Every Schengen travel insurance policy covers less than the headline number suggests. A €30,000 minimum is a ceiling, not a promise — and the difference between what a policy covers and what it excludes decides whether a claim is paid.
This page lists the actual exclusions written into the SchengenProtect policy, taken directly from the General Terms and Conditions issued by Inter Partner Assistance S.A. (AXA Partners). No paraphrase, no industry generalisation — the clauses that apply to your policy.
What Every Schengen Policy Must Cover
Article 15 of the EU Visa Code (Regulation 810/2009) sets the legal minimum for a visa application:
- Minimum cover of €30,000 for medical expenses
- Valid across all 29 Schengen states, not just your destination
- Covers emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation and repatriation, including repatriation of remains
- Valid for the entire period of stay requested in the application
A policy that meets this minimum satisfies the consulate. It does not mean everything that can happen to you abroad is covered.
Exclusion or Limit? They Are Not the Same
This distinction decides most disputed claims.
- A limit is a ceiling — the insurer pays up to that amount. Baggage covered to €500 means a €900 loss is paid at €500.
- An exclusion is a category the policy never pays for, at any amount.
People read “covered up to €250 for electronics” as “my laptop is covered” and are surprised by the shortfall. Read the sum, not just the tick.
Limits in the SchengenProtect Policy
| Benefit | Basic | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| Medical expenses and assistance | €60,000 | €150,000 |
| Dental services | €200 | €400 |
| Extended stay abroad | €50/night | €100/night |
| Baggage | — | €500 |
| Electronic devices, sports equipment | — | €250 |
| Third-party liability | — | €80,000 |
| Material loss (within TPL) | — | €40,000 |
| 24/7 Assistance Call Centre | Yes | Yes |
Examinations, medical consultations, hospitalisation, medical supplies, rescue, transport between facilities and repatriation are all paid up to the sum insured — they do not carry separate sub-limits.
General Exclusions: What Is Never Covered
These apply to the whole policy, regardless of which package you hold (Article 11 of the GTC).
Your own conduct
- Intentional acts by you or someone living with you
- Gross negligence, unless paying the claim would be equitable
- Acting against your doctor’s instructions, where this caused or worsened the injury
- Refusing to release a doctor from confidentiality when the Assistance Call Centre needs it to assess the claim
- Suicide or self-inflicted injury, regardless of mental state
Alcohol, drugs and crime
- Being intoxicated or after drinking alcohol
- Being under the influence of psychoactive substances
- Committing or attempting a crime, fighting, or hooligan behaviour
⚠️ The alcohol clause is the most common reason a genuine accident claim fails. It is not limited to serious intoxication — the wording covers events occurring after drinking.
Activities and qualifications
- High-risk sports — competitive sport, expeditions to extreme climates, and disciplines requiring exceptional skill or containing acrobatic elements: downhill, air sports, freediving and similar
- Practising sport outside designated areas (off-piste skiing is the classic case)
- Acting without the required valid licence — driving without the right category, diving without an instructor
- Motor competitions or rallies as driver, pilot or passenger, including trials
- Stunts, animal hunting
- Serving as a soldier, police officer or member of uniformed or security forces
Health conditions excluded across the whole policy
- Mental disorders
- Sexually transmitted diseases, HIV and AIDS
- Failure to take vaccinations required by the WHO for the destination
External events
- War, armed conflict, invasion, civil war, rebellion, terrorism, riots, civil unrest, states of emergency, demonstrations, uprisings
- Epidemics, chemical or biological contamination, nuclear threat
- Travel begun after the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued its highest-level warning against travel to that country
- Use of pyrotechnics
- Cases where payment would breach international sanctions or embargoes (UN, EU, USA, UK)
The cost of phone calls made to the insurer is not refunded.
Medical Cover: Additional Exclusions
Beyond the general list, medical expenses and assistance do not cover (Article 16):
- Chronic diseases — defined as any disorder diagnosed, treated or showing symptoms in the 24 months before the policy was concluded
- Planned treatment — hospital treatment or operations for which there were indications before the trip, or travel undertaken to obtain advice about an existing condition
- Care that is appropriate but not urgent and could wait until you return home
- Follow-up examinations and preventive vaccinations
- Treatment by yourself or a relative
- Stays in social welfare, sanatorium, rehabilitation centres and oncological hospices
- Cosmetic and aesthetic procedures, plastic surgery, and any treatment needed as a result of them
- Pregnancy — tests to confirm pregnancy, termination, complications after the 26th week, and childbirth
- Infertility treatment, artificial insemination and related hormone therapy
- Medication bought without a written prescription
- Unconventional or unapproved treatment methods
- Glasses, dentures, hearing aids and rehabilitation equipment — purchase or repair
- Costs incurred without the Assistance Call Centre’s consent
The one exception worth knowing
You do not need to call the Assistance Call Centre first for:
- a single dental appointment for acute toothache or inflammation
- a single outpatient visit
In both cases you may choose the doctor yourself and pay, then claim. For anything else — especially hospitalisation — call first. Costs incurred without consent are excluded, unless your condition made contact impossible.
Assistance Call Centre: +48 22 575 90 08, available 24/7.
Baggage: Additional Exclusions
Baggage cover (Extended package only, €500 limit) excludes (Article 18):
- Damage to the container only — a cracked suitcase with intact contents is not a claim
- Theft from a tent, even a locked one
- Losses not reported within 24 hours to the carrier or police
- Damage from leaking liquids, dyes or corrosive substances carried in the baggage
- Electrical faults caused by operation or electricity
- Confiscation by customs or state authorities
- Glasses, contact lenses, medical and rehabilitation equipment, prostheses and medication
- Vehicles, excluding wheelchairs, strollers and bicycles
Items never covered, whatever happens
- Cash, payment cards, cheques, securities, tickets, keys
- Precious metals, pearls, precious stones, watches
- Antiques, art, collections, manuscripts, musical instruments
- Alcohol, tobacco, intoxicants and psychotropic substances
- Weapons and ammunition
- Samples, exhibition items, goods for sale
- Plans, prototypes, data media and their contents
- Breakable items of glass, porcelain, clay or marble
- Transported animals
- Sports equipment used for high-risk sports
The condition most travellers miss
Baggage cover requires due care. That means the baggage was either under your direct supervision, handed to a professional carrier against a receipt, or locked in your accommodation or in an individual locker. Luggage left unattended in a public place fails this test before any exclusion is even reached.
Third-Party Liability: Additional Exclusions
Liability cover (Extended package, €80,000) excludes (Article 20):
- Damage to relatives, co-insured persons and animals in your care
- Fines, tickets and administrative penalties
- Damage caused by vehicles, watercraft, aircraft and hang-gliders — child bicycles, strollers and inflatable boats are covered
- Damage to borrowed or rented property
- Infecting people, animals or plants with a contagious disease
- Damage caused by firearms
- Anything connected with business, professional or paid work
- Breach of copyright or intellectual property
- Damage to documents, files, archives, collections and works of art
- Losses of €150 or less
Three Things Travellers Get Wrong
“My chronic condition is stable, so it’s covered”
Stability is irrelevant. The test is whether the condition was diagnosed, treated or showed symptoms in the 24 months before you bought the policy. Asthma managed for years is a chronic disease under this definition.
“I’ll pay and claim it back later”
Only for a single dental visit or single outpatient appointment. Everything else needs the Assistance Call Centre’s prior consent, or the cost is excluded.
“Skiing is a normal holiday activity”
On marked pistes, yes. Off-piste falls under “sport outside designated areas”, and competitive or acrobatic disciplines are high-risk sports. Both are excluded, and so is the sports equipment itself.
Read the Policy Yourself
Every clause above comes from the documents below. They are the binding version — this page is a summary.
- General Terms and Conditions (GTC) — full policy wording, including all exclusions
- Insurance Product Information Document (IPID) — the standardised EU summary
The insurance is underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance S.A., operating in Poland through its Branch in Poland, part of the AXA group.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Schengen travel insurance cover pre-existing conditions?
No. Any condition diagnosed, treated or showing symptoms in the 24 months before the policy started is a chronic disease and is excluded from medical cover.
What is excluded from travel insurance for a Europe trip?
The main categories are chronic and pre-existing conditions, planned or non-urgent treatment, events involving alcohol or drugs, high-risk and competitive sports, mental disorders, pregnancy after the 26th week and childbirth, cosmetic procedures, and war, terrorism or epidemics. Baggage and liability cover carry their own separate exclusions.
Am I covered if I have an accident after drinking?
No. Events occurring while intoxicated or after drinking alcohol are excluded across the entire policy — medical, baggage and liability alike.
Is skiing covered?
Recreational skiing on marked pistes is covered. Off-piste skiing, competitive skiing and acrobatic disciplines are excluded as high-risk sports, and sports equipment used for them is excluded from baggage cover.
Do I have to call the insurer before seeing a doctor?
Yes, with two exceptions: a single dental appointment for acute pain and a single outpatient visit. For anything else, costs incurred without the Assistance Call Centre’s consent are not reimbursed. The line is +48 22 575 90 08, open 24/7.
Is pregnancy covered?
Complications up to the 26th week are covered. Complications after the 26th week, childbirth, tests to determine pregnancy and termination are excluded.
Is my laptop covered if it is stolen?
Electronic devices are covered to €250 within the €500 baggage limit, in the Extended package only. The loss must be reported to the police or carrier within 24 hours, and the baggage must have been properly secured.
Does the policy cover COVID-19 or another epidemic?
No. Events resulting from epidemics are excluded under the general exclusions.
