All the information to contract the travel insurance to Europe in 2026, if you are thinking of going on holiday to the Old Continent.
Thinking of travelling to Europe? Travel insurance should not be missing from the list. In this article we explain the requirements and the different options you have to take out insurance, insured sums and more.
Is travel insurance mandatory to enter Europe?
One of the items to add to the budget for travel to Europe is travel insurance. If you do not have European citizenship, it is a mandatory requirement to take out travel insurance with a minimum amount of € 30,000 to cover unforeseen medical assistance, repatriation and emergencies that may arise.
This requirement is imposed by the countries that are in the Schengen Area. These are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Romania, Sweden, and Switzerland.
That’s to say, when entering as a tourist through any of these countries, the migration police at the border control may require you to show your travel insurance, and that it complies with the established conditions (minimum sum of €30.000, covers the entire stay and repatriation if necessary).
📍 IMPORTANT: if you are travelling to the United Kingdom or any other EU country that we have not mentioned in the list, please note that it is not part of the Schengen treaty, so you would not be covered for any contingency that may happen to you in these countries. See below for more details.
🔝 Check out this article on how much it costs to travel to Europe.
Do “Schengen travel insurance” plans cover to travel throughout Europe?
No. It is necessary to distinguish the countries that are part of the Schengen agreement of free movement of people from those that are not, in which you will have border control again.
Countries such as England, for example, are not part of this agreement, so an specific Schengen travel insurance will not cover you in these countries.
If you plan to travel to any of them, it’s advisable to take out a general travel insurance with a higher sum insured than € 30,000, so that you are not only covered in the Schengen countries but also outside them.
So, for example, if you enter Europe through Spain, you can move freely to France, Portugal, Italy or Germany, for example, and the Schengen travel insurance will be valid in all cases.
If you travel from Germany to England, you’ll have border control, and the Schengen insurance won’t be helpful.
🔝 Check out this article on the must-see cities to visit in Europe if you are traveling for the first time.
Is it advisable to take out more coverage than the Schengen insurance?
Actually yes. If you don’t want to spend money out of your pocket for any unforeseen event during your trip that requires hospitalization or surgery. A simple consultation with a doctor in Europe costs a minimum of €50.
However, in the event of a major health event such as a heart attack or a stroke, where you should have complex fracture or an emergency operation, having a good travel insurance will be of help. The costs associated with the interventions, hospitalization and stay in the medical centre are considerably higher and may reach up to pass the maximum insurance sum of €30,000.
That said, there are many insurance options that, with higher sums insured and paying a little more, allow you to be covered for any eventuality and for all European countries.
✏️ Get Heymondo insurance for travel to Europe with 5% discount.
Is the travel insurance on the Visa, Mastercard or other credit card sufficient?
The answer is not always. The free travel insurance that comes with the credit card has a sum insured that usually does not exceed USD 20,000 (€ 18,000) and does not reach the minimum sum required for travel to Schengen area countries of € 30,000.
Normally, what many people do before travelling to Europe is to call the bank to pay extra and raise the sum insured to the minimum.
What we recommend is to read very carefully the coverage and conditions of the travel insurance provided by the credit card, because its coverage is usually less than that provided by a traditional travel insurance company.
Thus, for example, many have an excess (a minimum price that you have to pay for any medical consultation or emergency regardless of the sum insured that you take out), or the sums insured for lost or stolen luggage are lower.
It is up to each individual to decide whether to travel with the insurance provided by the credit card or to opt for a higher coverage, thus paying more but with less worries.
Why we recommend HeyMondo as travel insurance to Europe
We have travelled not only in Europe, but also in other continents with HeyMondo and the response has always been satisfactory.
We had to use it for minor cases of illness and both the free medical chat and the assistance at the medical centre have been great. Among its virtues, we mention:
- Medical coverages starting at 5,000,000 usd/€ – depending of residence.
- 24/7 worldwide assistance: includes medical issues, loss of luggage, transportation delays.
- Cover for non-refundable expenses: cancellation coverage for severe illness or death of the insured person or a family member, included in trip cancellation policies.
- They have a free medical chat that is available 24/7 for any queries in case of illness or accident.
⚠️ Note for US residents: travel insurance policies for US residents typically have maximum medical coverage limits of USD 200,000-250,000 (approximately €180,000-230,000).
✏️ Get Heymondo insurance for travel to Europe with 5% discount.
What you need for your trips to Europe
Plan your journey easily with these trusted resources:
