Perfect Schengen Visa Insurance - Europe Travel Insurance

Learn about the Schengen Visa Travel Insurance Requirements. 
Susan learns from personal experience that travel insurance is a must. Follow her story and learn what she discovered about the Travel Insurance.

The Schengen Travel Insurance

At the start of 2020, the world was forever changed by the global pandemic known as COVID-19. In fact, during that time, my family and I learned a very valuable lesson...

My husband, son, and I have never really been the kind of people who got sick easily. To be honest, before the pandemic really took its toll on the world, we rarely went to the hospital. But, that all changed the day my son tested positive for COVID-19. Suddenly, the virus known for turning the world upside down found its way into our lives. Honestly, I have never been so afraid and stressed in my life...

During that time, my husband and I visited our son in the hospital - daily. Also, we had to cover all the medical expenses as we didn't believe in the expensive medical insurance (an obvious mistake). To keep my story short, all I'll say is that our family was fortunate enough not to have lost anyone during the pandemic.

After my son's COVID-19 scare, we were careful to follow all the health and safety precautions wherever we went. This included our recent trip to Greece.

In January 2021, my husband and I planned a trip with our son to Greece. My son loves Greek mythology and has been asking us to take him even before he got sick. So we decided that we would surprise him with this trip, as he had a really rough year (after-effects of COVID-19).

The decision was made impulsively one evening while watching Percy Jackson with our son. My husband and I decided that we should start our visa application as soon as possible as he only had a month and a half left before he had to go back to work.

Our friends (who travel frequently) urged us to use an app called Atlys to apply for our Schengen Visa. They ensured us that it would cut the Schengen visa application time in half. The best part, we could apply from anywhere, even from our comfy bed. So that's what we decided to do. The very next day, my husband downloaded Atlys and applied for all our Schengen Visas.

While reading through the required documents, I noticed that we had to obtain valid health insurance.

I remember thinking: "What classifies as valid health insurance?"

After the stress of my son testing positive for coronavirus, I had to know. There was no way I would be so naive again. I would ensure that my entire family would be safe, even if we never used the health insurance. Rather safe than sorry (a lesson learned).

You see, I never really understood why it was mandatory to obtain health insurance for a short visit to the Schengen Area. I used to think that nothing bad would happen to my family. As I mentioned, we weren't prone to get sick. But after my son tested positive, I realized that anything could happen without a moment's notice. And if you're not prepared, it could have dire consequences.

Anyway, I contacted the customer service of Atlys to ask for some clear indication of the health insurance requirements. They were very friendly and eager to answer my questions. So here's what they had to say...

She (the customer service lady) informed me that health insurance, or travel medical insurance, must be obtained to provide medical coverage should we need it during our journey to Europe or any Schengen Member State.

She explained that there are many testimonies of people who had to go to the hospital unexpectedly due to some accident or injury. But, unfortunately, these people didn't have medical coverage, which meant they had to pay a ridiculous amount of cash or not get treated. - I don't want that to be me or any member of my family.

What Are The Schengen Visa Travel Insurance Requirements? - I Asked

After we discussed the importance of medical insurance, I asked her about the requirements thereof. The requirements for the Schengen Visa Health Insurance include the following:

It must provide minimum coverage of €30,000

It must provide coverage across the entire Schengen AreaThe Schengen Countries include Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

It must cover all medical expenses that may occur during your trip. This includes medication, medical treatment, emergency hospital treatment, death, and so on.

It must be valid for the duration of your stay. (So in our case, it must be valid for at least 2 weeks)

She also mentioned that my health insurance must provide medical coverage for all COVID-19 related illnesses or anything COVID -19 related. This includes:

Health emergencies related to COVID-19, including medical treatment, repatriation costs, medication, and hospitalization.

So, after she informed me about all the requirements, I still had a few questions...

There was always the chance that we might stay longer in Greece than planned. So, I asked if it's possible to extend the health insurance.

She told me that it was possible, but I had to contact the insurance company to find out the exact rules. Typically, you can either renew your existing health insurance policy or purchase a new one. However, I was informed that I would be charged for the extended duration (as expected).

What Does Medical/Travel Insurance Cover?

While talking to her, she referred to medical insurance like travel insurance, travel health insurance, and travel insurance policy. This had me a bit confused. So, I asked her what the insurance typically covers during a trip. She informed me that some of the best travel insurance policies and travel insurance plans include:

Medical emergency (accident or sickness) while in the Schengen Area

Accidental death, injury, or disablement benefit

Lost, stolen, or damaged baggage, personal effects, or travel documents

Delayed baggage (and emergency replacement of essential items)

Flight connection missed due to airline schedule crash

It's also possible to get pregnancy-related cover (I don't really know how this works)

Susan Mcentosh

About Susan

Susan's Content

Perfect Schengen Visa Insurance - Europe Travel Insurance