You can buy a cheap ticket or a last minute tour – at a discount without any tricks – and thus save money. With the insurance for traveling abroad is a little different.
Do not just buy the cheapest possible one. Yes, you will save money, but there may be unforeseen situations. It is important to understand what insurance is right for you and for your trip, and only then seek a specific insurance, but cheaper.
Do you always need travel insurance to travel abroad?
In theory, not always. It all depends on the requirements of the country you are going to. But make it a rule: always take out travel insurance for all participants of your trip!
The cost of travel insurance is incommensurate with the cost of medical services in most foreign countries. You shouldn’t be tempted to believe that you won’t get sick – different environment, food, water. Are you sure you know how your body will behave in the new conditions? Yes, and recreation has not been canceled: it is unlikely you will fly to a new country to lie on the couch and play online casino on your cell phone.
What insurance is necessary for traveling abroad
How to choose insurance for the visa? Find out the requirements of the country you are going to – the minimum amount of coverage, the list of insurable risks and other nuances.
For example, in order to obtain a Schengen visa, insurance coverage is required from 30,000 Euros and is valid in all Schengen countries.
All necessary information can be found on the official website of the consulate or visa center of the selected country. The information you get at this stage is the minimum information that your insurance must meet in order to successfully obtain the visa and further entry into the country.
Are all insurances equally useful?
Visa insurance is basic and the cheapest, so most people choose it. Self-travelers thinking that the main thing is to get a visa, and those who travel through package tours – the insurance is already included in the price, and it seems there is no need to understand its nuances.
The experts advise to better understand the terms and to protect yourself from potential trouble! First of all, travel insurance must meet your needs and provide for all possible contingencies of your trip, and not just be a formality!
What is included in the basic insurance
Everything at a minimum. Usually includes reimbursement for the following expenses:
- Emergency medical expenses for a sudden illness or accident, as well as prescribed medications;
- The costs of transportation of the insured to a medical facility, repatriation costs;
- travel expenses for children who are left without custody in the event of illness of the insured to their country of residence, as well as round-trip travel expenses for a close relative if the insured requires long-term treatment and care.
Almost all travel insurances nowadays include coronavirus treatment for the duration of your trip. When searching for and choosing insurance, focus on the special notes about COVID-19 risk coverage during your trip.
If you’re afraid of getting a positive PCP test and/or getting sick before your flight, take out travel cancellation insurance. If this happens, you can get a refund for your unexpectedly cancelled trip through your insurance company.
What is not included in the standard insurance for a visa or tour
A lot of things that can really come in handy. Usually not included, but would need to include reimbursement for the following medical services:
- Assistance for exacerbations of existing chronic conditions, sunburn and allergies;
- Medical support for complications of pregnancy;
- Emergency dental care;
- Treatment of dengue fever;
- Treatment of injuries sustained during outdoor activities or extreme sports. Standard policies do not reimburse for accidents that occur even during one-time activities such as skiing, snowboarding, water skiing, or driving or riding as a passenger on water scooters, scooters, mopeds, or yachts.
So if you have any chronic illnesses, you are pregnant, going to rest actively, traveling with a child – particularly carefully review all the conditions. It is better to pay extra for the necessary options, but you will be calm during the whole trip!
By the way, if you are going to Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Philippines), make sure your insurance covers dengue treatment. In recent years in Vietnam, for example, there has been an almost twofold increase in the incidence of the disease, it is better to be insured.
From some more nuances, how to choose the best insurance for yourself:
- If you anticipate a certain physical activity during your trip (not only extreme sports, but also simple hiking, trekking, diving, snorkeling, fishing, running, cycling, bowling, etc.), your policy should definitely provide for it. Pay attention to the restrictions of the insurance: maximum depth of a dive while diving, height of ascent while trekking in the mountains, etc.
- If you are going to ride a bike/moped (relevant to Asian countries and resorts – Thailand, Vietnam, Bali), you need a motorcycle/moped insurance option. Otherwise, if you get into a traffic accident on vacation, you will have to pay for the treatment yourself. A mandatory condition for travel insurance on a moped in many insurance companies is a driving license category “A”. In this case, you must ride sober and in a helmet.
- If you know for sure that you are going to consume alcohol during your trip, it is better to get insurance with the option “Assistance in the presence of alcohol intoxication. If your health insurance does not include this clause and the medical report states that the victim was intoxicated (more than 0.5 ppm), you will be denied payment. But the test for blood alcohol content is not always done, mostly in cases of inadequate behavior, if intoxication makes others uncomfortable.
- Even advanced travel insurance for pregnant women often has limitations on the duration of pregnancy (up to a maximum of 31 weeks at the end of the trip) and the amount of possible reimbursement, does not include such insured events as childbirth (including premature birth), so before the trip objectively assess your state of health!