You are planning a trip to Europe and more specifically to the Schengen Area. 29 countries which have agreed to allow travellers to move freely, without inner border control between its member states. However, before entering the land of the so-called old continent, it is very likely that you will need to subscribe to mandatory medical travel insurance, especially if you need a Schengen visa.
Here is a quick and easy guide to compare Schengen travel insurance offers and choose the best one for you: the one meeting all the requirements demanded by embassies and consulates, offering the best value for money and comprehensive coverage to protect you during your stay.
Several billion people need a visa if they wish to enter the Schengen Area. This concerns the citizens of over a hundred countries. Check this list to find out if this applies to you.
Among the many documents required with your Schengen visa application, you will need to provide a travel insurance certificate. To be valid, it must meet several criteria (see below) imposed by the EU Visa Code.
Travel insurance is mandatory to apply for a Schengen visa.
PLEASE NOTE: You must subscribe to a Schengen travel insurance BEFORE applying for your visa. A travel insurance certificate features among the demanded documents to enclose with your visa application file prior to its examination.
If you don’t need a Schengen visa…
Your nationality does not require you to obtain a visa to enter the Schengen Area?
In this case, travel insurance is not mandatory but highly recommended by authorities. Why? Because no one is immune to health problems, accidents or other mishaps during a trip.
Adapted travel insurance covers, among other things, medical expenses in Europe. They can be very expensive for foreign visitors, particularly when sanitary repatriation is necessary.
Without international medical insurance, you risk having to pay huge medical bills without the possibility of being reimbursed when you get home. The cost of home repatriation can skyrocket in a (failing) heartbeat!
Your Schengen travel insurance must include the following guarantees to be accepted with your visa application:
IMPORTANT
1. In order for your travel insurance to be in compliance with prevailing regulations, make sure your policy is accepted by all the member states of the Area, even if you plan to visit only one. Otherwise your visa application could be denied.
Here is the list of the countries which must be covered by your Schengen travel insurance:
2. Don’t forget: if you fail to subscribe to mandatory travel insurance, your visa application might not be granted. Make sure to provide an approved travel insurance certificate to European embassies and consulates.
To make the wisest choice when it comes to Schengen travel insurance, make sure to compare the different products available on the market and ask yourself the following questions to determine which one is the best for you:
Our advice: read the General Terms and Conditions of all insurance contracts and make sure you are familiar with the exclusion clauses. We often focus on what IS covered and forget to check what is NOT!
Why buy AXA Schengen Travel Insurance online?
AXA travel insurance is accepted with all Schengen visa applications.
When you choose AXA, you benefit from:
Don’t wait any longer and subscribe online to your travel insurance to visit the Schengen Area!
Because each trip to Europe is different and we all have different needs, AXA has designed 3 custom-made travel insurance options, all meeting the requirements of the Schengen visa application.
Our cheapest option (from €22/week) is nonetheless perfect to obtain your Schengen visa! It meets all the requirements demanded, covers you in all the countries of the Schengen Area as well as 4 European microstates (Andorra, Vatican City, Monaco and San Marino). It includes maximum coverage of €30,000 (medical expenses, emergency hospitalization) and repatriation.
It meets all the Schengen Visa requirements. This option is the best choice for those who wish to travel within the Schengen Area as well as in other European countries. It provides coverage in the 27 Schengen countries + the European microstates + all the EU countries (including Cyprus, Bulgaria, the Republic of Ireland and Romania) + the UK.
It offers additional guarantees such as:
Other guarantees are also available. Starting price at €33 a week for a coverage of up to €100,000.
It meets all the Schengen Visa requirements. This annual travel insurance is ideal for those who often travel to Europe as well as multiple-entry Schengen visa holders.
It covers the 27 Schengen countries + the European microstates + all the EU countries (including Cyprus, Bulgaria, the Republic of Ireland and Romania) + the UK. Its additional guarantees are the same as those of Europe Travel. It offers a €100,000 coverage at a starting price of €328 a year.
22 € per week
(approx. US$ 23)
If you want to find out more, make sure to read the following articles:
The 27 countries of the Schengen area:
Which countries can I visit with Schengen travel insurance?
Which countries are the easiest to obtain a Schengen visa from?
How long does it take to get a Schengen Visa?
To be accepted with your Schengen visa application, your international medical insurance must meet several criteria: medical expenses covered up to at least €30,000, coverage of repatriation (sanitary or of the body in case of death) - it must remain valid during the entire duration of your stay in the Schengen area- it must cover all the countries of the Schengen zone and it must be valid in all countries part of the Schengen area even if you do not intend on visiting them.
It means that the insurance company where you have subscribed your travel insurance is officially recognized as valid by the consulates and embassies of the Schengen countries. If the international medical insurance is not considered as valid your visa application will be denied.
Some companies –such as AXA Schengen insurance- guarantee the refund of the subscription fee if the visa application is denied. A written proof supporting the refusal and delivered by the consulates and embassies will need to be provided.