Travel Insurance and Schengen Visas: What Travelers Need to Know, Says Squaremouth

St. Petersburg, FL (PRWEB) July 29, 2013

Before heading off on European summer vacations, travelers should pay special attention to what travel insurance coverage is required to obtain a Schengen visa and travel freely between European countries.

Squaremouth, America’s fastest growing travel insurance comparison site, explains what travelers need to know about travel insurance when applying for a Schengen visa.

What does the Schengen visa do?
The Schengen visa allows travelers entry into the following 26 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.

Who needs a Schengen visa?
Not all travelers need to obtain a Schengen visa to travel into the Schengen territory. US citizens can travel for up to 90 days within a six-month period without the visa. Citizens of other countries may be required to obtain a Schengen visa to enter the area, and should contact the embassy at the first country they will be traveling to.

What travel insurance satisfies Schengen visa requirements?
Travelers are typically required to have medical coverage for their entire stay in the Schengen territory in order to obtain the visa. For those who do not have medical coverage elsewhere, a travel insurance policy with $50,000 of emergency medical and medical evacuation benefits typically satisfies requirements. However, travelers should always check country-specific guidelines.

What proof of coverage is provided?
Travel insurance providers show proof of coverage in the policy confirmation. Many companies will automatically provide a confirmation letter on company letterhead. In other cases, the confirmation letter can be provided by the company upon request.

“Many travel insurance companies specifically design their policy confirmations to detail the coverage required for the Schengen visa,” says Chris Harvey, CEO of Squaremouth.“This gives travelers everything they need to present to the embassy.”

About Squaremouth
Squaremouth is a website that compares travel insurance products from every major U.S. travel insurance provider. Established in 2006, the company grew from $1 million in sales to $10 million in 2012. Squaremouth is headquartered in St. Petersburg, FL, with offices in Fort Wayne, IN. More information on Squaremouth and its network of providers can be found at http://www.squaremouth.com.

About our Zero Complaint Guarantee
The cornerstone of Squaremouth’s commitment to customers is their Zero Complaint Guarantee. If a customer feels their claim is handled unfairly, Squaremouth will mediate on their behalf. Any provider with a customer complaint that cannot be resolved with complete satisfaction will be removed from the website.

Squaremouth offers products from the following travel insurance providers:
Air Ambulance Card, Allianz Global Assistance, AMEX Assurance Company, Azimuth Risk Solutions, LLC, CSA Travel Protection, GeoBlue, Global Alert Administrators, HCC Medical Insurance Services, HTH Worldwide, IMG, iTravelInsured, John Hancock Insurance Agency, Inc., MedjetAssist, MH Ross Travel Insurance Services, RoamRight, Seven Corners Inc, Travel Guard, Travel Insurance Services, Travel Insured International, Travelex Insurance Services, TravelSafe, Trawick International, USA-ASSIST Worldwide Protection, and VacationGuard.

AVAILABLE TOPIC EXPERTS: Chris Harvey charvey(at)squaremouth(dot)com
Toll-free (800) 240-0369 x 6103
Chrisharvey.com

Jenna Gravino jgravino(at)squaremouth(dot)com
Toll-free (800) 240-0369 x 6112

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