Do I need health insurance when traveling to Europe?

When visiting Europe, travelers should be able to handle and financially cover medical services in case of an accident, injury, or illness, and it is mandatory to have your own travel insurance. If you are from a country with a visa-free travel arrangement with the Schengen Area then Schengen travel insurance is not mandatory, but is still advised.

What are the requirements for Schengen travel insurance?

Your Schengen travel insurance must cover medical and repatriation costs up to at least €30,000, in case of medical emergency or death, and be valid in all 26 Schengen states.

What are my options when buying Schengen travel insurance ?

Low Cost

For those who prize value for money, AXA provides Low Cost Schengen Area travel insurance that meets your visa requirements from as little as €0.99 per day. This will cover you for medical and repatriation expenses up to €30,000 in all Schengen countries and offer you coverage in case of repatriation.

Europe Travel

As the number one brand for Schengen Visa insurance AXA also offers other options and tailor-made products. Other coverage available includes our Europe Travel insurance, costing €1.50 per day - this is perfect for those traveling with family as it covers children under 18, or for those planning more adventurous activities during their trip as it covers expenses up to €100,000. With this type of insurance, you are also covered for loss of documents or other important items, as well as other problems you might encounter during your trip. This type of insurance can also offer you compensation for days spent in hospital, the replacement of essential items, and coverage of hotel costs for family.

Multi Trip

Schengen Multi Trip insurance, perfect for regular travelers with a multiple entry visa, is available for €298 for a year’s coverage and has many of the same benefits as Europe Travel but can be used throughout a year on multiple trips - perfect for business travelers who need comprehensive coverage to ensure their trips aren’t disrupted by any mishaps.

A certificate proving you are insured and detailing your policy will be available immediately, meaning you can get on with your application.

Tips for Schengen Visa insurance

Before purchasing a travel insurance policy for your upcoming travel to Europe you should make sure that you don’t already have an existing plan, or if you do, that it provides coverage that meets the mandatory Schengen Visa requirements. You should also check the restrictions and limitations to any travel insurance policy you have to check if it provides the right coverage for your trip to Europe.

You should also check on your travel plans and what you plan to do and take with you. For example, if you are traveling by car in the Schengen Area, check that your insurance will cover you in the event of accidents. Or, if you are planning more dangerous activities like extreme sports, make sure this is covered in your policy. You should also check that your insurance covers you for any valuable possessions.

Tips when traveling

It’s highly recommended for people with pre-existing conditions like allergies or asthma to carry medical information from their physician describing their condition and the drugs prescribed to maintain it. In case one has a chronic disease, again, it’s smart to be carrying any prescribed drugs you need in the amount needed for days spent traveling in Europe.

Why should I choose AXA travel insurance if I do not need to obtain a visa?

Travel insurance provides you with peace of mind before and during your trip - as you may have to pay medical costs or for setbacks such as lost documents and luggage, as well as for other circumstances that may disrupt your holiday.

Frequently asked questions about mandatory Schengen travel insurance

Even though travel medical insurance is worth having when travelling to Europe due to the high health costs associated with any emergency medical treatments, not everyone is required to have it. However, having a travel insurance policy is mandatory for travellers who need to apply for a Schengen visa, which might be the case of some Canadian residents (e.g. PR holders who don’t have Canadian citizenship status and hold passports from countries where a visa is required to enter the Schengen area).

See the latest health advice for UK travellers following the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).

This information is about visiting the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. There’s different guidance for healthcare if you’re:

visiting Spain
visiting Ireland
going to live, study or work in the EU

When you travel to an EU country or Switzerland you should have either:

a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)
a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

You should also have travel insurance with healthcare cover.

An EHIC or GHIC is not a replacement for travel insurance. Make sure you have both before you travel.

Each healthcare system is different, and in some countries you’ll need to pay to have treatment.

Apply for a GHIC

A GHIC lets you get medically necessary state healthcare in Europe at a reduced cost or sometimes for free.

If your EHIC is still in date, you do not need to apply for a new GHIC.

They’re both valid if you’re travelling to an EU country or, if you’re eligible, in Switzerland.

Apply for a GHIC for free on the NHS website.

Visiting Switzerland

You can use your GHIC or EHIC in Switzerland to get state-provided, medically necessary healthcare at a reduced cost (or sometimes for free) if you are a:

UK national
Swiss national
EU citizen
refugee
stateless person
dependant or survivor of someone with one of these nationalities or statuses

You can only use your GHIC or EHIC in Switzerland if one of the above applies to you – even if you can use your GHIC or EHIC in the EU.

You may also be asked to show evidence of your nationality when accessing healthcare using a GHIC or EHIC in Switzerland.

Visiting Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein

You can use a UK passport to get medically necessary healthcare in Norway.

GHICs and most UK EHICs are not valid in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Make sure you take out travel insurance with medical cover for your trip.

You may not have access to free emergency medical treatment and could be charged for your healthcare if you do not get health cover with your travel insurance.

Visits that started in 2020 and end in 2021

If you started your visit to Iceland or Liechtenstein before 1 January 2021, your UK EHIC entitlements will continue until you leave that country.

Who can use a UK-issued EHIC

Some people can get a new UK-issued EHIC which is valid for visits to Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.

You’ll be able to apply if you’re:

an EU, Norwegian, Icelandic, Liechtenstein or Swiss national, and started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
receiving a UK State Pension or some other ‘exportable benefits’, and started living in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland before 1 January 2021
a ‘frontier worker’ (someone who works in one state and lives in another), and started being one before 1 January 2021, for as long as you continue to be a frontier worker in the host state
an eligible family member or dependant of one of the above

Apply now for your new UK EHIC on the NHS website.

UK students using an EHIC

If you started living and studying in Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein before 1 January 2021, you need to apply for a new UK-issued EHIC.

This entitles you to medically necessary state healthcare until the end of your course.

Using your EHIC or GHIC

An EHIC or GHIC covers state healthcare, not private treatment.

With an EHIC or GHIC you can get emergency or necessary medical care for the same cost as a resident in the country you’re visiting. This means that you can get healthcare at a reduced cost or for free.

Find out what your card covers in each country. You can select the country you are planning to visit from the drop-down list.

An EHIC or GHIC is not a replacement for travel insurance – it does not cover everything, such as mountain rescue or being flown back to the UK (medical repatriation). Make sure you have both before you travel.

You’ll need to pay in full for treatment if you do not have an EHIC, GHIC or provisional replacement certificate (PRC).

The following European countries do not accept the EHIC or GHIC:

the Channel Islands, including Guernsey, Alderney and Sark
the Isle of Man
Monaco
San Marino
the Vatican

If you do not have your EHIC or GHIC with you

You’ll need to apply for a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC) if you need treatment and you do not have your EHIC or GHIC, or your card is lost or stolen abroad.

Call the Overseas Healthcare Services. This is part of the NHS Business Services Authority (BSA).

NHS Overseas Healthcare Services Telephone: +44 (0)191 218 1999 Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

Travelling with a health condition

Buy travel insurance with healthcare cover for your condition. Your EHIC or GHIC will cover medically necessary treatment.

Read the Money and Pensions Advice Service guidance for buying travel insurance for people with pre-existing medical conditions.

If you need to have treatment while you’re abroad, you may need to pre-arrange it. For example, if you need dialysis or oxygen treatment. Speak to your doctor in the UK for advice before you travel.

You cannot take some products prescribed for health conditions with you into the EU. These include special food required for medical reasons containing meat or dairy. There are some exemptions. Read more about taking animal products, food or plants with you into the EU on the Your Europe website.

UK prescriptions can be used in Ireland and Spain. You cannot use a UK prescription elsewhere in the EU.

Bringing medicine with you

Before you travel, make sure you either:

take enough medication to last the duration of your trip
can get any medicine you need in the country you’re going to

Check with the embassy, high commission or consulate for the country you’re visiting about local rules on any specific medicines.

You need a letter to prove your medicine is prescribed to you if it contains a ‘controlled drug’. You may need to show this at the border when you’re entering or leaving the UK.

You may also need a licence for controlled drugs if:

your trip is longer than 3 months
you’re travelling with more than 3 months’ supply

Read more about travelling with controlled medicines.

Read guidance from NaTHNaC on best practice when travelling with medicines.

Getting prescriptions

If you need to get prescribed medicine while you’re away, speak to a pharmacist in the country you’re visiting. You may need a prescription from a local doctor.

You may have to pay something towards the cost of your prescription.

If you have an EHIC or GHIC, you should pay the same as a citizen of the EU country you’re visiting, or a Swiss citizen if in Switzerland. Make sure your prescription is from a state-approved doctor in the EU and Switzerland.