The Schengen countries [Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland] and much of the Caribbean are among the destinations currently requiring travel medical insurance
Demand for travel medical insurance continues to be strong, with one company reporting 67 percent more policies sold for trips scheduled in 2022 compared to 2019.
According to data from WorldTrips, a provider of travel medical and trip protection insurance products, demand is being driven as more destinations adopt travel insurance requirements for tourists as the COVID-19 pandemic enters its third year.
As of the beginning of January 2022 (but subject to rapid changes), some of the most popular destinations in the world are requiring some form of medical travel insurance for inbound visitors. These include many Caribbean nations, such as Aruba, the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands and Jamaica.
The 36 Schengen countries in Europe require travel insurance coverage for stays longer than 90 days. The insurance must include a minimum of €30,000 ($34,000) of coverage, and must cover emergency medical care, medical repatriation, and expenses related to the traveler’s death.
Destinations in Southeast Asia include Singapore, Thailand and Laos, and in Latin America, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica and Ecuador – including the Galapagos Islands – make the list.
Experienced international travelers know that many regular health insurance plans provide limited coverage outside the insured’s home country, while others provide none. Travel medical insurance plans offer travelers coverage for unexpected medical expenses while traveling.
However, not all travel insurance plans are the same; be sure to review the coverage descriptions contained for any plan, including any coverage related to eligible COVID-19-related expenses and emergency medical evacuations.