With the pandemic easing out from our lives and travel destinations finally opening up, it is probably the right time to plan a trip. And if you are looking forward to travelling to a European country anytime soon, you will need to apply for Schengen travel insurance. The Schengen visa is one of the most exclusive visas worldwide. Europe is a desired travel destination for people all over the world. And a Schengen visa provides a gateway to 25 beautiful European destinations, including – Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Malta, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Norway, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and Sweden. And to get this visa, you need to fulfil a few criteria, including a Schengen travel insurance policy.
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Requirements for Schengen Travel Insurance in India
While travelling to any country, medical insurance is highly recommended; you will also need a travel insurance policy. Also, travel insurance for a Schengen visa is mandatory. Even when you look for visa options on websites, you will see that going for group insurance policies won’t be too fruitful and might have several limitations. So, you must go for an individual travel policy to get your Schengen visa and make sure that your travel is safe. Here are the basic Schengen visa travel insurance requirements:
- A coverage of 30,000 EUR or 50,000 USD is required.
- The insurance should be valid for all the countries that are included in the visa.
- The travel insurance policy should be valid for the entire duration of your trip.
- It should cover all the necessary expenses for medical emergencies, death, deportation of the body and any other emergency health concerns.
So, before you lookup for a Schengen travel insurance policy in India, make sure that you meet the requirements mentioned above. Also, to know how much you’ll need to pay for your insurance policy, you can take the help of a travel insurance premium calculator. By calculating the amount for your Schengen travel insurance in advance, you won’t have to worry about the shortage of financial resources on your trip!
What is Covered Under a Schengen Travel Insurance Policy?
Your Schengen travel insurance policy, if obtained from a reputed insurer, would provide you with the below-mentioned benefits:
- Medical Cover: If you face any medical emergencies, including accidents, during your Europe trip, your travel policy will cover the expenses. Also, some of them might even have COVID-19 cover under the same, which will ensure that you can cover your medical expenses or trip cancellations without burning a hole in your pocket.
- Tour Cover: For any eventuality that might occur during your trip, the Schengen travel insurance in India would cover all your financial losses caused by the same. This includes trip cancellations, flight cancellations or delays, bounced bookings, trip shortenings, passport loss, and other similar distressing situations.
- Baggage Cover: Your Schengen visa travel insurance would also cover mishandling or losing your baggage during the trip. In case your luggage is lost or stolen, or even misplaced during the journey, your travel policy would cover the costs for the same so that you can enjoy a worry-free stay during your holiday.
What is Not-included in a Schengen Travel Insurance Policy?
Most Schengen visas will have their own set of exclusions which might become difficult for your policy insurer to cover. These are as follows-
- Any pre-existing medical conditions like cardiac ailments, diabetes, and high blood pressure are not covered. If such health conditions exist, the policy applicant should pay an extra premium to get an add-on cover.
- Risky adventure sports like scuba diving or skydiving aren’t covered in the insurance policy.
- Travelling to risk-prone geographical locations like countries suffering from serious natural disasters or acts of terrorism won’t be covered by the travel policy.
Things To Remember Before Travelling
If you are travelling on a Schengen visa and with Schengen travel insurance –
- Your travel insurance should have a validity of at least 3 to 6 months, depending on the duration and the purpose of your stay.
- You should have a copy of your Schengen travel insurance policy with you at all times, in case you are needed to produce it.
- Keep a list of hospitals that will be closest to whichever destination you are travelling to. It is also a good idea to keep important local and emergency numbers handy.
- Ensure that you have some liquid cash handy but safely stored away just in case you cannot access digital cash or banks.
Conclusion
As we say, prevention is better than cure. Hence, a bit of preparation well in advance will make your travel worriless and more fun. In case you are travelling to multiple countries on a single trip, ensure you prepare for the same accordingly. And to ensure a safe trip, always stay alert so that you can enjoy your trip to the fullest!
