How Much Travel Health Insurance Do You Need for European Trips?

One of the most common fears among Americans visiting Europe is getting sick or injured during their trip. Not only can an unexpected medical emergency take away from valuable vacation time, but seeking treatment overseas can be a costly expense.

To mitigate the risks of high out-of-pocket medical costs while exploring Europe’s most iconic destinations, you may be considering travel insurance.

Follow along as we explain what travel insurance covers, how much you need, and if it’s a worthy investment for your situation.

What is Travel Medical Insurance?

Travel medical insurance is a type of travel insurance coverage that provides reimbursement to travelers that incur unexpected medical expenses during a covered trip.

These plans provide financial protection in the event you require medical treatment or a medical evacuation relating to an unforeseen illness or injury. Examples of covered expenses include hospital stays, ambulance rides, doctor visits, and repatriation back to your home country.

There are many reputable insurance companies that offer low-cost medical coverage to travelers visiting Europe, making it easy to find protection for your upcoming adventure. 

Do Americans Need Travel Insurance to Visit Europe?

Travel insurance is not typically a requirement for U.S. citizens or residents planning short-term travel to Europe. As long as your trip does not exceed 90 days, you should be able to visit your destination just fine with a valid passport. Longer trips may require a visa or residency permit, depending on the destination. 

Even if not required, purchasing a travel insurance policy with strong medical protection is highly recommended for anyone heading overseas.

This is largely due to the fact that most primary healthcare plans, such as Medicare or an employer-sponsored policy, do not cover overseas medical care. In other words, if you get hit with medical bills abroad, you’re on your own.

A travel insurance plan can offer peace of mind by limiting your financial responsibility when faced with international medical expenses, which can add up fast if not protected.

Do Americans Need A Visa to Visit the Schengen Area?

A Schengen visa is a travel document that allows non-Europeans to freely travel between nations within the Schengen Area, a collection of European countries that have  agreed to drop border laws with one another. 

Unlike other non-European nations, the USA is not subject to Schengen visa travel insurance requirements. If you have a valid U.S. passport, you will likely not need to fill out a Schengen visa application in order to visit one of the 29 Schengen countries.

Recommended Medical Coverage When Visiting European Countries

When it comes to travel medical insurance plans, the two most important benefits to consider are Emergency Medical and Medical Evacuation. These benefits usually come standard in single-trip and multi-trip travel insurance policies at no additional cost.

Emergency Medical is designed to cover unforeseen medical costs during your trip, such as hospital bills, prescription medication, lab work, and other related expenses. For those planning European travel, we recommend policies that offer at least $50,000 in Emergency Medical coverage.

The Medical Evacuation benefit provides reimbursement for emergency evacuation services to transport you to the nearest adequate medical facility or back home to receive the required medical care. Due to the high cost of medical evacuations, we recommend policies with at least $100,000 in Medical Evacuation protection.

Keep in mind that coverage limits, deductibles, and exclusions differ from one policy to the next, so it’s always smart to compare plans from multiple providers.

Does Travel Medical Insurance Cover Pre-Existing Medical Conditions?

Pre-existing medical conditions, which refers to a medical condition that existed at the time a policy was purchased, are often excluded from coverage. This means that your provider likely won’t cover medical expenses relating to any flare-ups that occur while traveling.

Common examples of a pre-existing medical condition include heart attacks, asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure. 

An insurance company can review your medical history to see if a claim stems from a known medical issue during what’s called a Look Back Period.

With that said, some travel insurance policies offer what’s called a Pre-Existing Condition waiver. Policies that include this waiver will remove exclusions relating to pre-existing medical conditions and prevent your provider from reviewing your medical history.

Pre-Existing Condition waivers are time-sensitive. In order to qualify for coverage, you must purchase a policy 14-21 days after your initial trip deposit.

How Much Does European Travel Insurance Cost?

The cost of travel insurance to Europe can range dramatically depending on the type of policy you choose.

Most European travelers purchase comprehensive policies, which include coverage for medical emergencies, trip cancellations, trip interruptions, lost baggage, delays, and other common travel disruptions. These policies include extensive coverage and are typically more expensive than other types of trip protection.

International travelers can find lower premiums by purchasing a travel medical policy that does not include cancellation coverage.

Price of European Travel Insurance in 2024

When calculating insurance premiums, providers will consider a wide-range of factors, including your age, trip length, coverage limits, and trip costs. 

The following chart was updated in November, 2024 and displays the average premium and trip cost for popular European countries:  

Do Credit Cards Provide Medical Coverage?

Many travel credit cards now offer a variety of trip protection benefits to financially protect cardholders while abroad. Most cards offer strong protection for covered trip cancellations, delays, and lost luggage.

Unfortunately, most credit cards do not offer medical coverage as part of their suite of perks to travelers. This means that cardholders that want additional protection will need to supplement their credit card insurance with a travel medical policy from a third-party provider.

Is Europe Travel Insurance Worth It?

For most travelers, purchasing a travel insurance policy is a worthy expense as it can add peace of mind to any trip abroad. Beyond medical coverage, the majority of policies include additional benefits that can protect you from unforeseen travel nightmares.

Since most domestic healthcare plans don’t provide support abroad, and most credit cards do not offer medical benefits, purchasing travel insurance is one of the few ways to limit the financial responsibility of international medical expenses.

The best travel insurance policy is one that fits your budget and meets your travel needs. As mentioned above, we recommend comparing travel insurance policies from at least three different providers before making a decision.