Read more about travel insurance
Travel insurance: why?
Recently, travel insurance has ceased to be mandatory for most Ukrainian tourists. For more than 2 years now, it has not been required for travel to Schengen countries and is usually not checked by border guards. But despite the visa-free travel with 130 countries, travelers from Ukraine usually take out a travel policy before the trip. Why?
Because in 2017-2019, more than 210,000 of our tourists received medical care while traveling abroad without paying for it. Insurers covered the costs. Travelers have seen from their own experience that it is easy and profitable to have a policy for traveling abroad. Its cost is thousands of times less than the cost of treatment.
How does the protection work?
Injury, poisoning, urgent surgery - travel insurance covers all these cases for up to 30,000 euros or dollars, depending on the country. The insurance company pays for treatment and, most importantly, organizes assistance. You just need to call the medical assistance number specified in the contract and report the problem. We wrote in detail about how this service works in our blog.
Which insurance program to choose?
There are different types of travel insurance - it all depends on what you plan to do while traveling.
For a simple vacation, without sports activities and extreme entertainment, the "Tourism" program from UNIQA is suitable. It can be taken out for up to 40 days.
If relaxation is combined with sports - for example, at a ski resort - it is better to choose the "Active Rest" program. For those who often travel for work, the Business program, which is valid for 90 days a year, is suitable.
How to sign a contract?
It is very easy to take out travel insurance in Kyiv and other large cities - you just need to visit the office of your insurance company. If you don't have one nearby, or if you're used to buying online, you can apply for a policy online. It's even easier than buying a plane or train ticket. You will receive the document by e-mail, but you do not need to print it. The main thing is to always have your policy number and the phone number of the assistance service at hand. We recommend that you save all this information in your smartphone.
When is insurance still mandatory?
In most embassies, including the "difficult" USA and the UK, health insurance is not required for a visa and is not included in the list of required documents - of course, if you are traveling as a regular tourist.
Unfortunately, the visa-free regime does not apply to long trips, including to the Schengen countries. Therefore, everyone who travels to Europe for a long time - for example, to work or go to university - will definitely need insurance. It is better to take it out at the office of an insurance company to take into account all the nuances and choose the best protection option.