Is travel insurance mandatory in France?

Yes, as of the year 2004, the European Union has imposed a mandatory travel insurance for those applying for a Schengen Visa.

France is part of the European Union and is one of the countries that grant entry with a Schengen Visa. When you apply for a visa for a short stay in France or in other Schengen member states, you need to show proof that you are already covered with travel insurance.

The kind of travel insurance approved for Schengen Visa (which will also grant entry to France) should be able to provide cover for emergency medical treatment in a hospital, as well as emergency repatriation. There is also a minimum value for this travel insurance, which is now pegged at 30,000 Euros.

You have to first determine whether the travel insurance product you are trying to buy is approved for Schengen Visa.

Medical Cover with the European Health Insurance Card

It is also recommended that you purchase the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for additional medical cover as you travel through Europe. This insurance can be purchased at a low cost and can even be bought at the Post Office or via the Internet.

The EHIC can provide a portion of expenses incurred during hospitalization. This is available to all European Union countries and this will help you avail of free or discounted treatment in government hospitals in member countries.

Although the European Union already provides the EHIC, it still requires you to get travel insurance since the EHIC does not provide for emergency evacuation, as well as treatment in private hospitals. EHIC is only covered for government hospitals.

Additional Benefits from Travel Insurance

The additional benefits you can get from travel insurance includes lost, damaged or delayed luggage, trip cancellation or delay (which provides payment in compensation for non-refundable tickets and hotel deposits), and a host of other benefits.

That is why we highly encourage you to get a travel insurance that will cover your travels, since you really don't know the bad things that can happen during your trip. It is worth it to have all the eventualities covered so that you can go on and enjoy your vacation while staying worry-free.

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