WHAT DOES INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL INSURANCE COVER? BEST TRAVEL INSURANCE IN 2023

Are you not sure what travel insurance covers or even if you need it? In recent years they have had to step up to offer travelers security and coverage in new aspects that did not even exist before, so there are many new developments to take into account.

To the classic eventualities that can occur during a trip, a new variable is now added that can ruin it. For this reason, it is now more important than ever to have good travel insurance that also covers any issue related to COVID-19, in addition to the typical unforeseen events that have always been there.

We will see what travel insurance covers, what it does not cover, and why insurance is necessary for your trip. In the end, we will tell you which is objectively the best international travel insurance with Covid coverage in 2023 that we currently use and from which you can benefit from a discount of up to 35%.

IS IT NECESSARY TO TAKE OUT TRAVEL INSURANCE?

Although previously taking out travel insurance was not mandatory, it was already something that became necessary if you wanted to travel with some peace of mind. This has changed almost overnight and currently, a large number of countries require that you have travel insurance that covers COVID to be able to cross their borders.

There are still countries where you will not be required to have insurance. However, even though “this is not going to happen to me”… shit happens.

The “joke” of having a small accident in countries like the US where a simple hospitalization can cost you more than €1000 a day could put you in serious financial problems. The bill for a simple appendicitis can cost you €6,000 or for food poisoning, which is very common in Asia or South America, around €3,000. If we add to this all the additional unforeseen events that may arise due to COVID, we do not scratch our heads and prefer to travel calmly with insurance that covers all these cases.

Furthermore, good travel insurance does not only take health issues into account. It must include cases of repatriation or early return, baggage coverage, changes and loss of services, and trip cancellation due to COVID or other cases. And, for those of us who carry a lot of gadgets to create all this content, there is also insurance that covers electronic equipment. For us, this is something essential when traveling with a laptop, cameras, and in general a lot of money on equipment.

Despite everything we say here, and all the trips we have been on, luckily we have only had to use our travel insurance to make a query about “nonsense” things like a slightly stubborn rash and an upset stomach. We keep our fingers crossed that it stays that way!

IS TRAVEL INSURANCE MANDATORY TO TRAVEL TO EUROPE?

If you are a European citizen and travel through countries belonging to the Schengen area, travel insurance for Europe is not mandatory. Of course, you must carry a European health card to have basic medical care, taking into account that it will not cover you in many cases such as medical transfers or repatriations. If you are going to travel through Russia, Belarus, or Ukraine, you will have to have insurance to be allowed to enter.

If you are not a citizen of the Schengen zone traveling through one of its countries, you will in any case need travel insurance that covers at least €30,000 in medical expenses.

COUNTRIES WHERE TRAVEL INSURANCE IS MANDATORY

Some countries have been relaxing entry restrictions since 2020. However, in 2023 in most countries it is still mandatory to have travel insurance to enter and, in those that do not, it is highly recommended due to the high health costs that could be caused. The list is long so we end up first listing the countries where it is NOT mandatory :

• USA
• Brazil
• Canada
• Cambodia
• Costa Rica
• Egypt
• Australia
• New Zealand
• Japan
• Türkiye
• Thailand
• Mexico
• China
• Morocco
• Colombia
• Bolivia
• Panama
• Indonesia
• Dominican Republic

If you want more specific information, the guys at Mondo have created a post with the requirements that each country requires regarding travel insurance, of course, be sure to check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for their travel recommendations where they have information updated by country of all entry requirements and restrictions.

WHAT DOES INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL INSURANCE COVER?

The insurance you choose must cover sufficient medical expenses abroad, this is one of the essential points for us, especially if you travel to countries like Japan, the United States, or the Caribbean where healthcare costs an arm and a leg.

The best travel insurance covers at least medical expenses abroad of at least €100,000, if it is more at the same price it is welcome. Of course, it must include treatment in case you are infected with Covid 19. You have to be careful because some insurances will only cover you if the contagion occurs at the destination, that is, if the symptoms appear during the first 14 days of travel they may not cover you.

This is one of the reasons why we are glad to have found Mondo travel insurance since it treats Covid like any other illness and covers you from the first moment of your trip.

In addition to medical expenses, the insurance you choose should also cover expenses during the coronavirus quarantine period at the destination, repatriation in case you have to return urgently, and medical transfer. We advise you to check carefully that your insurance includes these assumptions since they can be very expensive if you have to pay for them yourself.

As you know, times have changed and, although luckily it is becoming more and more rare, there is still a risk of not being able to travel due to COVID-19. For this reason, another important aspect is that your travel insurance covers cancellation for reasons related to Covid 19, although you should know that few do. And finally, due to the high costs involved, it is a great plus that it covers PCR tests during the trip, which can add up to a significant amount in some cases.

WHAT DOESN’T THIS TRAVEL INSURANCE COVER?

As important or more important than knowing what your travel insurance includes is knowing in which cases it will not cover you. All of them have certain exceptions that are very common today and that you should be aware of so as not to get any surprises.

Some of the most common cases that are excluded from all travel insurance are PCR tests as an entry requirement, mandatory quarantines upon arrival in the country, and cancellation of flights by the airline.

Another assumption that is usually excluded is the cancellation of the trip due to COVID-19 infection. Some insurance policies such as Mondo offer it as an option along with many other cancellation cases, so you can add this coverage to your insurance when taking out the policy.

As a last case, we will comment on the cancellation of the trip when there is a recommendation not to travel to a country made by an official body. The fear of traveling to a country that has been advised against due to its alert level or that has entered the red list of countries affected by COVID-19 can be a good reason to cancel your trip. However, you should know that common travel insurance does not cover this type of event in any case.

If this worries you, you should take a look at Mondo’s trip cancellation insurance, which includes as one of the reasons for the government’s recommendation not to travel to the destination country in addition to the impossibility of making the trip due to border closures.

WHAT IS THE BEST INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL INSURANCE IN 2023?

After traveling through many countries and trying several companies, we have been traveling with Mondo for some time now, an insurer that has specialized in travel insurance and knows perfectly well the needs of travelers. They were the ones we hired during our trip without a return ticket through Southeast Asia.

The reason we trust Mondo and think it is the best travel insurance is simple: they more than meet all the requirements that the best travel insurance must have for us at an unbeatable price:

• They cover all assumptions and expenses related to Covid 19, including quarantine and medical expenses of €300,000 for Europe and €600,000 in the rest of the world already in their most “basic” insurance.
• They are responsible for the expenses derived from all PCR tests during the trip that are prescribed by a doctor.
• They include medical transfers and repatriation in the event of testing positive for COVID-19 if the return home is affected.
• They provide 24-hour medical care with the possibility of calling them via the Internet and, in addition, a medical chat integrated into their app to make inquiries.
• They advance the money for you, something very important especially if the treatment is expensive, and give you the peace of mind of not having to claim the expenses.
• You have the possibility of contracting trip cancellation insurance with them that covers 47 causes and will cover up to €6,000 per traveler in transportation and accommodation.

Apart from this, Mondo covers other aspects that are essential for our type of trip:

• They cover damage and loss of electronic material, something very important if like us you travel with cameras, laptops, and other expensive gadgets that we have a great appreciation for.
• You will be insured for many activities and adventure sports and their Top and Premium insurance policies include many other sports if you are not one of those who stay taking walks around the city.
• They include the claim service with AirHelp, a page that manages claims for you in the event of cancellation, delays, or loss of connecting flights due to causes attributable to the airline. They make sure you get the compensation that is legally established without you going crazy.
• A lot of assumptions that not only have to do with health but that come in handy when you want to travel in peace: they cover 50% of the rental car excess, loss of contracted services due to delays in the means of transport, and a good list of more coverage that you can read on their website.

To top it off, if you hire any of Mondo’s insurance through our links you will have a 5% discount, and at the same time you will be helping us to continue sharing information on the blog. What has been a manual win-win?

HOW TO GET DISCOUNTED INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL INSURANCE?

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy. Nobody wants to spend hours comparing insurance when they could instead be preparing the route for their next trip. That is why we are going to tell you how to benefit from up to 35% discount on your policy and take out cheap travel insurance.

By taking out your insurance at Mondo from this website you will have a 5% base discount that is added to other extra cumulative discounts that you can take advantage of:

• If you travel as a family you will have an additional 15% discount, a total of 20% if you book from our website.
• If you travel in a group of 10 or more people, up to an extra 15% discount, which with our 5% adds up to 20%.
• If you travel with a €100 excess you have a 15% discount that can be combined with family or group discounts and of course with our particular discount. That is, you could have up to a 35% accumulated discount on your insurance. Almost nothing!

The first thing you have to do is access the Mondo website from one of the links on this page and look at the top of the window. There you will see a message that the 5% discount applies to coming from us.