I am an Indian traveller. I have been to many countries in Europe, Asia, and one in Africa. For all the European countries I visited, such as Greece, Turkey, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Germany, and Portugal, we had to buy medical insurance as part of the documents submitted with the visa application. Without it, the visa would be rejected outright. Initially, I had doubts about which insurance to buy. But the Schengen website provides a list of approved insurance companies. I simply pick one from the list, customise it to suit me and my trip duration, and then buy it. Fortunately, I have never had to use it. So, I don't find it tricky or surprising when people are asked for medical insurance while travelling.
- Some nations require evidence of medical travel insurance when entering, which is usually verified when filling out an E-Visa or when checking at immigration. Others can be Schengen member states, Cuba, Ecuador (Galapagos), Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, in certain cases regarding visas, Turkey in cases of eVisa owners & many Caribbean islands. The amount of coverage required is variable, however, the current rule of thumb is the Schengen standard of 30000 medical insurance, repatriation, or evacuation. One of the ways to measure compliance is through checking documentation before departure and at points of entry. Failures to comply may lead to denial of admission. As a Director of Patient Transfers, I often see passengers being billed several hundred thousand dollars to fly them out in case their policies do not cover air-medical transport. Cost-shifting has also been worsened by the post-pandemic situation. That is why, on the basis of this recommendation, I undertake to buy primary medical coverage of at least $100,000 to cover care, $250,000 to cover evacuation, commit to destinations ahead, reveal previous conditions & print necessary certificates ahead. Sharon, Director Website: https://www.airambulance1.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/sharon-amos-06142262/
As co-founder and CXO of City Unscripted, I note that compulsory travel insurance is more and more becoming a necessity by multiple countries to combat the strain on local health services imposed by uninsured visitors, while travelers are also protected from exorbitant medical bills. France requires a minimum of €30,000 in coverage; Thailand demands $10,000; Cuba requires insurance to be purchased upon arrival if proof is not provided; and Ecuador insists on coverage specifically for the trip to the Galapagos. Adherence to these requirements is at the discretion of each destination country, and some countries require proof insurance, whereas others are only interested in it at the point of a medical emergency. Several European countries in the Schegen zone demand public private travel insurance for all inbound visa seekers, where they bear a duty to get an incoming visitor covered testifying minimum protection up to 30,000 euro such coverage is necessary in order to obtain a visa. This has been even more so as healthcare systems bear the costs of uninsured tourists, given financial risks from the pandemic. Eventually, travelers should get broad insurance that will cover medical evacuation as well as trip cancellation and treatment for Covid-19 at the destination. Some countries demand such insurance for entry. It's important to have evidence of insurance in both digital and paper forms easily accessible, and followups with your handlers on the ground are also vital, as no warning could leave you stranded at the point of entry or forced into buying expensive local policies - with all the financial and health issues that this entails.
I was traveling to the US. As a tourist, buying travel insurance is mandatory. You are required to show it at the time of applying for the visa. No one asked me at the border control about the travel insurance. However, they asked my wife about it. So, it's random. The same applies if someone is traveling from a non-EU country to an EU country. They must show a valid travel insurance when applying for the visa. Which countries currently require travel or medical insurance? US, Canada, Schengen countries, Australia, Japan, etc. Travellers who are from the EU member states or Schengen visa-exempt countries (eg: U.S., Canada, UK citizens) - getting travel health insurance is not mandatory. In your example, where UK passengers are asked for the coverage in France. This is a special case due to the EES system, which will be live from 12 October. The EES system asks travellers a set of questions, and medical insurance is one of them. If the traveller answers "no" to "medical insurance", the security at border control gets notified and may reject their entry. Suppose your normal health insurance covers medical & repatriation costs in France, you don't necessarily need travel insurance. However, you must get a document from your insurance company stating this explicitly. You must show this document at border control if asked. Generally, travel insurance is highly recommended for everyone, regardless of whether it is legally required or not. How are those rules enforced? - You must show a valid travel health insurance at the time of applying for the Visa. - If you enter an EU member state using the EES system, you will be asked if you have a valid medical insurance. Suppose you answer "no". In this case, your entry may be rejected. Minimum coverage For Schengen countries: - A minimum coverage of 30,000 €. - It should be valid in Germany and other countries in the European Union. - It must cover the repatriation costs in case of illness or death. - Cover the hospitalization and emergency services costs. - The travel insurance must be valid for the whole stay in the Schengen area. Sources: https://germanpedia.com/travel-health-insurance-parents-germany/#what_are_the_schengen_visa_requirements_for_health_insurance https://www.germany.info/us-en/service/visa/medical-health-insurance-953982 https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/your-arrival-in-france
We have a lot of clients with family ties in countries like Cuba, Ecuador, Lebanon, and Iran. These are some of the countries now requiring proof of travel/medical insurance as a condition of entry. So if you're planning a trip, not having proper coverage can mean being denied entry at the border or being hit with thousands of dollars in unexpected costs. Most countries right now require you to have at least $30,000 in medical coverage. The example in France you mentioned is interesting. While officials clarified that there's no new rule technically, the message is clear: more destinations are starting to enforce these requirements, especially at visa or border checkpoints. It's not just about getting sick when you're abroad. If someone dies while traveling, the process of returning their remains home can cost $10,000 or more. That's called repatriation, and at our firm, dealing with injury and wrongful death claims, we've seen families get completely blindsided by the bills. Grieving the loss is one thing, then they're also navigating international paperwork, transport logistics, and foreign regulations. It's overwhelming, so that's where firms like ours can help, or even having the right insurance. Policies that include repatriation make it so you won't ever have to worry about that. No one likes plan for the worst case scenario, but when you're traveling, especially when you're traveling far, it makes a lot of sense.
Many countries are now requiring insurance proof of coverage before entry. This is going from a formality to a necessity. The premise is simple, if something goes wrong while travelling abroad you foot the bill without the local system getting involved. I have seen proof of insurance collection at check-in, or even at the border, and if you didn't have it your stress level went up a few notches. I tell my clients constantly, travel insurance isn't a piece of paper, it is your coverage when you are far from home. Insurance is no longer an option. Like your passport or flight ticket, it is a part of your trip planning and allows you to travel preventatively without worry and stress.
Due to the pandemic, many nations are requiring medical coverage, in order to avoid having their local health care systems absorb the costs of this medical service for uninsured international visitors. Schengen countries and others are even requiring just over €30,000 coverage, when other specific visas are processed, or upon arrival immigration. This would mean the traveler is on the hook to member emergency medical costs, ie hospitalizations until trip or repatriation, without impacting at tax expense to the local country. Travelers now have to fold insurance requirements into their pre-trip checklist. When possible, countries are leveraging this model to enhance sustainable environmental and economic tourism. Lack of sufficient coverage could result in being denied entry at border or have an catastrophic unexpected medical expense out of pocket. In my experience with an unexpected overseas medical emergency, some terrible gavel financial repercussions are possible for your sake, and that is a meaningful prospect. So, you minimize risk for your sake as much more than filling requested minimal coverage requirements.
I personally never bought insurance until I got the stomach flu on one of my trips and ruined the itinerary I planned since I was advised to rest in bed for a few days. Though I saw a mix of people saying they weren't asked to show proof upon arrival in France, I opted to still buy insurance since I didn't want to repeat the same experience again. I also liked the added protection it gives me financially. Despite being prepared with all the needed documents though, I was only asked to show my passport upon arrival. Still, I liked that securing my policy document along with my airline tickets and boarding passes lessened my anxiety; which made me focus and enjoy the trip more.
Countries may apply the following additional restrictions (apart from visa) to make your travel experience less convinient: - insurance. It could be of various types. For example, Mauritius is ready to accept any piece of paper that will state "insurance on it". No specific requirements on coverage, amount of that coverage etc. Contrary to that, when you travel to the South Africa, at the point of entrance they may request you to provide insurance specifically stating that it will cover delivery of your body back home once your are dead. - proof of funds. This method is widely applied for third countries with visa free regime with the EU. At the point of entrance the immigration officer may ask you to show the balance of your card. This happens as follows - you are escorted to the nearest banking machine in the ariport, insert your card and shows the balance. The same applies for digital cards as well. There is no universally acceptable minimum coverage. Every country is different. And most countries do not impose specific threshold. The important criteria in evaluation if your funds for travel are enough is criteria of reasonability. For instance, EUR 300 cannot be enough to travel for 2 weeks in Germany, including food and accommodation. When we speak about imposition of additional conditions of entry we are talking about developed countries. The reason behind that is banal immigration crisis. Developed countries are done with influx of illegal migrants, thus now afraid even of tourists coming for a short term.
I faced this issue on a recent trip myself, and I will admit it surprised me a little. When I made a reservation via Portugal in the spring, I had to prove that I had coverage to complete the visa process. They specifically outlined €30,000 worth of medical and repatriation coverage for medical situations, which I thought was interestingly specific. Depending on where your are traveling, this type of thing is enforced at different check points. Cuba has been doing this for years and verifying when you get to customs upon arrival. Thailand now requires what they call "medical insurance" for many types of visas and countries in the Schengen Group technically require it for tourists traveling from non-EU countries, although that's enforced largely at random and after I've crossed through some airports and nobody asked me for any documentation just walked right through. Portugal, however, wanted to see that at the very beginning of the process. The change seems to relate to the risk of healthcare costs in another country. Many countries simply do not want to be liable for someone else's medical debt when accidents occur; not to mention wanting to cover the costs of a visitor that required medical assistance and did not have insurance coverage. After COVID many governments learned how expensive it is when uninsured people need treatment or assistance. For example, Thailand reported millions in unpaid medical costs for tourists prior to the implementation of stricter rules moving forward. Everyone should just purchase the coverage before they book anything. I usually travel with my medical insurance proof and keep it listed somehwere on my phone, but I also print out a copy and carry it with me for either surprises and peace of mind incase wifi cuts out at the most inopportune time. I refer to the website of the embassy for the country that I will be visiting directly, as countries do change these requirements frequently for every situation and because most travel forums for hotels, airlines or other sites for site seeing are dated or never up to date.
While traveling to Europe last year, I obtained travel insurance, and the experience was somewhat of a throwback to customs inspections whenever I'm sourcing products in Shenzhen. France is among the stricter spots at the moment, and at the Eurostar gate, they asked me directly if I had coverage. I wasn't asked to show papers, but other travelers informed me that sometimes officers do asked for proof of insurance. Most countries with insurance requirements have a minimum around €30,000-50,000 for medical expenses, but it also depends on the country. Quite frankly, it is becoming more common because counties don't want to pay for your hospital bills. My lesson was, just like we prepare the Free Inspections at SourcingXpro, is to have the documentation prepared prior to traveling to avoid unnecessary scrambling to prove coverage and possible consequences at the border.
I haven't encountered a requirement to show proof of travel insurance at border control but I have had to buy it to participate in hiking / trekking trips abroad. The tour company operators generally insist on it and usually ask for proof. Buying travel insurance is pretty quick, but you do need to read the fine print in terms of what is covered and what isn't. There are also pretty big differences in pricing. But, depending on what you're doing, it's a worthwhile purchase. On a recent trip to central Asia, I broke my upper arm while hiking and invoked my travel insurance to make arrangements to get home. It did not go smoothly...