Travel insurance is an important consideration for any trip, and an increasing number of popular destinations in Europe, Asia, North and South America are now requiring that visitors provide proof of travel insurance before being admitted into their country.
Of the countries that now require travel insurance, 26 of them are located in the Schengen area. These include: 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.
Experts predict this trend will continue as more and more countries seek to ease the burden of unpaid medical bills left by tourists. Countries can incur these costly unpaid medical expenses via travelers who either take advantage of their free healthcare or who simply leave without paying the bill.
A lot of insurance companies suggestpeople should be sure to purchase their travel insurance in advance because somes countries will not require proof of travel insurance before granting a visa, upon arrival, however, they will require the purchase of insurance through a local provider.
