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Schengen travel insurance

Trips of over 90 days generally require a visa and adequate travel insurance.

Jessica Prasida

Gary Ross Hunter

Edited by

Moira Daniels

Updated

Sep 12, 2023

Fact checked

What you need to know

A requirement for obtaining a Schengen Visa is to have insurance covering you for medical costs of €30,000.
Travel insurance can cover you for unlimited medical expenses in all 27 Schengen countries.
You need to have travel insurance in place if you are travelling for more than 90 days.

Compare travel insurance for Schengen countries

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How needs travel insurance for the Schengen zone

The Schengen Zone is an area made up of 27 European countries and states with open borders and a common visa policy. Australians can travel to, from and within the Schengen Zone for up to 90 days.

For trips longer than that, you'll need to get a visa with one of the individual Schengen countries. A common visa condition for trips that long is that you have travel insurance with at least €30,000 in medical benefits and repatriation back to Australia, including in the case of death.

Travel insurance brands that meet Schengen visa requirements for longer stays

Brand	Meets requirements?	Details of cover	Apply
Medibank	Yes	Overseas Medical Expenses: Unlimited Repatriation of remains: €30,000	Bonus Get quote
Freely	Yes	Overseas Medical Expenses: Unlimited Repatriation of remains: €30,000	Bonus Get quote
Zoom	No	Overseas Medical Expenses: Unlimited Repatriation of remains: $15,000	Get quote
Fast Cover	No	Overseas Medical Expenses: Unlimited Repatriation of remains: $20,000	Finder AwardBonus Get quote
Insure4less	Yes	Overseas Medical Expenses: Unlimited Repatriation of remains: Unlimited	Get quote
Travel Insuranz	Yes	Overseas Medical Expenses: Unlimited Repatriation of remains: Unlimited	Get quote
InsureandGo	Yes	Overseas Medical Expenses: Unlimited Repatriation of remains: $50,000	Finder AwardBonus Get quote
Tick	Yes	Overseas Medical Expenses: Unlimited Repatriation of remains: $50,000	Bonus Get quote
World2cover	No	Overseas Medical Expenses: Unlimited Repatriation of remains: $20,000	Get quote
Cover-More	Yes	Overseas Medical Expenses: Unlimited Repatriation of remains: Up to $60,000	Bonus Get quote
Southern Cross	No	Overseas Medical Expenses: Unlimited Repatriation of remains: $15,000	Finder Award Get quote
Travel With Kit	No	Overseas Medical Expenses: Unlimited Repatriation of remains: Up to $20,000	More info
Travel With Jane	No	Overseas Medical Expenses: Unlimited Repatriation of remains: Up to $20,000	More info
Travel Insurance Saver	Yes	Overseas Medical Expenses: Unlimited Repatriation of remains: Unlimited	Get quote
Easy	Yes	Overseas Medical Expenses: Unlimited Repatriation of remains: €30,000	Get quote
Stella	No	Overseas Medical Expenses: Unlimited Repatriation of remains: $20,000	Bonus Get quote
Australia Post	Yes	Overseas Medical Expenses: Unlimited Repatriation of remains:€30,000	Get quote

Note: This information was last updated September 2023

Which countries are within the Schengen Agreement?

The states and countries that make up the Schengen Zone include:
Austria
Belgium
The Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
The Faroe Islands
France
Germany
Greece
The Holy See (Vatican City State)
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
The Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
San Marino
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Sweden
Switzerland

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Frequently asked questions

Many credit cards come with complimentary travel insurance, but watch out for the following traps.
Cards with less than €30,000 in medical cover
While most policies will come with at least AUD$2.5 million of cover, a few offer far less. For example, the Victoria Teachers Mutual Bank Visa Platinum Credit Card only has AUD$50,000 in medical cover. With the fluctuations in the Aussie dollar, it’s wise to stay clear of travel insurance policies with a level of cover this low.
Cards that have a maximum trip length of 90 days
While some credit card travel insurance policies will cover you up to 18 months, most don’t have the typical length of cover of standalone policies. For example, the American Express Qantas Premium Card will only cover you for trips up to 62 consecutive days and a total of 120 days.
Cards that exclude travellers over 75
If you’re over 75, it’s unlikely your credit card’s travel insurance policy will cover you for medical expenses, which means you won’t be eligible for long-stay visas for most countries in the Schengen Zone.
If you’re staying for less than 90 days, you don’t need a visa and can travel between the countries within the Schengen Zone with ease. Travel insurance is not compulsory.
Travel insurance is still highly recommended
If you want cover for overseas medical and hospital treatment, flight cancellations and lost or stolen luggage, you should have travel insurance, regardless of where you are and how long you will be staying.
Schengen countries under the Reciprocal Healthcare Agreement
Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Italy, Belgium, Malta, Slovenia and Norway are Schengen Zone countries under the Reciprocal Healthcare Agreement (RHCA) with Australia. You are entitled to public healthcare benefits similar to Medicare. If you choose to rely on this method of cover, make sure you are aware of the limitations of the RHCA.
Travel insurance will protect you wherever you are, as long as you nominate where you will be travelling and your insurer agrees to cover you. If you’re planning to visit countries outside the Schengen Zone during your trip, advise your insurance provider.
Your premium may be affected
Depending on the countries you plan to visit, your insurance premium may be higher because of additional risk factors such as high healthcare costs, political instability, lack of medical facilities or threats from natural disasters, as is often the case in developing countries.

Thank you for your feedback!

Jessica Prasida

Jessica Prasida is a travel insurance expert for Finder. She lives and breathes travel, having worked as a travel agent and branch manager at STA Travel for over 4 years, then writing about travel insurance with Finder for another 5 years. Jess has a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney and a Tier 1 General Insurance qualification.

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Schengen travel insurance

Trips of over 90 days generally require a visa and adequate travel insurance.

What you need to know

Compare travel insurance for Schengen countries

How needs travel insurance for the Schengen zone

Travel insurance brands that meet Schengen visa requirements for longer stays

Which countries are within the Schengen Agreement?

Read the full list of Schengen Zone countries

Why you can trust Finder's travel insurance experts

We're free

We're experts

We're independent

We're here to help

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply for a visa?

Is the travel insurance that comes with my credit card enough?

If my stay is less than 90 days, do I still need travel insurance?

Am I still covered outside of the Schengen Zone?

Jessica Prasida

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