Everyone loves traveling and the excitement nearly doubles if the travel is to an international destination. By exploring places within India, you can learn about the different cultures and experience different mouth-watering delicacies from various parts of India. With international travel, you are going to witness an entirely new paradigm of things, culture, people, and so forth.
However, we might tend to commit mistakes out of excitement and the same could be the case with international travel. In our own country, you can call up people or seek help from others, but in a new country, you have to be well-prepared for any probability of something going wrong in the trip.
You can breathe in a sigh of relief as insurance companies have come up with travel insurance for the betterment of the travelers. You may be a highly optimistic person but you never know how the situations turn out to be in foreign-land. If you are going off for witnessing a new adventure, make sure that you keep yourself and your fellow travelers insured by opting for the online travel insurance in India.
In this article, we go to the nitty-gritty of travel insurance, with detailed insights on obtaining travel insurance for Schengen Visa.
What is Travel Insurance
Irrespective of whether you are traveling for business or going on a leisure trip, there is no guarantee about 100 percent safety when you are on travel. As highlighted in the newspapers, risks associated with traveling are higher. Rather than being bogged down with such claims, your intention should be to enjoy the trip.
Travel Insurance provides you that peace of mind as a majority of the risks are covered by insurance companies. Purchasing travel insurance not only offers financial assistance but it also protects you & your loved ones during the entire trip.
Many travel insurance policies also protect travelers from any unforeseen circumstances that include medical and non-medical emergencies when you are on a foreign trip.
Types of Travel Insurance
Depending on the travel requirements and for safeguarding the needs of every individual, travel insurance has been divided into relevant categories. These categories of travel insurance cover all types of travelers – solo traveler or family on an international trip. Irrespective of whether you are a frequent traveler or a newbie traveler, it is important to understand these categories and choose a plan that suits your budget & requirements:
Different categories of travel insurance are:
- Leisure-trip travel insurance plan
- Single-trip travel insurance plan
- Asia travel insurance plan
- Student travel insurance plan
- Senior Citizen travel insurance plan
Leisure-trip travel insurance plans are normally selected by leisure travelers who are going on a vacation to a foreign land. Multi-trip travel insurance plan is suitable for frequent fliers (especially business travelers) who undertake multiple foreign trips in a single year. Most of the insurance companies in India have a separate travel insurance plan for travelers who are visiting other Asian countries. A Student travel insurance plan is an annual plan that is suitable for students who are going abroad for studies. Senior Citizen travel insurance plan is for senior citizens (aged 71 and above) who are traveling abroad.
Significance of Travel Insurance
Many people may argue that they already have a good health insurance plan, what is the need for investing in a travel insurance plan. A majority of the health insurance plans do not cover the policyholder when he/she is traveling.
Travel insurance gives you peace of mind as it not only protects you from any physical injuries that might occur when you (or your loved ones) are on travel but it also provides adequate coverage in unforeseen circumstances such as flight cancellation, accidents, and so on.
Summarized below is the significance of travel insurance:
- Provides coverage during medical emergencies
- Provides coverage when there is luggage theft
- Provides coverage when there is a change in the travel plan and you have to return mid-way from the international trip
Royal Sundaram General Insurance has a number of travel insurance plans addressing different types of travelers. They have a simple claim process which is an added advantage, especially if something wrong has happened during the trip.
Inclusions in the Travel Insurance Plan
To seek the maximum benefits of a travel insurance plan, it is important to understand what the travel plan covers and it doesn’t. Though the inclusions vary from one insurance provider to another, listed below are some of the common inclusions in a travel insurance plan:
- Accidents or death
- Medical emergency
- Loss of personal belongings
- Delays in travel due to bad weather conditions
- Hijack
- Trip cancellations, interruption, etc.
Travel Insurance to Schengen Countries
As per a report, Indians enjoy traveling to Europe as it is one of the most beautiful holiday destinations. The visa application must be enclosed along with an overseas health insurance policy.
You should choose a travel insurance policy from an insurance provider whose policy is accepted by Schengen Countries Consulates in India. Before traveling to Europe, it is essential that you understand which countries are under Schengen Visa and which are not.
Below are the countries where you can travel once you have a valid Schengen Visa:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Lithuania
- Luxemburg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Below are the non-Schengen States that have similar travel insurance requirements:
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Romania
Conclusion
It is extremely important to get yourself and your loved ones covered under a good travel insurance plan when you are going on a foreign trip. Even though we always think positively, we should keep ourselves secured from any unforeseen circumstances.
There are plenty of insurance providers that facilitate travel insurance and you should always opt for an insurance provider that has the best claim process and is good value for money for the insurance amount being paid.