People travel overseas for tourism, work, education, and more. However, planning an international trip requires a lot of effort, such as completing visa procedures, fulfilling countries’ travel requirements, preparing itineraries, and more.
One standard requirement that many foreign countries have in mandating all travellers to have a travel insurance policy with medical coverage along with a visa on arrival. This is because travel insurance plans offer financial assistance to individuals during unanticipated situations during their trip.
There are several visa-on-arrival countries for Indians that allow individuals to permit entry to a country from foreign countries.
In this blog, we will list the countries that have mandated travel insurance plans for Indian travellers.
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Why Do Countries Mandate Travel Insurance Plans For International Travellers?
Many countries require travellers to have travel insurance with medical coverage as a backup to cover for unplanned emergencies like loss of passport/travel documents, luggage delays, theft, medical emergencies, flight delays/cancellations, etc.
Travel policies ensure that travellers can take care of their health if any medical emergency comes up. Plus, many foreign destinations have high-quality medical services that individual travellers can’t afford without an insurance plan.
Many immigration authorities recommend that you buy travel insurance from reputed insurers approved by the IRDAI. You can also do your own research by doing a travel insurance comparison before buying plans as well.
List of Countries with Mandated Travel Insurance Plans
| Country | Specific Details |
| Cuba | Medical insurance covers sudden illness and repatriation. |
| Schengen Countries (all 27) | Minimum coverage of EUR 30,000 |
| United Arab of Emirates | Mandatory for multiple-visa entry holders for 5 years |
| Turkey | Visa requirement |
| Seychelles | Insurance with Covid-19 cover |
| Israel | Insurance with Covid-19 cover |
| Fiji | Insurance with Covid-19 cover |
| Singapore | For non-vaccinated travellers, minimum travel insurance coverage of SGD 30, 000 with covid -19 cover |
| Romania | Travel health insurance of EUR 30,000 |
| United States of America | Travel insurance is mandatory for a student visa or full-time program. |
| Antarctica | Visa requirement |
| Nepal | Needed if trekking |
| Ecuador | Visa requirement |
| Jordan | Mandatory travel health insurance |
Countries Where Travel Insurance Cover is Suggested by Government
Besides this, there are some foreign countries where buying travel insurance is not mandatory as an entry requirement, but the government strongly suggests taking a plan.
| Country | Specific Details |
| Singapore | Travel health insurance of SGD 30,000 with COVID-19 coverage. |
| Togo | Strongly Recommended |
| Thailand | Strongly Recommended that COVID-19 cover |
| Lebanon | Strongly Recommended |
| New Zealand | Strongly Recommended |
How to Know If an Online Travel Insurance Policy from India Is Mandatory?
One question that worries travellers a lot is how to know if travel insurance coverage is mandatory for a travel destination. Below are some pointers that will help travellers determine that.
- Before travelling to a specified destination, follow the news or online portals to learn about the travel requirements in detail. Travellers can also visit the government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs website to learn about travel requirements.
- Another way to confirm the travel policy is to ask the airline about it. While booking tickets, ask airline staff about any specific travel requirements or having travel insurance cover. Since the airline is from a specific country, they will have thorough knowledge about it.
- If travellers are running out of time or lack expertise, they can contact a tour and travel company about the same. Since the tour company is well-versed in the travel requirements, they will get everything done without letting you worry.
- Travellers can also contact the country’s embassy or consulate and ask about the travel requirement or whether travel insurance cover is mandatory.
Consequence of Not Complying with the Travel Entry Requirements
If the travellers don’t comply with the mandatory rule, their visa application may be rejected. Furthermore, airlines will not be allowed to board you as a passenger due to this.
In some cases, individuals also need to pay fines and penalties to authorities for not complying with the law. This can also affect the future travel plans of the travellers.
Conclusion
Travelling to foreign countries can be a thrilling experience. But no matter how prepared travellers are, unplanned emergencies and incidents can happen. These events can put a lot of financial and mental strain on individuals. Hence, some countries mandate an online travel insurance policy from India.
As a general rule, immigration authorises highly recommend Indian travellers to purchase travel insurance plans with medical coverage from regulated online providers like Tata AIG to cover their trips. The plan not only secures the traveller’s trip but also offers peace of mind.