Why Get Travel Insurance for Overseas Trips? Where and How to Buy It? What Is It?
In this article, you’ll find answers to these and other questions.
What Is Travel Insurance for Overseas Trips?
Travel insurance is a document that travelers must obtain before going abroad. It guarantees compensation for treatment costs, repatriation, and other unforeseen circumstances like accidents or illnesses. Legally, insurance is voluntary, but every tourist knows that without a travel insurance policy, obtaining a visa is impossible.
Types of Travel Insurance Policies
It’s important to note that insurance covers expenses only in the cases for which it was issued. Therefore, insurance policies differ and are divided into several types:
- Trip Cancellation Insurance: This policy comes into effect if the trip is canceled due to unforeseen circumstances, compensating the incurred losses.
- Baggage Insurance: This covers the cost of baggage and belongings in case of theft or damage during the trip.
- Accident Insurance: This compensates for treatment costs or transportation of the injured person.
- Green Card: A special type of insurance document for motorists, covering vehicle damage and other incidents.
- Sports Insurance: For motorists, divers, climbers, and others involved in risky activities.
- Medical Insurance: Mandatory for travelling abroad, covering examination and treatment in case of health problems during the policy period.
Travel insurance only covers incidents specified in its terms. It does not apply to accidents involving voluntary participation in military actions, riots, alcohol or drug intoxication, or suicide attempts.
How to Buy Travel Insurance
Insurance can be purchased online or directly at an insurance company. Let’s examine each method.
Buying Insurance Online
The most convenient way is to order it online. It saves time and effort, and the document is obtained quickly. To purchase such an insurance document, you need to fill out a form on the insurance company’s website, providing trip and personal details.
Trip Details:
- Insurance product: standard or economy
- Destination country
- Activities during the policy period: active rest, winter sports, extreme sports, professional risk, sport
- Insurance period
- Full insurance days
- Coverage amount
Personal Details:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Contact phone and email address
After filling out the fields, the system calculates the insurance cost, which is paid via bank card or other methods (if available). The policy is then sent to the provided email, containing full information about the insurance type and compensation cases, along with an emergency contact number.
Buying Insurance at the Insurance Company’s Office
In this case, the insurance document is issued at the company’s office. You need an internal or international passport and an identification number. The employee collects information about the destination, purpose of visit, and duration of stay, then suggests a suitable service package and calculates the insurance price. The entire process takes no more than five minutes.
Cost of Travel Insurance
Several factors affect the cost of medical insurance:
- Destination country
- Type of insurance
- Duration of stay
The cost for one day in a foreign country is $1, and for active rest, $1.5 per day. For trips worldwide, except the USA, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia, a document with €30,000 coverage is required, covering unforeseen events like illness or injury. The cost for a regular trip is $1.2 per day and $1.6 for active rest.
For complete coverage worldwide, a document covering €50,000 in expenses is available. The scope of medical services is similar, with repatriation costs up to €10,000.
The most comprehensive medical assistance is offered by a document covering €100,000, which includes child evacuation, early return from the trip, and legal assistance abroad. The cost is $2 per day for a regular trip and $3 for active rest. For travelers above 65, the cost doubles, and triples for those above 75. The insurance cost for children and pregnant women is also recalculated.
Countries Not Requiring Travel Insurance
Some countries do not require medical insurance for entry:
- UAE
- Egypt
- Turkey
- Thailand
Insurance is also optional for Canada and Australia, but embassies may refuse a visa without it.
Without insurance, travelers bear full responsibility for their health and treatment costs. Hence, travel agencies often recommend a policy covering minimal treatment expenses.
Medical Insurance for Traveling to EU Countries
The EU has specific requirements for medical insurance:
- Coverage amount of €30,000
- Validity throughout the EU
- Valid for the entire trip duration
Some countries, like Denmark and Germany, require the insurance period to exceed the stay by two weeks to avoid visa denial.
To correctly issue insurance, you should check the requirements on the Embassy’s website for the destination country.
Safe travels!
