Travel insurance for France

The real question is whether you can afford not to have travel insurance. Mishaps, injuries and accidents can happen anytime and anywhere, and travel insurance is designed to help financially protect you against these unexpected occurrences. It’s vital to get travel insurance when going aboard, whether to France, Europe or any other overseas destination.

An important consideration is that France, while having a good healthcare system, does not have a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia. As a result, receiving necessary medical treatment in the event of an injury or illness can see you pay thousands out of pocket if you don’t have the right cover in place.

Check out the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to see what’s included in your travel insurance policy, and the Target Market Determination to understand if your eligible for the policy.

You may have a few different levels of travel cover to choose from. The level of cover that is best for you will depend on your specific circumstances and needs.

No matter what policy best suits your needs, a comprehensive travel insurance policy often provides benefits for:

• Overseas hospital and medical costs
• Trip cancellation, amendment and delay costs
• Lost, damaged or stolen luggage and personal belongings
• Personal liability
• Permanent disability and loss of income
• Accidental death, repatriation and medical evacuation
• 24-7 emergency assistance
• Some sports and activities.

If you plan on visiting the French Alps, be aware that skiing and snowboarding aren’t covered under a regular policy. For on-piste cover, you’ll need to purchase a snow sports optional extra to add to your policy.

Carefully read your policy’s PDS for limits of cover, policy terms, conditions and exclusions.

Travel insurance often has exclusions you should be aware of before purchasing any policy. These can differ between policies and providers, but generally, travel insurance doesn’t cover:

• Travelling to countries or regions that have government-issued travel warnings (these are listed on Smartraveller)
• Negligence leading to loss or damage of personal belongings and valuables (e.g. forgetting your luggage outside your hotel)
• Trip cancellations due to changing your mind or being unprepared (e.g. forgetting to renew your passport)
• Extreme or high-risk adventure sports and activities, such as skiing or snowboarding (you may be able to cover these activities by purchasing additional specialised cover)
• Hire car excess if the accident was caused by intentionally not adhering to road rules or if the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Claims for incidents where you were intoxicated from taking drugs or alcohol
• Claims resulting from incidents where you acted illegally, recklessly or dangerously
• Claims resulting from incidents of war, terrorism or civil unrest
• Loss or injuries from pre-existing conditions that weren’t disclosed to your insurer or that were excluded from coverage

As a result of previous terrorist attacks, French authorities are on high alert for any suspicious activities, so you’re likely to encounter tight security around public places and at border points. It’s important to note that acts of terrorism are generally excluded from travel insurance cover.

France also has a history of protests and violent demonstrations. Your insurer won’t cover costs relating to these incidents, so avoid protests whenever possible and check local media to stay up to date with ongoing issues. We recommend you check the Smartraveller website before you travel to France to ensure no active travel warnings are in place.

Tourists getting hoodwinked is, unfortunately, a practise as old as time, which means you must be cautious when you’re visiting popular French cities (e.g. Paris, Marseilles, Bordeaux). As you can imagine, popular tourist attractions and high-traffic public transport provide the perfect hunting grounds for petty criminals who are known to snatch bags and pickpocket people.

Be sure to keep your money and your passport separated from one another and don’t carry all your cash and credit cards in one place. Potential thieves tend to thrive in crowded tourist spaces, so even when you’re captivated by the Eiffel Tower and admiring famous artwork in the Louvre, remember to maintain vigilance over your possessions.

Are you planning to hit the road in France? You’ll need a valid Australian driver’s licence and International Driving Permit (IDP).

If you’re considering cycling or driving a scooter around instead, consider adding motorbike and scooter cover to your policy. Without this add-on, you might not be covered for medical costs if you get into an accident. Your travel insurance may also deny any claims if you disregard safety standards, like riding without a helmet, for example.

If you’re travelling to France as an Australian citizen, you should make sure your passport is valid for at least six months after the period of your intended stay.

Australians don’t need a visa to enter France for visits of up to 90 days (unless travelling for reasons other than tourism). This is because Australia has a bilateral visa waiver agreement with France and the other Schengen countries.¹ The Schengen area consists of 27 European countries, allowing visitors to travel through these countries without requiring a visa for each one or going through border controls.