Europ Assistance

What Europ Assistance is

Europ Assistance is an insurer, and this site sells its Schengen visa travel medical insurance directly. The legal information page identifies the seller as "Europ Assistance S.A. (trading as Europ Assistance S.A. Irish Branch)," at 4-8 Eden Quay, Dublin, and states that the company "is regulated in France by the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR)". It adds that the Irish branch conducts business "in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Insurance Undertakings published by the Central Bank of Ireland" and gives "Registered in Republic of Ireland: Reg. No. 907089." The FAQ pages refer to the documents a buyer receives as an "Insurance Certificate" and a "Special Conditions document," and the page footer points to general terms and conditions and an insurance product information document (IPID) for each plan.

The site describes the company as "the world's leading assistance and insurance company," its own claim. The same Schengen product is also sold on a subdomain, bls.schengen.europ-assistance.com, whose FAQ pages carry the title "BLS Broker"; the plans and wording there match the main site. There are two plans, Schengen and Schengen Plus, and the site says both are "Valid for single tourist, family and business travellers."

The two plans

The homepage lists "Schengen Coverage from 3€" with "Hospitalisation expenses up to 30,000€" and "Coverage in the Schengen area." It lists "Schengen Plus Coverage from 5€" with "Hospitalisation expenses up to 60,000€," coverage in the Schengen area plus the European Union, and "Return/relocation and lodging expenses of a companion." The plan comparison on the BLS subdomain gives "Assistance in the event of illness or injury Up to 30,000€ Up to 60,000€" and says Schengen Plus "Covers trips in the Schengen area plus Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the UK." A separate panel on the homepage, shown to travelers who do not need a visa, reads "Get Our Schengen Plus Cover from 24€." The FAQ adds that the policy does not cover the European part of Turkey.

The benefit descriptions on the comparison page cover more than hospital bills. On death, the company "will cover the costs and organise repatriation of the mortal remains of the insured person," including "the costs of embalming, the legal minimum coffin and administrative procedures." It "will pay the expenses incurred from the extension of stay if prescribed by a doctor, for a maximum of 10 days." It covers "the return costs of any person accompanying the insured person (ticket price)." It will also "organise and take charge of the return journey of any person under the age of 14 to his/her country of residence."

Exclusions and residence rules

The homepage states the policies "are made to protect you against unforeseeable events, such as sudden illnesses or accidental bodily injuries," and then that "epidemics and/or infectious diseases such as CoVid 19 are excluded from our policies." The FAQ defines a pre-existing condition as "a health problem that existed or for which treatment was received before the effective date of this insurance policy," and the treatment of such conditions sits in the general terms. Coverage also depends on where the buyer lives: the FAQ says a European resident can buy, but the policy "only provides coverage while you are travelling within the Schengen area outside of your country of residence in conjunction with a trip." The FAQ is candid that "This policy may not cover everything you expect it to cover" and that the company "has not provided you with any recommendation or advice about whether this product fulfils your specific insurance requirements."

Who can buy and how it works

The quote form asks whether "All travellers are between 0 and 65 years old" and notes "It is possible to subscribe for travellers up to 74 years old." The FAQ says "You can buy the insurance for up to 9 people with only one payment," while the quote form says to contact the company "If you wish to subscribe for more than 20 people." Residents of a listed set of countries cannot buy; the FAQ names "Afghanistan, Belarus, Burma (Myanmar), Crimea Region and the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk People's regions, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Russian Federation and Zimbabwe." Travelers who need no visa can still buy, and the FAQ says "We will cover your trip on the same conditions." The FAQ also explains the visa itself: the Schengen visa is "a short-stay visa, meaning you can stay no longer than 90 days within a 180 day period," and a consulate decision is generally made "within 15 calendar days." Buyers give each traveler's name, birth date, passport number, nationality and country of residence.

"The premium must be paid in Euro," by PayPal or by Visa, MasterCard or American Express. The certificate "is sent by e-mail immediately after payment," and can be downloaded "in any of our six languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Russian or Chinese)." Dates and details can be changed by e-mail before cover starts. To move from Schengen to Schengen Plus, the FAQ says to buy the new plan and e-mail a request to cancel and reimburse the old one "before the start date of the policy." A refused visa is refunded: send "proof of the visa denial and we will refund the premium paid in full for any persons denied a Schengen visa." For a medical problem abroad, the FAQ says to call the number on the Insurance Certificate and Special Conditions document "as soon as possible." Cancellation refunds go through a payment provider that "treats all requests within 24 hours," though the FAQ says the money can take "from a few days to several weeks" to arrive depending on the bank. The policyholder's name appears on the Special Conditions document, while the Insurance Certificate shows only the people covered, and documents in other languages can be downloaded from the My Account area using the policy number. The site cites "the support and expertise of 750,000 partners" and help "24/7 in whatever language you speak best."

Who it suits

Europ Assistance fits a traveler, family or business visitor who needs a Schengen visa certificate quickly, is happy with a euro-priced policy, and wants a named, regulated insurer on the certificate. The refund for a refused visa and the certificate in six languages fit the visa application process the site is built around. It fits less well for travelers over 74, residents of the excluded countries, anyone wanting cover inside their own country of residence, or anyone who wants cover for infectious diseases, which the homepage excludes. The two plans differ in their 30,000€ and 60,000€ hospitalization ceilings and in the wider area Schengen Plus covers.