. Low cost (basic) insurance plan

This insurance plan meets the necessary requirement – and that’s all. No other options are included here. The valid time of such policy is limited. As usual it is given just for the period of your trip. The cost of this insurance plan is approximately $1 per day.

2. Europe travel insurance plan

This plan presumes the coverage on the whole territory of Europe and on Schengen visa territory. The maximum amount of coverage is higher, than in the previous plan and the time of its validity is extended. Its cost is about $1, 50 per day.

3. Multi trip insurance plan

This travel insurance is taken for a year. If you travel several times per year in the countries, that are included in Schengen agreements, you can get one insurance policy that will be valid during a year.
It will cover medical expenses, emergency evacuation and repatriation for any amount of trips done within a year. If you travel to one of these 26 countries more than once a year, it is profitable for you to get such insurance. Its cost is about $300 per year.

Sometimes tourists pay for the low cost insurance plan and then understand that the coverage is too low and want to change this plan into the other, more expansive one. Is it possible? Yes, it is possible, but before you have applied for the coverage for the first time. You should contact your insurance provider and ask him to change the policy. Some additional funds will be demanded from you.

So, you have read the insurance plans for Schengen visa and have made up your mind to purchase one of them.

What to do to purchase one of plans?

If something is wrong with your insurance, you will be rejected to get the visa. You task number one is to find knowledgeable insurance provider.

1. First of all you must study the requirements yourself. You may rely on your insurer, but it is better if you understand the main idea of the deal yourself. Learn what minimal amount of coverage must be met by your policy and what options must be mandatory included in your insurance deal.

2. Contact knowledgeable and respectable insurance companies. If your insurance provider is experienced in this area, you will make the right deal. Otherwise you can miss something and be rejected to get the visa.

3. When you have chosen the insurance company, contact them online. Very often they will demand some documents from you to make the deal. Your passport, name, date of birth, driving license are demanded by your insurance company to make the deal. You can send documents by e-mail.

4. Just after that your insurer will send you the certificate by e-mail. You must print it and add to the documents you have prepared for visa.

Sometimes it is necessary to prove, that the insurance policy you have bought, meet all the requirements that are demanded by law. To prove it, visa letter is necessary. Very often insurance providers add this visa letter to the certificate they have given to you. If they didn’t, ask them for visa letter and add it to the package of documents. Thus you will save some time. And when the insurance policy and other documents are ready, it is the time to apply for Schengen visa.

Can Schengen visa travel insurance be cancelled?

Oh, you have gained the papers and insured yourself but you were dined. This is life! In this case Schengen visa travel insurance is of no need to you. Can it be cancelled? Yes, it can. If your trip was cancelled, you should call to your insurance agent and tell it. Then you must send the copy of your passport and the copy of cancelled tickets to the office of your insurance company. Being based on these documents, they will cancel your insurance and return the costs.

As you see, there are some requirements, defined by the law that your insurance policy must meet. Make sure, you have enough coverage to be allowed to start your trip. Have a good time in Europe!