FAQ: Coverage of medical care abroad
Table of contents
What are the limits of your home country's social security system when staying abroad?
What are the limits of the benefits linked to my credit card in the event of a stay abroad?
What insurance requirements must be met to obtain a Schengen visa?
Depending on your needs and where you are in the world, the information on this page may help you understand your policy better.
1. What is a 1st euro/dollar cover?
A first euro/dollar insurance policy offers full coverage without the need for additional insurance, and without a deductible. You’ll therefore be covered from the first euro/dollar spent.
2. What are the limits of your home country's social security system when staying abroad?
Social security systems generally do not offer protection for care provided abroad. If any of them intervene, it is in a very limited way (no repatriation assistance, reimbursements calculated on the basis of rates paid in the country of origin, coverage valid for only a few months, long delays in reimbursement, need to pay expenses upfront, etc.).
3. What are the limits of the benefits linked to my credit card in the event of a stay abroad?
The coverage offered by credit cards only works for stays of up to 3 months. With the average “basic” credit card, there is a minimum deductible of €/$50 per procedure, with an overall reimbursement limit of €/$11,000. In some countries, such as the United States, Singapore, and Hong Kong, this limit will often prove to be insufficient in the event of hospitalisation.
4. What insurance requirements must be met to obtain a Schengen visa?
Insurance is mandatory to get a Schengen visa. Your insurance must include at least:
Medical expenses cover with a minimum limit of €30,000
Repatriation assistance
5. What is the Working Holiday Programme (WHP)?
The WHP allows students under 35 from participating countries to stay for up to 12 months (and sometimes longer) in many countries around the world. With a Working Holiday Visa (WHV), you can visit a participating country, and will be allowed to work there. For a number of these destinations, international health insurance is required. This is particularly the case in Canada, where health and repatriation insurance is mandatory for the duration of the WHP.
