Insurance for a Schengen visa: where and how to issue?

Traveling through Europe should be a safe leisure time for the traveler. Visitors to European countries have the opportunity to use quality medical services. The insurance will allow the vacationer not to worry about the occurrence of sudden expenses in case of illness. What are the requirements for medical insurance? What is the registration procedure like? What is worth paying attention to? Answers to your questions in this article.

Insurance requirements

Insurance for the Schengen must meet certain standards, which means that all the prescribed requirements must be met. At the consulates, authorized employees pay a lot of attention to the insurance policy. Lack of a document can cause serious problems for the tourist in a foreign country.

Period of insurance validity

One of the main requirements relates to the validity period of the insurance. A traveler must not cross the border of the Schengen countries before the insurance policy comes into legal force. It is worth knowing that this requirement can be disregarded by holders of multi-visas, which involve a long period of validity.

Similarly: you need to leave the Schengen visa area before the end of the insurance. Often insurance organizations offer an extension of 10 or 15 days, so that the insured can change the dates of the trip.

Insurance policy coverage area

The tourist has the right to travel only within the territory in which the Schengen Agreement applies. Otherwise the medical services will be refused.

No deductible

A small but important requirement. The policyholder must make sure that his insurance policy does not include any surcharge when an insured event occurs. If this requirement is not met, the policyholder will risk the loss of his or her own money.

Included costs

The insurance document should not only cover the cost of medical care, but also posthumous repatriation in the event of the death of the insured.

What does insurance cover

Although the Schengen insurance coverage area is the same, each country has the right to impose its own requirements for this document. Schengen insurance may cover the following expenses during your stay in Europe:

• Emergency medical care in case of illness or injury;
• repatriation of the body;
• urgent evacuation;
• the return of a minor citizen;
• Cancellation of a planned trip;
• the need for a funeral;
• Compensation in the case of injury, serious harm to health, or disability group;
• lost or damaged luggage;
• lost documents and personal belongings;
• missed flight connections due to technical reasons or weather conditions;
• hijacking the plane;
• baggage delay;

It is not uncommon for insurers to offer coverage for the first trimester of pregnancy. All subsequent stages of pregnancy are insured as agreed upon by the parties.

It is important to keep in mind that the insurance company will refuse to pay if at the time of the accident the tourist was under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. Even if this circumstance could in no way affect the occurrence of the incident, the insured will have to pay the expenses themselves.

How to take out insurance

Schengen insurance can be arranged in two ways: in person and online. When visiting the company's office, the insured must have both their Russian and foreign passports with them. An authorized employee will clarify the following information:

• The exact dates of the trip;
• country of visit;
• the purpose of the trip to Europe;
• the type of recreation planned (sports, beach);
• date of birth.

After clarifying the details, the insured must choose a preferred rate. Then you need to pay for the policy and wait for it to be issued. Usually the purchase procedure takes no more than half an hour.

You can conclude an insurance deal online from the comfort of your home. All you need to do is fill out an empty form on the insurance company's website and provide some personal information (passport details). After entering all the information, the user must pay for the service using a bank card.

After confirming the payment, you will receive an e-mail from the insurance company, which will contain an electronic version of the policy. All you need to do is print it out and attach it to the package of documents. The electronic policy and the standard policy have equal legal force.

It is better not only to print out the electronic policy, but also to take a photo. The document contains the number of the insurance company's dispatch service. If an insured event occurs away from paper documents, the insured will be able to get qualified help.

More and more tourists prefer the electronic version of the policy, because if the policy is lost or worn out you can always print a new copy. Travelers also save a lot of time by not having to get to the company office and wait in lines.

The cost of insurance policy for a Schengen visa

The price of health insurance for a Schengen visa depends on several factors:

• Sum insured;
• the period of validity of the insurance policy;
• The age and health status of the insured;
• type of recreation;
• selected tariff.

Usually, to visit Europe, travelers are required to take out a policy with coverage of at least 30,000 euros ($50,000). If the insured wants to go on a trip and engage in active sports, the cost of his insurance will be higher.

A high probability of travel injuries is insured at higher rates. If a tourist goes to the beach, he can safely take out the standard insurance.

The client can get insurance service on several tariff plans: economy, comfort, premium. Depending on the price, the list of covered risks increases or decreases. The economic policy will allow to reimburse the following expenses:

• Transportation to the point of medical care;
• inpatient treatment;
• outpatient treatment;
• doctor's consultation;
• surgical operations;
• the cost of the prescribed medications;
• dental services;
• repatriation of the body of the deceased.

The standard rate implies additional items in the list of insured events. So, the price of the insurance may include: transportation from the place of treatment of the injured person to his home after his discharge, living expenses after inpatient treatment until the moment of relocation.

The most reliable and expensive type of insurance is premium. The insured who have secured themselves in this way can count not only on medical assistance, but also on legal assistance. Premium allows you to receive interpreter assistance for long-term treatment. This type also includes payment for ground transportation if there are contraindications to flying or returning children to their home country.

For an additional fee, other additional insurance options are also available. For example, customers can insure their luggage against theft or flight delays. You can also insure your documents against loss.

Thus, 10 days of stay in Europe at the minimum rate of 30,000 euros will cost approximately 500-800 rubles. If you want more reliable insurance with a limit of 100,000 euros - 740-1800 rubles.

Where to get insurance

The insured should trust only proven and reliable providers of insurance services. There are about a dozen large insurance providers operating on the territory of the Russian Federation. Each organization offers its own terms of the deal and prices for services.

Only those companies that have a high level of reliability (from "A" and above) should take out insurance for a Schengen visa. On the official website of insurance companies, the client can find the necessary information about the insurer's license.

According to Russian Federal Laws No. 4015-I and No. 234, every insurance company is obliged to provide reliable information about its credibility and license data in the public domain. It is not unreasonable to familiarize oneself with the company's rating positions and customer reviews.

Assistants

There is an important subtlety: no insurance organization in Russia can have its offices in Europe. This means that companies find foreign partners. This cooperation is called assistance, and the reliability of the insurance depends on it. You should find out which international company the insurer cooperates with.

Each insurance company works with one or more assistance companies. On the policy form there will be a telephone number of the international partner. The client will call the assistance company when an insured event occurs.

It is important to understand that the purchased insurance document is valid only if certain requirements are met. It is not uncommon for policyholders to leave negative feedback about companies that have failed to provide service due to non-compliance by the customer.

You can read the current insurance terms and conditions on your copy of the insurance policy. Only this source can be called reliable, because sometimes the information on websites is outdated and loses relevance.

Important nuances of choosing an insurance policy

Schengen insurance is an important document, which must be obtained in accordance with all requirements and taking into account various details. Sometimes insurance companies offer clients to get formal insurance at a low price with a limited list of insured events when making a deal.

It is worth considering whether it is worthwhile to travel to a foreign country without reliable insurance. It is possible to get permission to cross the Schengen visa area with such a document. However, in case of unforeseen circumstances, the insured will be left without any help.

Underpriced insurance can cost you a lot of money. Such offers should be treated with suspicion. Before concluding a contract, it is important to read the list of covered events.

If there is a child or a pregnant woman among tourists, it is better to take an extended list of covered risks. It is this category of travelers who most often get into unforeseen situations.

Helpful hints

When planning a trip to Europe by car, it is necessary to take care of the prevention of costs in case of an accident. If the client of the insurance company does not want to assume the costs in case of a road accident, it is obligatory to buy a combined insurance. This additional condition allows for compensation for both personal injury and valuables.

Allergy sufferers and people with weak immune systems should pay special attention to the climate in which they will live during the trip. In a different environment, such tourists will be especially vulnerable.

It is worth bringing a medical card from your personal physician with you on the trip, which will indicate the specifics of your illness and treatment options (for people with serious illnesses). It is also important to take all necessary medications with you to avoid having to buy unfamiliar products from a foreign pharmacy.

To get insurance for a Schengen visa, the insured must familiarize themselves with all the prescribed requirements. It is important to follow the rules and trust only a proven company that can provide reliable protection against possible risks.