Schengen Travel Insurance 2026: Prices, Companies, and What Gets Covered

You’ve booked the hotel, chosen your flights — and now the consulate wants a travel insurance policy. Not just any policy, either: specific coverage minimums, specific geography, zero deductible. What do you buy, from whom, for how much — and how do you avoid a policy that quietly denies your claim at the worst possible moment?

This isn’t bureaucratic box-ticking. According to NBU data for 2025, Ukrainians purchased over 4.2 million travel policies that year. The most common claims: acute appendicitis, fractures, food poisoning. A single day in a German hospital without insurance starts at €5,000.

# How much does Schengen travel insurance cost in 2026?

A single-trip policy for 14 days across Europe runs UAH 630–1,400 — depending on your coverage limit, age, and optional riders. That’s roughly UAH 45–100 per day.

Three factors drive the price: age (over 65 pushes the rate up 50–80%), coverage limit (€30,000 vs. €100,000), and whether there’s a deductible. Zero deductible is the Schengen standard — it means the insurer pays from the first euro.

Here are typical 2026 prices from insurer websites directly:

Here’s the math most people skip: three separate 14-day INGO policies cost UAH 1,860. An annual Multitrip from the same company costs UAH 2,350. The gap is small; the convenience isn’t.

# Which companies sell Schengen travel insurance in Ukraine?

ARX, Uniqa, PZU Ukraine, INGO, and Oranta are the top five — NBU-licensed and with actual claims payment records in Europe. That’s not a commercial endorsement; it’s what the payout statistics show.

There’s a second tier — TAS Insurance, Universalna, Alpha Insurance. They’re technically licensed. But smaller companies often run weaker assistance networks, and reaching a dispatcher in Berlin at 2 a.m. doesn’t always go smoothly.

The variable that matters most isn’t price — it’s who runs the assistance operation. Assistance is the third-party company that physically organizes help abroad. ARX partners with Europ Assistance; Uniqa works with AXA Assistance. Both are pan-European operators with hospital networks across the EU. If a policy lists an obscure local LLC with no international partners, that’s a red flag.

A cheaper policy might save you UAH 60–80. A claim denial on a €15,000 surgery is a different problem entirely.

# What does a standard policy cover — and what doesn’t it?

A standard travel policy covers: emergency medical care, hospitalization, surgery, prescribed medications, medical evacuation, and repatriation. That’s the baseline — every licensed insurer includes it.

What’s excluded by default:

• Planned treatment and routine check-ups
• Dental care (acute pain only, usually capped at €150–200)
• Chronic conditions in remission
• Injuries from extreme sports — skiing, kitesurfing, rock climbing (separate add-on required)
• Pregnancy after 28–32 weeks (threshold varies by insurer)
• Treatment while under the influence of alcohol or drugs

And here’s the detail that trips people up: the policy doesn’t work if you show up at a hospital without calling assistance first. Call first, get treatment second. Skip that call, and the insurer can legally reject your claim.

Need coverage for active holidays? ARX and PZU Ukraine both offer a “Sports” rider at +30–60% over the base rate. Skiing, snowboarding, even diving — each is added separately.

# Choosing your coverage limit: €30,000 or €50,000+?

€30,000 is the visa minimum, not necessarily a sufficient safety net. For most short trips it’s fine. For travel with children, older relatives, or in countries with expensive healthcare — Switzerland, Norway, Germany — go with €50,000–€100,000.

The numbers: one day in a German ICU runs €2,000–€4,000. Three weeks of treatment after a serious accident can easily exceed €60,000–€80,000. According to Europ Assistance 2025 data, the average payout on major EU claims was €23,400 — so €30,000 covers it, but barely.

Upgrading from €30,000 to €50,000 typically costs UAH 150–250 extra per policy. That’s a small number. If you’re staying more than a week, get €50,000.

# How to buy travel insurance online

The whole process takes about 10 minutes. No offices, no queues.

Step 1. Go to an insurer’s website or a comparison aggregator (such as PolicyHub, or directly to ARX.ua or Uniqa.ua). An aggregator is easier — it shows multiple companies side by side.

Step 2. Enter your details: destination country (or “Schengen”), travel dates, age of insured, any add-ons you need. The price appears instantly.

Step 3. Fill in passport details. Be careful here — the document number must match exactly what you’re travelling with. A single wrong character can create problems during a claim.

Step 4. Pay by card (Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay). Your policy PDF arrives by email within 1–3 minutes.

Step 5. Print it or save it on your phone. Most consulates accept digital copies — but confirm with your specific embassy.

One practical note: buy at least 1–2 days before submitting your visa documents. Some consulates check the policy issue date.

# What to do when a medical emergency happens abroad?

Call the assistance number in your policy. Not the Ukrainian insurer’s office, not the ambulance — the assistance line. The number is printed on your policy document. The call is free.

The assistance dispatcher tells you which hospital to go to and issues a Guarantee of Payment (GOP) directly to that facility. You pay nothing out of pocket.

What if you’re already at the hospital — say, an ambulance brought you in unconscious? Ask the medical staff to contact assistance as soon as you’re able to communicate. Keep everything: discharge paperwork, prescriptions, taxi receipts to the clinic. All of it matters for reimbursement.

And this is the standard mistake: don’t pay the bill yourself if you can still call assistance. Self-payment shifts you into a reimbursement process that’s slower and more complicated than direct billing.

The deadline to file documents after returning home is usually 30 days. ARX and Uniqa allow up to 90 days. Check your specific policy.

# Travel insurance for older travellers and people with chronic conditions

Standard policies cost 50–80% more after age 65 — that’s just market pricing. Some insurers also set age caps: Oranta and INGO cover up to 75 on their standard program; ARX goes up to 80 with a medical questionnaire.

If you have diabetes, hypertension, or a heart condition, a standard policy won’t cover a flare-up of those conditions. You need the “chronic condition exacerbation” rider. At PZU Ukraine, that’s +35% over base; at ARX, +40%.

Uniqa offers a dedicated program for older travellers — with €50,000 coverage and chronic condition inclusion — running approximately UAH 2,800–3,500 for 14 days for someone aged 65–75 (check the current product name on their site, as branding changes).

That’s more expensive. But compare it to: one week in an Italian cardiology ward costs €30,000+. Do the math yourself.

# Travel insurance for children

A child’s policy (under 14) is typically 20–30% cheaper than an adult’s. That doesn’t mean it’s the place to cut costs — children get sick more often and end up in emergency rooms more frequently.

Standard policies cover children’s treatment on the same basis as adults. One thing to sort out before the trip: if a child is travelling with one parent or without parents at all, Ukrainian law requires a notarized consent letter from the non-travelling parent. That’s a Ukrainian exit requirement, not an insurer rule.

When a child needs emergency care abroad, most assistance companies will arrange accommodation for one accompanying adult at the hospital. This “Companionship” benefit is included by default at ARX, Uniqa, and PZU Ukraine.

# See also

• Insurance guides and tools
• Business loans and financing for sole traders
• Currency exchange rates for travellers
• Cashback cards in Ukraine — how to get up to 10%

Follow Kompanion for no-fluff finance coverage: insurance, loans, currency, and real business. Coming up next — how third-party car insurance (OSAGO) works in 2026, and why it falls short when you’re in an accident abroad.