Insurance is one of the mandatory documents when traveling abroad. Find out if Ukrainians need to buy a policy when they plan to travel without a visa, what are the conditions and possible risks

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A health insurance policy is a mandatory document for obtaining a visa to most countries of the world. However, taking into account that Ukrainians have the right to enter the Schengen area on the basis of a visa-free regime, the question often arises before travelers - is it necessary to buy insurance in this case? We talk about the features of issuing policies for visa-free travel below.

What do official documents say?

In the legislation of the European Union, the issue of having an insurance policy is not clearly defined. The EU visa code requires a health insurance policy, while the border code does not include it in the list of mandatory documents. Also, among the list of reasons for which border guards can refuse entry, the lack of an insurance policy for a tourist is not provided for.

However, on the other hand, the travel insurance policy is one of the documents that, together with the return ticket and the accommodation reservation form, can confirm the purpose of the trip to the EU countries.

Also approved is a list of circumstances when having an insurance policy is mandatory:

1. If you are traveling in your own car, you must have a "Green Card" policy for civil liability insurance of the car owner.

2. If an extreme vacation is planned.

3. When buying a travel package from travel operators, insurance with minimum coverage is included there based on the Law of Ukraine "On Tourism".

4. When traveling with children.

5. When leaving for work or study.

What are the benefits of health insurance in EU countries?

So, at first glance, the insurance policy is not included in the list of mandatory documents for crossing the border. However, keep in mind that in most countries of the world, medical care for non-residents is provided on a paid basis. For example, in Norway, an appointment with a family doctor for uninsured persons will cost from 20 euros, an appointment with a specialist doctor in the Czech Republic will cost from 30 euros. Calling an ambulance in Switzerland in the absence of an insurance policy can cost 800 euros. A stay in a hospital in Schengen countries costs up to 30,000 euros on average.

That is, even for the treatment of a small cold, you can pay a lot of money, because most drugs in pharmacies in Europe are sold by prescription, and to get it you have to pay for a doctor's appointment.

On the other hand, the price of a standard insurance policy, for example, from the partners of Visit Ukraine, is from 1.15 euros per day. The average market price of insurance is about 3 euros/day. Which is much less than the estimated costs of illness abroad.

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Basic requirements for an insurance policy for entering the EU

According to the legislation of the EU countries, the insurance policy must meet the following requirements:

1. The coverage amount is at least 30,000 euros.

2. The term is not less than the planned stay.

3. The policy should cover the entire territory of the Schengen Agreement countries.

4. Insured events must include: emergency care, injuries, transportation to a hospital, inpatient treatment, return to home country, including in case of death, etc.

Some activities may require additional policy parameters. For example, extreme sports or a trip with other dangerous purposes.

Also, certain insurance agents offer extended insurance programs that include dental care, payment for phone calls related to the occurrence of an insured event, emergency obstetric care during pregnancy, counseling services, etc.

In addition, many policies offer compensation and additional risks: travel delay and loss of luggage, legal assistance, assistance in the event of a road accident, and transportation expenses in case of illness.

Useful tips when choosing a policy

- The cost of a tourist policy depends on the age of the traveler, the presence or absence of a franchise, the terms of the contract, and the validity period.

- The size of the deductible, that is, the amount that the insured covers with his own funds in the event of an insured event, is discussed individually.

- Electronic and paper formats of the policy have the same legal force.

- When choosing a package of services, pay attention to the specifics of the trip - for example, if several flights are planned during the trip, it makes sense to insure against the loss of luggage, flight delay.

- Experienced travelers take out a policy lasting 2-3 days longer than the planned period of stay. If the flight is delayed on the return flight, the insurance company will pay compensation.

- Consider that in some countries you will have to pay for the received medical services yourself, and after that receive compensation from the insurer. Therefore, you need to have a reserve of free funds.

Therefore, taking into account the peculiarities of passing border control and medical care in EU countries, an insurance policy is a recommended document for visa-free travel. Also, a significant advantage of the policy is that in the event of an insured event, you are guaranteed to receive qualified medical care, and the insurance company will reimburse the costs of treatment.

Where to buy health insurance?

For the safest trips, you should buy insurance policies only from verified agents. On the Visit Ukraine portal, you can purchase reliable insurance that has many advantages: packages for entry to any country in the world, guarantee of payments, online payment.

Just choose the most suitable options for the specifics of your trip, travel safely and save money at the same time. A reliable policy in your mail in just a few minutes.

We will remind you! Not everyone knows that travel health insurance covers more days than the tourist actually takes out. Read how the insurance corridor works and under what circumstances it can be used in our previous material.

Want to know more? Read the latest news and useful materials about Ukraine and the world in the News section.

Our recommendation for a safe and comfortable trip: 

Visit Ukraine Insurance - insurance for a safe stay abroad without unnecessary expenses;

Green Card - compulsory car insurance for traveling abroad;

Visit Ukraine Tickets - book tickets for buses, trains, and airplanes to/from Ukraine and between cities around the world;

Private Lawyer service - professional legal support on visa and migration issues;

Visit Ukraine Merch - buy patriotic clothing and accessories with worldwide delivery.

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