Going on a trip to Europe can be extremely exciting and something that most people look forward to. Whether you are going on a holiday or you are travelling for business, you must be adequately prepared to ensure your trip is smooth and uneventful. A good way to guarantee this is by investing in a travel insurance policy. Take a look at this article to know why it is so important to get travel insurance for Schengen visa and how to obtain it.
What is travel insurance for Schengen visa?
When you wish to travel to a Schengen country, you will need a Schengen visa. However, to get a Schengen visa, you will need some documents. Among them, is a valid travel insurance policy. The travel plan should be valid for the period of your entire trip. It has certain covers including medical covers, that would ensure the country you visit would not be liable to take care of you in case there is an emergency. The insurance provider would do so. This is a major assurance the consulate needs to issue the Schengen visa to you.
Reasons why travel insurance for Schengen visa is vital
Here’s a detailed look at how travel insurance for Schengen visa helps you when you wish to travel to Europe:
- Health cover
The biggest and most significant reason for buying a travel insurance policy is to get medical cover. When you travel to a foreign country, you want to be free of all worries. But what happens if you suddenly get injured or catch an infection? What happens if you get a stroke or a heart attack? You will require emergency medical care. But this is extremely expensive anywhere in Europe and if you were to pay it out of your own pocket, you would pay a very high price. This is why you need a travel insurance cover. Such a cover takes care of all emergency medical expenses when you travel to a Schengen country. This is highly beneficial and a big reason why you must opt for travel insurance for Schengen visa.
Losing your baggage is never fun, especially when you are on a trip. Sadly though, it is very common for airlines to misplace the passengers’ items of baggage or cause a delay in bringing them. If any such thing happens, you will get compensated. The insurance provider will pay you a sum of money with which you can get the replacement items. Invest in a good travel policy that offers the highest amount of lost baggage coverage because you never know when you will have to make a claim for it.
3.Cover for change in itinerary
Misfortune can strike at any time, and you may be forced to make changes in your itinerary. For example, if you miss a flight, you may end up missing a connecting flight and then spend one whole day in a transit airport. You may get sick in a place and will be forced to extend your stay in a hotel. At such times, you will have to pay heavy cancellation or rebooking charges. The travel insurance plan helps you out in such events as flight cancellations, room extensions/changes, etc. are covered in all the good travel policies.
4. Coverage if you get stranded
As stated, you may be forced to extend your stay in one place. This may happen due to internal factors such as ill health or it may happen due to external factors such as a sudden riot in the city. In either case, you will have to extend your hotel stay, change your flight tickets, etc. You will also have to pay for food and boarding expenses for the extra period. This costs a lot of money, but when you have a travel plan, it becomes easier as you get compensated for the expenses.
5.Cover for loss of documents
You can get into a lot of trouble if you lose your documents such as your passport when you are travelling. At such a time, you need someone to help you get the documents back urgently. Your travel insurance provider swoops in and helps you massively if you happen to be in such a situation. Just call the insurer and inform them about the loss. They will patch you up with officials in the country you are in and a temporary passport will be issued to you at the earliest. This is of great help, as without this assistance you will not know what to do.
6. Helps to get the visa
And last but not least, the travel insurance policy will make it possible for you to get the Schengen visa. As stated above, the policy document is a key requirement for getting the visa. Do your research and get a good policy, ahead of time. Travel insurance is very affordable and easy to find as well. So go ahead and finalise which policy you want and buy it online in just a few clicks.
As you can see, these are some extremely valid reasons why you need to invest in a good travel insurance policy before you apply for your Schengen visa. Apart from getting the visa easily, the insurance cover will also help you in innumerable ways when you are in Europe.
The Final word
Travel insurance for Schengen visa is critical and you have to opt for it. It is a very handy form of insurance to have as it can help you in several ways when you visit abroad. The Schengen countries which include France, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands, are very popular tourist destinations. As a result, a lot of Indians visit these places. While they are very beautiful, these places are all very expensive and being in the country without insurance coverage can be highly risky. So get your travel insurance policy well in advance and have a safe and peaceful trip.
Moneycontrol Journalists are not involved in creation of this article.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
