TRAVEL INSURANCE IS NECESSARY FOR EUROPE

 Many of us Filipinos dream of visiting Europe and enjoy seeing the beautiful and famous tourist spots someday. In order to visit Europe, we need to apply for a Schengen Visa. There is a list of documentary requirements needed for applying Schengen Visa but one of the most important requirements is buying a travel care medical insurance to an accredited non-life insurance company. The travel insurance is a mandatory requirement in applying a Schengen Visa.

Extract from “Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009”, which entered into force on April 5 of 2010:

“… Applicants for a uniform visa for one or two entries shall prove that they are in possession of adequate and valid travel medical insurance to cover any expenses which might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment or death, during their stay(s) on the territory of the Member States.

The insurance shall be valid throughout the territory of the Schengen Area Member States and cover the entire period of the person’s intended stay or transit. The minimum coverage shall be EUR 30,000” (…)

Whether the travel insurance is mandatory or not, I do believe that we need to buy a travel insurance wherever we go in the world. It is affordable and the coverage is worth it. Medical expenses and repatriation expenses are some of the covered expenses of a travel insurance. Believe me, expenses can go up to millions and you will pay for it if you do not have travel insurance. It is not like we are in the Philippines, and we can easily borrow money from friends and relatives; we are in a foreign country possibly with no relatives and friends in there. (I stand corrected, even in the Philippines, borrowing money is difficult.) When you buy travel insurance, you buy peace of mind. When you are abroad, unexpected emergencies may happen like accidental injuries and illnesses.

Acceptable medical insurance for a Schengen visa must meet following criteria: Medical coverage of at least Euro 30,000 (USD $33,503 as of January 3, 2020) Must cover emergency medical evacuation and repatriation of remains.

Schengen Visa Itinerary has the best services like Flight Itinerary, Hotel Booking and Travel Insurance are there.