Travel insurance for European travellers
A suitable travel policy can cover risks that domestic healthcare arrangements and the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) do not. The right policy depends on your country of residence, destination, trip length, health, planned activities and the value of your bookings and belongings.
This guide explains what to compare before travelling outside your home country. Information and linked policy pages were checked on 31 October 2026; always read the current policy wording issued for your country of residence before buying.
EHIC coverage and its limits
The EHIC is not limited strictly to the European Union. According to the European Commission’s EHIC guidance, it can give eligible people access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during temporary stays in the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, under the same conditions and at the same cost as people insured there.
Eligibility is linked to coverage by a participating public social-security or health-insurance system, not simply to European nationality. Check the official application and eligibility information for your circumstances.
The EHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance. It does not cover private healthcare, travel specifically undertaken to obtain treatment, repatriation or lost property. Outside the EHIC area, do not assume that the card provides healthcare cover.
What to compare in a travel policy
There is no single medical-cover limit or policy that is appropriate for every European traveller. Compare the limits, conditions and exclusions for the risks relevant to your trip rather than choosing solely by the headline premium.
- Emergency medical treatment: Check the overall limit, excess and rules for inpatient and outpatient care.
- Medical evacuation and repatriation: Confirm when transport is authorised, who decides whether it is medically necessary and whether return to your home country is included.
- Pre-existing medical conditions: Follow the insurer’s declaration or medical-screening process and check whether an additional premium or written acceptance is required.
- Destinations and transit countries: Make sure every country on the itinerary falls within the policy’s geographical area and travel-advice conditions.
- Trip duration: Check both the overall policy period and the maximum length permitted for each trip.
- Cancellation and interruption: Compare covered reasons, evidence requirements, booking-value limits and exclusions.
- Baggage and electronics: Look at the total limit, the limit for each item, depreciation rules, unattended-property exclusions and the required police or carrier reports.
- Delays and missed departures: Check the qualifying delay, covered causes and required documents. A missed connection is not automatically covered by every policy.
- Activities: Verify the exact activity, altitude or depth, vehicle class and whether an optional extension is required.
- Assistance: Save the emergency number and check when prior authorisation is required.
Official UK government travel-insurance guidance provides a useful overview of these policy checks, although travellers should also consult guidance issued by their own country and the contract offered in their market.
How much does travel insurance cost?
A universal European price range would be misleading. The premium can change with the traveller’s age and residence, destination, trip duration, policy type, number of travellers and optional cover. Allianz, for example, identifies these as factors affecting its quotations on its UK travel-insurance page.
Obtain quotations using the same traveller details and itinerary, then compare the policy wording rather than only the price. Include the excess and any activity extensions when comparing the real cost. For an annual policy, check the maximum duration of each individual trip and whether all planned destinations are included.
Choosing an insurer or policy
Provider availability and benefits vary across Europe, so no company can be labelled the best option for every traveller. Confirm that the insurer accepts residents of your country and can cover the complete itinerary before relying on a product page or an older recommendation.
For example, the World Nomads EU help centre stated at the time of checking that the company was not currently selling in Europe while rebuilding its products. SafetyWing’s current FAQ also shows that eligibility and exclusions differ by product, age, home country and residence. These examples illustrate why travellers must complete a residence-specific eligibility check; they are not provider recommendations.
Insurance included with a bank account or card
Some paid bank accounts and cards include travel insurance, but the account name alone does not establish that a particular trip is covered. Benefits may depend on the customer’s country of residence, active account tier, traveller age, payment method and trip duration.
Open the current insurance certificate and full policy wording attached to your own account. Check who is insured, the maximum trip length, medical and cancellation limits, destination restrictions, excesses and whether the trip must be paid for with the card. As examples of market-specific terms, Revolut’s UK guidance sets residence and eligible-plan conditions, while N26 publishes different benefits on its Spanish travel-insurance page.
Scooters, motorcycles and adventure activities
Do not assume that ordinary travel insurance covers riding a scooter. Three separate tests matter:
- You must hold the licence and any permit required for that vehicle class under the destination’s law.
- You must comply with local rules, including helmet and vehicle requirements.
- The insurer must cover the activity, engine class and circumstances under the exact policy wording.
International Driving Permit requirements depend on the traveller’s licence, destination and applicable convention; there is no single rule for every European licence holder. For example, current UK government advice says UK licence holders need a 1968 IDP alongside their UK licence when driving in Thailand or Vietnam. Travellers licensed elsewhere should check their own issuing authority and the destination’s responsible transport or consular authority.
Insurer conditions are separate from road law. World Nomads’ motorbike and scooter guidance, for instance, refers to appropriate home-country and local licensing, helmet use, compliance with local law and the relevant activity option. Always verify these conditions in the policy actually offered to you.
For destination-specific planning, see our guides to travel insurance for Thailand, Bali insurance for scooters, surfing and health, and travel insurance for Malaysia. Licensing and policy terms still need to be checked for your own residence, licence and travel dates.
Before departure
- Read the policy schedule and full wording, including exclusions and excesses.
- Confirm that names, dates, destinations and declared medical information are accurate.
- Save an offline copy of the policy number, assistance telephone number and claims instructions.
- Keep booking confirmations and receipts for items you may need to substantiate.
- Check the procedure for obtaining approval before non-urgent treatment or additional travel costs.
- Recheck official destination advice and insurer conditions shortly before departure.
What to do during a medical emergency
- Seek urgent care first. Do not delay necessary emergency treatment while trying to contact the insurer.
- Contact the assistance service as soon as practical. Provide the policy number, location and details of the medical facility.
- Follow authorisation instructions. Ask before arranging non-urgent treatment, transfers, additional accommodation or replacement travel when circumstances allow.
- Collect evidence. Request medical reports, diagnoses, itemised invoices, prescriptions and payment receipts.
- Confirm how payment will work. Direct settlement is not guaranteed. Depending on the claim and treatment, the insurer may arrange payment or require you to pay and seek reimbursement.
World Nomads’ overseas treatment guidance, for example, says direct payment may be arranged where possible for an accepted inpatient claim, while outpatient treatment is normally paid by the traveller and claimed back. Your own policy and assistance team determine the applicable procedure.