Travel insurance for Europe

Which countries count as Europe for travel insurance?

Europe covers a lot of ground, and different insurers don't always agree on exactly where it ends. With Post Office Travel Insurance, our Europe area of cover includes the UK and all of mainland Europe, as well as Tunisia.

This means a single Europe policy can cover everything from a city break in Prague to a beach holiday in the Canaries, without needing to step up to worldwide cover. If you want to triple check, here's a full list of countries included in 'Europe' cover:

UK, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Azores, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Corsica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madeira, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Sardinia, Serbia, Sicily, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and Vatican City.

Always check your policy certificate before you travel. If you're visiting a country that isn't included in your Europe cover, you'll need to look at one of our worldwide options instead.

Do I need travel insurance if I have a GHIC or EHIC?

A Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or the older European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) can be a useful thing to carry in Europe. If you're a UK resident, it entitles you to state-provided healthcare in EU countries at the same cost as a local resident, which in many cases means free or reduced cost treatment.

What it won't do is cover you for everything a holiday might throw at you. A GHIC or EHIC doesn't pay for medical repatriation, treatment in a private hospital, cancelled or cut short trips, lost or stolen belongings, or the cost of a companion staying on if you're admitted to hospital.

Because of this gap, it's worth having travel insurance alongside your GHIC or EHIC rather than instead of it. Together, they can help make sure you're not left covering a large medical bill or the cost of a holiday you couldn't take. Be sure to also check your travel insurance policy so you know exactly what's covered and any limits that apply.

What does European travel insurance cover?

Post Office Travel Insurance for Europe is available across three levels of cover: Economy, Standard and Premier, so you can choose the amount of protection that suits your trip. Features of our insurance include the following. Please note that limits and excess levels will differ between cover levels:

• Emergency medical treatment and hospital stays, including medical repatriation if you're too unwell to travel home as planned
• Cancelling your trip or cutting it short for a reason listed in your policy, such as illness, bereavement or redundancy
• Lost, stolen or damaged belongings, including your baggage, passport and money
  Personal accident and legal costs if you're injured or need to make a claim while you're away
• Additional travel and accommodation costs if your return home is delayed for a covered reason (only available on Standard and Premier policies)

You can also add optional extras, such as cruise cover, excess waiver, gadget cover, winter sports cover or trip disruption cover, depending on what your trip involves, at an additional cost.

Single-trip vs annual multi-trip for Europe

If you're only travelling to Europe once this year, a single-trip policy covers you for that one holiday, from a long weekend to a longer stay. If you're planning more than one European trip, an annual multi-trip policy could work out more cost-effective, as it covers you for multiple trips over 12 months rather than needing a new policy each time. See the table below for which option would work out cheaper depending on the holidays you might take in a year. All data is accurate as of September 2026

Each trip on an annual multi-trip policy is typically covered for up to 31 days, which can be extended to 45 or 60 days for an additional premium if you have a longer holiday planned. Annual multi-trip cover is available up to age 75.

What affects the cost of European travel insurance?

There's no single price for European travel insurance, as your premium depends on your own circumstances and trip. Some of the main things that affect cost include:

• Your destination within Europe, since some countries have higher healthcare costs than others
• How long you're travelling for, and whether you're taking one trip or several across the year
• Your age
• Any pre-existing medical conditions you tell us about
• The level of cover you choose: Economy, Standard or Premier
• Any optional extras you add, such as winter sports or cruise cover

Cover for Europe is often more affordable than worldwide cover, partly because reciprocal healthcare arrangements like the GHIC can help bring down the cost of state treatment in EU countries.

It's important to declare any pre-existing medical conditions accurately when you take out your policy. If you don't, it could invalidate a claim later on. Our screening process considers all conditions, so it's always worth telling us about your health rather than leaving it out.

Some parts of Europe can be affected by things like extreme weather, wildfires or transport strikes, particularly in the summer months. If you add trip disruption cover to your policy, you may be able to recover some costs if an event like this affects your travel plans. Always check the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice for your destination before you go. If the FCDO advises against travel and you go anyway, this is likely to invalidate your insurance.