Millions of tourists visit France every year. This is undoubtedly one of the most touristic countries in the world and, although many do not know it, France is much more than Paris, traveling to France may be much more exciting than that! Visit the gothic cathedral in Bordeaux, enjoy the beach in Nice, or stroll through the streets of the Le Panier district in Marseille.
Although exciting does not mean dangerous! We should always be safe during our trip, this will be one of our first French travel tips today: enjoy our trip with peace of mind, knowing that we are safe no matter what. So regarding French travel tips, you won’t ever hear a better one than worrying about health care in France or any other foreign country in advance.
Before traveling to France, we recommend first of all to our travelers to have travel insurance in France. And what is travel insurance? Travel health insurance is a type of insurance that is recommended to be obtained prior to a trip to protect against certain risks, whether medical, financial or personal. Travel insurance will protect the traveler in case of problems during the trip (lost luggage, physical problems, flight delays, etc.), so it is especially recommended for trips abroad.
Keep in mind that, if we are going to be in a foreign country, we would be totally unprotected if we did not have travel insurance as we are not citizens of that country. So if you were asking yourself why do you need French travel insurance now you can understand, we can get sick during our trip or even an accident can happen. Travel insurance to France is an essential step to be taken into account by all travelers, especially families because we can easily get into trouble if we travel without our insurance.
By this, we mean that we may have problems when it comes to being attended to at a medical center. And if you are, then be prepared! You can’t even imagine how expensive it can be. A simple medical consultation can cost more than 100 euros, imagine an emergency medical intervention…
But an insurance policy will not only help you in case of health problems. We simply believe that it is without a doubt the most important thing and why all travelers should take out travel health insurance, because health comes first. Even so, it is important to mention that travel insurance is much more than medical insurance, travel insurance can include trip disruption, personal liability or loss of belongings.
Do You Need Travel Insurance For France?
It is highly recommended that travelers arriving in France obtain travel insurance so that they can get rid of costly medical expenses, obtain financial compensation in case a flight is delayed or they lose their baggage at the airport…
But is it mandatory to have travel insurance for France? That will depend on your nationality. The French government has started to require its tourists to own travel insurance, who will be able, among others, to receive medical assistance during their stay in France.
Even so, this measure does not apply to all tourists. Only those who need a french visa to visit France or who need to pass through a country that requires travel insurance to reach France are obliged to obtain travel insurance. However, we strongly recommend all travelers obtain travel insurance.
This document will be required at the entrance of the country, so those tourists who do not obtain their travel insurance and are required to do so will be rejected and will not be able to enter France.
The French state is not flexible on this issue, so it will also reject those tourists who have taken out an insurance policy that does not comply with the minimum coverages established as essential by the French government.
How to get French travel insurance?
In order to get your health insurance and to be able to travel to France safely, it is advisable to choose the appropriate travel insurance for us.
The travel health insurance for France visa may be obtained easily online through different forms. Here below are some of the most popular options:
- A travel insurance company: the most convenient option, as you can easily find numerous travel insurance companies. Even so, coverage plans are usually limited.
- A travel insurance broker: they are dedicated to the sale of customized insurance for each of their clients, so you can design the ideal coverage plan for yourself. Many times, these brokers offer travel insurance designed for different types of clients, so you can find the perfect travel insurance for short term visits, sports trips, business trips, etc.
- Your travel agency: If you have used the services of a travel agency when organizing your trip to France, it is advisable to consult the travel insurance offered. Depending on the agency, they will offer you more flexibility in designing your coverage plan, as the price may be lower or higher.
- The airline you fly with: depending on the company, you may be able to take out travel insurance with them, although it is not recommended due to its excessive price.
France Medical Insurance Types
Another thing to keep in mind, as it can undoubtedly help us save a lot of money, is what type of travel insurance we should contract. For example:
- Single plan: covers exactly the number of days we will stay in the country. This is the most requested plan, as it includes the basic coverages required by the French government.
- Multi-trip: we may plan to make several trips to France for work, medical treatment, or because we have a residence there, so it pays to get travel insurance that covers a whole year. In this way, we will be insured whenever we travel to France.
- Long-term plan: this is a good option if you are going to stay in France for a while. It includes emergency medical coverage or everything available in standard medical insurance.
- Student plan: this plan is usually recommended by the various universities and academic institutions that send their students abroad for an Erasmus year. These insurance policies are usually quite basic, but at the same time their price is unbeatable, so it is recommended for young travelers.
- Travel insurance for seniors and pensioners: people over 75 years old might hire a different medical insurance type and benefit from discounts or additional coverages for free.
Please note that, depending on the characteristics of your trip to France, it may be advisable to add some extra coverages that you consider appropriate. It is always possible to edit your travel insurance plans, you will just have to pay a little more.
Travel Insurance France – Requirements
If you are preparing to purchase travel insurance, as you need it to obtain a visa and enter the country, you should know that the French authorities establish certain requirements that must be met. Otherwise, your travel insurance will be rejected because it does not comply with the minimum coverage plan.
The most important thing is that our travel insurance covers our stay not only in France but in any country of the Schengen Zone, has a minimum coverage of 30,000 euros, and covers repatriation expenses, emergency medical service and hospital treatment.
As far as coverage is concerned, you can rest assured. Normally, all travel insurances include these coverages, apart from other very common ones such as loss of passport or luggage, flight delays, etc.
Even so, keep in mind that travel insurance does not usually cover medical expenses due to pre-trip illness, non-emergency medical treatments, incidents while drunk, or accidents that take place during high-risk sports if you didn’t include these conditions within your insurance policy.
How much does travel insurance cost?
Depending on how much money we spend on our insurance, the coverage will be less or more, so simple and cheap travel insurance will not cover many of the accidents or misfortunes that we may encounter. We also need to take into consideration the length of our trip and what we are planning to do in France, as the coverage plan may differ. Some of you are planning to visit Disneyland Paris, some others are planning to hike in the French Alps. As you may understand, the price is not similar. We are sorry to tell you that we cannot make even an approximation, as many determining factors will make our insurance plan more or less expensive.
Even though we can tell that, as we were commenting here above, the price may vary depending on whether you hire travel health insurance with one of the many travel insurance companies available or the airline you’re flying with to France soon. We may particularly recommend you to obtain health travel insurance through an insurance broker, as this may be the cheapest and most appropriate option to get your insurance policy nowadays.
French Visa Insurance – What To Keep In Mind
Our travel insurance is an essential document when processing our french visa, so we must contract it in advance. When contracting this travel insurance, we must indicate the dates of departure and return. In this way, the travel insurance will cover the expenses from the moment we leave for France until we return. Of course, keep in mind that the travel insurance will only cover the medical expenses for those coverages included in our insurance.
Please also note that there are two possibilities when taking charge of medical expenses in a foreign country. On the one hand, there are travel insurances that will directly receive the bills from the medical centers you visited. On the other hand, you may have to pay out of pocket for medical services and, once you get the bill, you should inform your insurer, who will make the corresponding payment to your account to settle the debt.
Once we pay for our travel insurance, we will obtain a document, usually available in digital format, which we must attach to our french visa application to prove that we have the necessary travel coverage to travel to France and the Schengen Zone. Moreover, you will receive a card that will serve as identification and proof that you have taken out travel insurance if an incident occurs during your trip and you need medical assistance.
Not only must you provide proof of having contracted travel insurance, but you must also provide the documentation necessary for the processing of your French visa, such as personal data, a copy of your valid passport, or a photo visa. In the following section, we will tell you how to obtain your french visa photo quickly and comfortably, without leaving home.
French Visa – Rest of Required Documents
As you can imagine, applicants must provide the documentation required to opt for a French visa apart from the French travel insurance. Make sure you have the following documents before you apply:
- Receipt showing that you have paid the fees required to apply for a French visa.
- Valid passport: it must contain at least two blank pages, where your French visa will be attached. Please note that your passport must be valid for at least 3 months from the date of your return home.
- Proof of sufficient financial means: a recent report issued by your bank, an employment contract or the monthly pension you receive from the state can be useful.
- Travel itinerary: you must specify the destinations you plan to visit, the means of transportation you plan to use, as well as the dates of departure and return.
- Accommodation reservation: you must also indicate where you plan to stay during your stay in France. A hotel reservation or a letter of invitation from a French citizen are some of the valid proofs.
- Criminal record certificate: this report can be requested from your government.
- French visa photo: please note that there are specific requirements when taking the photo such as the size.
Discover how to obtain the perfect french visa photo in just one minute, from your mobile or tablet.
Online Photo Maker For French Visa
Surprisingly, today many people still go to a traditional photo booth or professional photographic studio if they need to obtain a passport photo, visa photo or any other type of biometric photo. It must be because they are not aware that there are better alternatives.
Don’t get stuck in the past! Nowadays it is possible to take your french visa photo or any other official photo thanks to the internet. Have you ever heard about online photo booths? These are tools that allow the user to get the perfect photo for their application in a moment and without leaving home.
However, you should know that not all online photo booths will meet your expectations because not all of them offer optimal features.
