Most people see travel insurance as a piece of paper bought for the visa. You take the cheapest one, hand it to the consulate, done. Then someone breaks their leg skiing in Austria and it turns out that policy does not pay for a sports injury. Below I have written what this document covers, what it does not and which figures to look at.
What travel insurance pays for
The main part is emergency medical care. If you suddenly fall ill or are injured, the doctor’s examination, medicine, a hospital stay and, if necessary, an emergency operation are paid for. Emergency dental pain is included too, but only at the level of relieving the pain, not a prosthesis.
The second part is repatriation, that is, bringing a patient home in a serious case. It is the most expensive service and precisely why insurance matters. Some policies also cover lost baggage, a cancelled flight and legal help, but those are not always included and have to be checked separately.
What travel insurance does not pay for
Chronic illnesses are almost always excluded from a standard policy. For diabetes, heart disease and similar conditions a separate extension is needed. Pregnancy also falls into the exclusions after a certain week, usually after the twenty-eighth.
The second big exclusion is active sport. Skiing, diving, motorcycling, mountain climbing and even cycling are not covered by some policies. If you are going skiing, look for the words “winter sports” on the policy, and if they are not there pay extra and have them added. The third is incidents that happen under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which are not paid for under any circumstances.
Which figures to look at
| The Schengen minimum | 30 000 euros of cover, the whole Schengen territory |
| America and Asia | 50 000–100 000 dollars is recommended |
| The excess, your own share | 0 is best, 50–100 euros is common |
| Price | 8–25 euros for a week-long trip |
The word excess is often overlooked on a policy, whereas its meaning is this: you pay the first fifty euros yourself. On cheap policies that figure is large and in small incidents the insurance effectively does not work. When you buy the policy, check too that the cover fully spans the visa period; if it is one day short, the consulate does not accept it.
Read more: A Schengen countries travel guide: 29 countries on one visa, choosing a route, trains and budget
What to do when something happens
The first step is not to go to hospital but to telephone the insurance company’s call centre. The number is written on the policy; copy it into your phone’s memory before the trip. The company directs you to a clinic it has an arrangement with and makes the payment directly itself.
If you are treated without calling, you pay yourself and getting the money back afterwards becomes difficult. Keep all the receipts, the doctor’s certificate and the test results. Information about travel advice by country and consular support is on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs site.
A last word
Travel insurance is not a piece of paper bought for the visa but a document that protects you abroad from a large sum, and the difference lies in a choice worth a few euros. Look at the cover amount, the excess and the exclusions, and write the number into your phone. To prepare the visa documents together, fill in the application form.
Note: the terms vary by insurer, so read the exclusions section before buying the policy.
