How to choose the best Schengen travel insurance?

Written by the AXA Schengen team
Date: 20/03/2025

Ready to go sailing in beautiful Brittany, to explore the Transylvanian forests of Romania, to go skiing in the Swiss Alps, to celebrate with friends in Barcelona, to be amazed by the Portuguese architecture in Lisbon or simply to finalise a business deal in Brussels while eating mussels and chocolate? The list of fun activities and amazing sites to discover in the Schengen area is almost endless!

However, whether you are travelling in Europe for business or pleasure, you and your fellow companions need to feel protected and supported in case of trouble. This is where travel insurance comes in. Not only is medical travel insurance compulsory if you need to apply for a Schengen visa, it is also highly recommended to guarantee a silly mishap or a serious accident don’t turn into a financial pit hole.

Have no fear! The AXA team has prepared a step-by-step guide allowing you to understand your Schengen insurance needs while making sure the one you choose meets all the criteria required by embassies and consulates, offers the best value for money as well as the best coverage to protect you during your European adventures.

• Who needs travel insurance to visit Europe?
• What are the compulsory coverage requirements to obtain a Schengen visa?
• 10 golden rules to compare Schengen visa insurance offers.
• Why choose AXA Schengen travel insurance?
• Find the best AXA travel insurance option for you.

Who needs travel insurance to visit Europe?

If you need a Schengen visa…

Several billion earthlings from over a hundred countries need to obtain a visa if they wish to enter the Schengen area. To find out if this applies to you, check out the list of nationalities subject to Schengen visa requirements.

With your Schengen application file, you will need to enclose several documents, including a travel insurance certificate. To be valid, it must comply with several criteria (see below) imposed by the European Union Visa Code. Otherwise, your application will be denied.

Travel insurance is thus mandatory to obtain a Schengen visa.

You must subscribe to Schengen travel insurance BEFORE applying for your visa, as the insurance certificate must be enclosed with your application file when you submit it.

If you don’t need a Schengen visa…

You come from a country which is not subject to visa requirements to enter the Schengen area?

Travel insurance is consequently not mandatory but highly recommended by authorities.
Why, you ask? Well, the sacred saying “Prepare for the worst, hope for the best”, has never been more appropriate. When travelling, wonderful experiences and cherished memories are all you want to bring back home. Unfortunately, health issues, accidents or other mishaps can also be on the list. Limiting damage and ordeal is where efficient travel insurance comes into play.

Good travel insurance will, among other things, cover medical as well as sanitary repatriation expenses which can skyrocket particularly for foreign travellers visiting Europe.

Without international medical insurance, you could be faced with colossal health bills without the possibility of any kind of refund when you get home.

What are the mandatory requirements for Schengen travel insurance?

Schengen travel insurance must:

• Guarantee a €30, 000 minimum coverage.
• Be certified by all the countries of the Schengen area.
• Be valid in all Schengen states.
• Cover emergency hospitalisation and medical care due to health issues occurring during your stay.
• Bear the costs of repatriation to your home country in case of serious health issues or even death.
• Remain valid during the entire duration of your stay.

Please Note

To make sure your travel insurance complies with current legislation, check if its policy is recognised as valid by all the countries of the Schengen area, even if you intend on visiting only one.

Bear in mind that in case of non-compliance with current requirements for mandatory travel insurance, your application will be turned down.
Make sure to provide a travel insurance certificate accepted by European embassies and consulates.

10 golden rules to compare Schengen Travel Insurance plans

When it comes to choosing the right travel insurance, comparing the different options available on the market is always the best way to go. Here is what you should look out for:

1. Does it meet the required criteria to obtain a Schengen visa (see above)?
2. Is the insurance company certified by the embassies and consulates of the country you are travelling to and by all the Schengen member States?
3. Does it apply any deductible?
4. Is there any age limit to subscribe?
5. Does it offer 24/7 assistance?
6. Must future subscribers submit to a medical exam?
7. How long does it take to obtain your insurance certificate, mandatory with your visa application?
8. Does it offer the best value for money?
9. Does it offer the possibility of a refund in case your visa application is denied?
10. Does it offer additional guarantees such as extended coverage including to other countries, in case of theft or loss of ID documents, of search and rescue costs, etc.?

Why should you subscribe to AXA Schengen travel insurance online?

First and foremost, AXA travel insurance is automatically accepted with Schengen visa applications and here’s why:

• AXA Schengen visa insurance complies with all E.U requirements in terms of visa obligations.
• It is certified and accepted by the consulates and embassies of all the countries part of the Schengen area.
• It guarantees a coverage of minimum 30,000 euros and up to 100,000 euros.
• It covers medical expenses, hospitalisation, sanitary repatriation including in the event of death.
• Its coverage scope includes all the Schengen states, European microstates, other non-Schengen but European countries as well as the United Kingdom (depending on the chosen option).
• It remains valid during the entire duration of your stay in the Schengen area.

Other advantages of choosing AXA travel insurance

• AXA is internationally renowned for its expertise in Schengen travel insurance.
• It offers 24/7 assistance thanks to its devoted teams of experienced professionals.
• Online subscription is quick and easy.
• Your Schengen travel insurance certificate is available instantaneously.
• You can thus immediately print and enclose the certificate with your application file, saving you precious time.
• There is no age restriction
• 0 deductible on medical expenses.
• No medical check-up required.
• It is refundable if your visa application is denied.
• It offers many additional advantages: delivery of prescriptions, glasses and prosthesis, coverage of the early repatriation of the injured’s travel companions and their luggage as well as if the insured must interrupt their stay due to an emergency (such as serious illness in the family, etc.)
• Free remote medical consultations ((with our unique “Doctor, please!” feature) in English, French, and a number of other languages)
• Different options are available designed to satisfy all needs and budgets.
  Compare all our different insurance plans to choose the option that best suits your needs.

Don’t think twice and subscribe online now!

What is the best AXA travel insurance option for you?

Each European trip is different and not all situations are the same, that is why AXA has imagined different insurance options tailored to all travel needs while meeting the necessary requirements to obtain a Schengen visa.

1- The Low Cost travel insurance option

While it may be our cheapest offer, it nonetheless complies with all Schengen visa requirements!

• It covers you in all the countries of the Schengen area as well as in 4 European microstates (Andorra, the Vatican, Monaco and San Marino).
• It includes € 30,000 coverage (medical and emergency hospitalisation expenses).
• It also takes on the costs entailed in case of repatriation.

2- The Europe Travel insurance Option

This is the best choice for people wishing to travel in the Schengen area as well as in other European countries. Not only does it meet all the requirements demanded to obtain a Schengen visa, its coverage range includes all Schengen states + the European microStates as well as all EU countries (including Cyprus and Ireland) + the United Kingdom.

It offers additional coverage such as:

• Search and rescue costs,
• Return trip to the insured’s home country if they must interrupt their stay due to an emergency,
• The costs of bringing in a relative or friend to assist the hospitalised or ill traveller if they are on their own in a Schengen country (insurance, transportation and accommodation)…

3- The AXA Multi Trip insurance option

This yearly travel insurance option is perfect for those who often travel to Europe as well as for holders of a multiple entry Schengen visa.

• It meets the mandatory conditions to obtain a Schengen visa,
• It offers coverage in all Schengen countries + European microstates + all EU countries (including Cyprus and Ireland) + the United Kingdom.
• It includes a €100,000 coverage.
• Additional benefits are the same as those of the Europe Travel option.

It only takes a few seconds to get your free quote online.

Enjoy your trip to Europe!

You might also find these articles interesting

• How much does Schengen travel insurance cost?
• How to obtain Schengen insurance for a long-stay visa?
• Is Schengen travel insurance mandatory?

FAQ

What mandatory guarantees must a Schengen visa insurance offer?

To be accepted with a Schengen visa application, international medical travel insurance must comply with certain criteria:

• a medical expense coverage of minimum €30, 000, including possible repatriation costs (sanitary or in the event of death),
• it must remain valid during the entire duration of the applicant’s stay in the Schengen area and in all its member States,
• it must be certified by the consular authorities of the country where the application is submitted.

What is a certified Schengen travel insurance?

Travel insurance must be subscribed with a company considered as valid by the consular authorities of the Schengen country where you are applying for your visa. If that is not the case, the visa application will be denied.

Can the Schengen visa insurance subscription be refunded if the visa application is denied?

AXA Schengen travel insurance guarantees the refund of subscription costs if the visa application is denied. You will nonetheless need to supply the written documents provided by consular authorities to prove the negative decision.