FAQ - Travel insurance

Children travel free of charge up to a certain age, depending on the airline. In this case, you do not need to insure them individually for cancellation, for example. However, by taking out annual family travel insurance (for more than one person), you can cover all the members of your household as well as any minors not living with you (taking part in the same trip as you), for the whole year, so you can travel with peace of mind.  

In the case of insurance for a single trip, to cover you in the event of your child's illness or any other problem preventing you from travelling, you simply need to mention this when you take out the policy, i.e. include your child in the number of people to be covered.  

When you travel in Switzerland or abroad, the unexpected can happen: a flight cancelled, your luggage lost or, worse still, an accident. Travel insurance covers the extra costs and unforeseen expenses that arise and assists you in the event of repatriation (coverage and amounts detailed in our GTI).

It is an essential complement to your basic health insurance and your credit card insurance, which are often limited in the amounts covered and the grounds on which they are valid. Make sure you check what they cover before you leave. The best way to have complete peace of mind is to take out additional travel insurance. 

Yes, you can take out travel insurance after you have booked your trip.  

Your family, i.e. the members living in the same household and your minor children not living with you, are insured when you take out annual family travel insurance (more than one person) and they take part in the same trip as you. All you need to do is indicate the number of people to be covered by the insurance.
If you take out individual travel insurance just for yourself, your family is not insured.

There is an excess of CHF 200 for luggage only. 

Medical expenses that are payable by the insured person in the event of an accident, illness or complication of pregnancy are covered by travel insurance (coverage and details in our GTI).  

The premium you pay for travel insurance depends on the number of people insured, the risks insured and the duration you have chosen. Travel insurance from Europ Assistance Switzerland starts at CHF 46. 

The cost of medical repatriation depends on a number of factors, including the person's state of health, the distance from home, the presence of a medical team or special equipment, the urgency of the situation and the type of transport (medical plane or traditional flight). For repatriation to Switzerland from abroad, this can cost several tens of thousands of francs. That's why it's so important to be well covered by travel insurance.

There are two types of travel insurance:

• Temporary: you take out travel insurance for a specific trip. Ideal if you don't travel frequently.  
• Annual: this is practical for people who travel more than once a year. With long-term insurance, you're covered for a year for all your trips. So you can keep your spontaneity and preserve your peace of mind while being covered in Switzerland and abroad for short and long stays. Discover the Essential and Comfort formulas in our annual offer, so you can travel with peace of mind all year round. 

Whatever your destination, travel insurance is recommended for trips abroad, but may also be compulsory for travel to certain countries. The list of these countries - previously limited to China, Cuba and Algeria - has been extended to include many more destinations since the Covid-19 health crisis. Before planning and booking your next trip abroad, be sure to check the current regulations in force in the country of your choice.   

When you take out travel insurance, you pay a premium, i.e. a fixed amount that depends on the cover chosen and the cost of your trip (only in the case of a single trip). Once you have paid the premium, you will receive your insurance policy and will be covered either immediately (temporary insurance) or on the start date you have chosen (annual insurance). In the event of an unforeseen event before or during your trip, if it is covered by your insurance (see the GTI), you can then report your claim by enclosing all the necessary supporting documents in order to receive compensation. 

To take out travel insurance, simply visit the Europ Assistance Switzerland website. Then select the type of insurance you want for a single trip or annual, then fill in the required fields before selecting and paying your insurance premium on our secure site. You will then immediately receive your insurance policy by email.  

If you are not comfortable with online forms, please do not hesitate to contact us by telephone.

It all depends on the type of insurance you choose. The cover and compensation amounts vary according to whether it is temporary, annual, Essential or Comfort.

Generally speaking, travel insurance can cover cancellation costs, interruption costs, emergency transport, repatriation, baggage and medical expenses.

You can also benefit from additional services such as concierge service or a Dog & Cat extension in case your pet has a problem that prevents you from travelling. These options are available in our annual Comfort option. 

Ideally, you should take out travel insurance as far in advance of your departure as possible. This ensures that you are covered in the event of illness or another event (covered by our GTI) that prevents you from leaving.  

If the cancellation is the fault of your travel agency, hotel or airline, for example, you should contact them.  

If the cancellation is due to an event on your part, you must inform your insurer as soon as possible and declare your claim in order to receive reimbursement of your cancellation costs (see our GTI). 

First of all, you must report the problem to the transport company, which must draw up a written report. In the event of theft, you must report it to the police, who will provide a written report. Then report your claim to the insurer, providing the necessary supporting documents (details in our GTI) to obtain reimbursement. 

Insured luggage is your personal effects taken on a journey or entrusted to a public transport company with which you are travelling to your destination.

Immediately after taking out travel insurance with Europ Assistance Switzerland, you will receive your insurance policy and the associated General Terms and Conditions of Insurance by email. To obtain an insurance certificate, you can request one on this page. 

No, the means of payment used to take out temporary insurance can be in another person's name. However, it must be in your name, as indicated on the application form. 

The travel insurance premium is payable when the policy is taken out.  

The maximum value of a trip covered by temporary travel insurance is CHF 40'000. 

It is CHF 50'000 for individual annual insurance and CHF 100'000 for family annual insurance per trip. 

Le montant maximal d’un voyage couvert par l’assurance voyage temporaire est de 40’000 CHF. Il est de 50’000 CHF pour l’assurance annuelle individuelle et 100’000 CHF pour l’assurance annuelle famille par voyage. 

Essential travel insurance offers you basic cover for your travels, including cancellation, interruption, search&rescue, emergency transport and unforeseen expenses.

Comfort travel insurance offers you more comprehensive cover with higher reimbursement amounts. It includes the cover provided by the Essential option, plus temporary return, medical expenses, replacement trip, baggage, pet extension and concierge service.

The Dogs & Cats extension included in our Comfort options covers you in the event of cancellation, postponement or interruption of your trip following:

• the loss of your pet
• illness, accident or death of your pet
• illness, accident or death of the person responsible for looking after your pet before departure or during your trip.

If you have one or more pets, taking out Comfort insurance with the Dogs&Cats extension will cover your costs if their condition prevents you from travelling, so it's highly recommended!

All Europ Assistance travel insurance policies include cancellation cover. This comes into effect as soon as you take out the policy and allows you to be reimbursed for the actual costs incurred in the event of cancellation of your trip.

This cancellation insurance covers what you have booked/paid for, such as :

• The cost of cancelling your holiday rental, accommodation, hotel room or camping pitch.
• The cost of cancelling a training course or a destination course.
• The cost of cancelling tickets for a concert or show at your destination. 
• The cost of cancelling any activity at your destination
• The cost of cancelling tickets for transport to your destination

If you are unable to leave on your trip as a result of a covered event (see GTI), Europ Assistance will reimburse you for the actual costs of cancelling your trip, renting property (accommodation, holiday rentals), hotel rooms, camping, activities and courses/training at your destination.

In the event of an accident, mugging or attempted mugging, the death of a family member, an attack or natural disaster, resulting in psychological trauma during the trip, we provide a listening and psychological support service enabling you to contact clinical psychologists by telephone up to 7 days after your trip.

Yes, if you have to cancel your trip and you can't get to your destination, the accommodation you booked and paid for is covered. You will therefore be reimbursed for the cancellation costs.

Yes, if you have to cancel your trip and you cannot get to your destination, the activities you booked and paid for are covered. You will therefore be reimbursed for the cancellation costs.

Yes, if you have to cancel your trip and you are unable to travel to your destination, the courses or training you have booked and paid for are covered. You will therefore be reimbursed for the cancellation costs.

Yes, cancellation cover works in the event of: high water, flooding, storms with winds of over 75 km/h, hail, avalanches, rock falls, landslides, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes abroad.
If you are unable to leave, we will refund your cancellation costs.

If you have already left for your destination and your home is burgled while you are on holiday, you can contact assistance to have someone come to your home to prevent you from returning home prematurely. However, you will be responsible for the costs of the intervention.

If you have already left for your destination and there is an emergency or dangerous situation at your home (burglary, water damage, an animal left unattended, an open door, fire), you can contact assistance so that we can intervene at your home to prevent your premature return. However, you will be responsible for the costs of this service.

If your travel documents are stolen 24 hours before your departure, the cancellation guarantee applies: you will be reimbursed for your cancellation costs if you are unable to leave.

If your documents are stolen during your trip, the additional expenses cover applies: you will be reimbursed for unforeseen expenses incurred as a result of the theft (accommodation, transport, meals).

No, civil liability is not included in our travel insurance. In most cases, your civil liability insurance will cover you.

In the event of accident, illness, complication of pregnancy or death, we cover the following medical expenses: medical fees, pharmacy and transport costs prescribed by a doctor, urgent dental treatment, hospitalisation costs (if untransportable).

If you have booked a campsite for your next holiday but have to cancel your trip due to a covered event (see our GTI), our cancellation insurance included in all our options covers you. You will therefore be reimbursed for the cost of cancelling at the campsite

If you have booked a hotel room for your next holiday but have to cancel your trip as a result of a covered event (see our GTI), our cancellation insurance included in all our options covers you. You will therefore be reimbursed for the hotel's cancellation charges.

If you have booked a trip but are unable to travel due to strikes, the cancellation insurance included in all our options covers you (if the strike is official and proven).

If you have rented a house or flat for your next holiday but have to cancel your trip due to a covered event (see our General Terms and Conditions), our cancellation insurance included in all our options covers you. You will therefore be reimbursed for the cost of cancelling your holiday rental.

In the case of a covered trip, the insurance provides cancellation and interruption cover in the event of illness or accident that results in an inability to travel. Pregnancy is considered an illness. 
The Insurer classifies pregnancy as an illness. Consequently, the Insurer grants Cancellation and Interruption cover as well as Medical Assistance cover in the event of illness, provided that it is an insured event and that the obligations of the insured (notification of the claim, limitation of damage and supporting documents) are met.
However, the insurer limits its cover for treatment costs in the event of a foreseeable complication of pregnancy, as well as costs relating to a pregnancy from the 28th week.

According to article 3.1.8, events occurring during extreme sports or similar events are excluded. This also excludes sports that are considered to be absolute or relative reckless activities as defined by Suva.

Absolute recklessness occurs when an activity involves risks which, regardless of the specific situation, cannot be reduced to reasonable proportions. Absolute recklessness also exists when an activity involving particularly serious risks is not sufficiently worthy of protection or when it can be considered unreasonable or reprehensible. 

Relative reckless undertaking is used for sports disciplines or activities involving significant risks, in which elementary rules of safety or caution are not observed. Here is a list of extreme sports, according to Suva. This list is not exhaustive.

Motorbike racing on a circuit without speed limits and without safety distances between participants, despite the presence of a doctor, ambulance and officials on the track at risk points. 

• Dirt-bike racing: autocross, mountain, circuit and stock-car racing, including training; car rally speed eventsn driving cars and motorbikes on racing circuits, with the exception of road safety courses. 
• Go-kart driving: races and training sessions with vehicles capable of speeds in excess of 100 km/h. 
• Base jumping.
• Full-contact competitions (e.g. boxing competitions). 
• Extreme karate (breaking bricks, tiles or thick boards with the cutting edge of the hand, head or foot). 
• Motocross, including training on the race track.  
• Motorboat racing, including training. 
• Motorbike racing, including training and riding motorbikes on a circuit (with the exception of road safety courses). 
• ATV jumping with acrobatics (such as somersaults, rotation around one's own axis, taking hands off handlebars or feet off pedals). 
• Quad bike races, including training. Skateboarding, if done in competition or for speed. 
• Snowmobile races (snow-cross), including training.
• Descents of ski speed records. 
• Speedflying. 
• Diving to depths of over 40 metres. 
• Hydrospeed / Riverboogie (white water rafting on a floating bobsleigh)