Schengen Start: Schengen visa insurance with €50,000 liability and hospital bills paid directly
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P. LauroreCo-founder & Travel and Credit Card Insurance ExpertLast updated: October 8, 2026What does Schengen Start cover, and who is it for?
Schengen Start is AVA's Schengen visa insurance for visitors coming to Europe from abroad. It pays emergency medical and hospital costs up to €30,000, the amount the Schengen visa code requires, repatriates you at actual cost, settles hospital bills directly so you advance nothing, and adds €50,000 of personal liability. The certificate naming you, your dates and the assistance numbers is issued for your visa file as soon as you pay.
We read both documents attached to this plan in full on 11 September 2026: the general terms of policy No. 4.089.008, the AVA Incoming contract that also sits behind Schengen Campus, and the 2025 product information document. The policy combines three covers: medical expenses, assistance and repatriation, and personal liability abroad.
Our take: Schengen Start is a complete visa policy rather than a bare certificate. Personal liability, direct hospital settlement, emergency dental care, a relative flown to your bedside and cover for stays of up to 364 days are all in the contract, and it covers every Schengen country including Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Bulgaria and Romania.
What we checked | Where it lands |
|---|---|
Emergency medical and hospital expenses The figure a consulate looks for | €30,000, the visa requirement |
Hospital bills Who pays the hospital | Settled directly by AVA Assistance |
Repatriation and medical transport | Actual expenses |
Personal liability abroad Damage you cause to someone else | €50,000 bodily injury, €50,000 property |
Destinations | Every Schengen country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Bulgaria and Romania included |
Length of stay | Up to 364 days |
Price, 14 days in France | €55 up to age 29, €80 from 30 to 49, €120 from 50 to 69 |
Every year, our experts audit each plan against its binding policy wording: coverage, limits and exclusions, cross-checked with real customer feedback and live market prices. The analysis is fully independent, with zero paid placements and no insurer able to pay to influence a rating. We compare travel insurance across every country and currency, using the plans, prices and coverage actually offered in your country, not a single guide translated.
Learn moreWhat does Schengen Start cover in detail?
Medical cover works in two parts. A hospital admission draws on the €30,000: the contract pays 90% of the first €5,000 and 100% of everything above it, up to the ceiling, so on a large bill your share stays fixed at €500 at most. Care without an admission, a doctor, a pharmacy or a blood test, is reimbursed at 75% up to €750.
Guarantee | How much comes back | The ceiling |
|---|---|---|
Hospital admission Room, surgery, treatment, hospital medicines | 90% of the first €5,000, then 100% | €30,000 |
Doctor, pharmacy, laboratory tests Without an admission | 75% of what you paid | €750 |
Emergency dental care Fillings, pulpectomy, extraction | 75% of what you paid | €150 |
Dental prosthesis after a covered accident | 75% of what you paid | €250 |
Transport to a hospital, repatriation, return of remains | Actual expenses | No ceiling stated |
Personal liability abroad | Bodily injury and property damage, €50 excess per claim | €50,000 each |
- Emergency dental treatment: Temporary and permanent fillings, pulpectomy and extraction, reimbursed at 75% up to €150.
- A family member at your bedside: The contract pays a travel ticket and accommodation costs for one relative when you are hospitalized.
- Your own stay extended: If you have to stay in Europe longer than planned for medical reasons, the extra accommodation cost is covered.
- Personal liability to €50,000: Bodily injury and property damage you cause to someone else, each with its own €50,000 limit. If you already hold liability insurance at home, this cover tops it up.
- Recreational skiing: A broken ankle on a marked run is handled as an ordinary medical emergency.
Before an admission, you or someone acting for you calls AVA Assistance on +33 1 49 02 42 11, reachable from anywhere in the world. The assistance team names an approved hospital and settles the bill directly, so you advance nothing. If a hospital does not accept direct payment, you advance the costs and are reimbursed to the ceilings above. Expenses arranged without the assistance team’s agreement are not covered, so always call first.
Schengen Start is a medical, assistance and liability policy for your visa. It does not include trip cancellation, search and rescue, or burial and funeral costs; AVA offers baggage and individual accident as separate optional covers. Enrollment is for a firm term and the premium is not refundable, so buy once your dates are set.
Which conditions should you check before buying?
- Back and hernias
Back pain, sciatica, disc problems and hernias are not part of the medical cover. - Health history and pregnancy
The recurrence of a condition that existed before the cover, and a pregnancy known before departure, are not covered. New illnesses and accidents during the trip are. - Therapies and routine care
Physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic and acupuncture are covered only after a covered accident or illness. Glasses, contact lenses and check-ups are not part of the plan. - Mental health
Nervous disorders and mental illness are not covered. - Air sports and motor races
Microlights, hang-gliders, parachutes, paragliders and motor races are not covered. - Care at home
The plan covers your stay in Europe, not care in your own country of residence.
Where does Schengen Start cover you?
Across the whole Schengen Area, and both contract documents name Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Bulgaria and Romania, six members that some Schengen plans do not sell for. If your visa is for Zurich, Oslo, Reykjavik, Vaduz, Sofia or Bucharest, Schengen Start covers you. For a trip to a French overseas territory, ask AVA to confirm the cover for your destination before you subscribe. Check the Schengen visa requirements for your nationality before you apply.
How much does Schengen Start cost for your trip?
Schengen Start prices in three age bands: €55 up to age 29, €80 from 30 to 49 and €120 from 50 to 69, for the same 14-day trip. Any stay of 15 days or less costs the same flat price, then from day 16 the price is €110 for each 30-day month at age 34.
Length of stay | Premium | Cost per day |
|---|---|---|
1 to 15 days The flat entry band | €80 | From €5.33 |
30 days A full short-stay visa | €110 | €3.67 |
60 days | €220 | €3.67 |
90 days The short-stay maximum | €330 | €3.67 |
120 days | €440 | €3.67 |
180 days A long-stay visa | €660 | €3.67 |
364 days The longest stay sold | €1,320 | €3.63 |
Same figures as the table above. 1 traveler aged 34, residence India, destination France, euros. Captured on hellosafe.com, 11 September 2026.
Who is traveling | Schengen Start | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
Student, 22 A short language or study stay, 14 days | €55 | The lowest age band |
Solo visitor, 34 A standard tourist visa file, 14 days | €80 | Includes €50,000 of personal liability |
Visitor, 66 Parent visiting family, 14 days | €120 | Travelers are accepted up to 69 |
Family of four Two adults, children of 9 and 6, 14 days | €270 | Children are priced in the €55 band |
Long stay, 34 A six-month visa, 180 days | €660 | Same cover for the whole stay |
A useful tip for short trips: any stay of up to 15 days costs the same. If your consulate appointment allows some flexibility, putting the full fortnight on your application costs nothing extra.
Who can take out Schengen Start?
- Age
Travelers up to 69 can subscribe, in three price bands. - Where you live
Schengen Start is built for visitors who live outside the Schengen Area and are coming in temporarily. - Length of stay
Up to 364 days on one policy, so it also suits a long-stay visa. - Group size
Up to 11 travelers on one policy. - Start date
Cover starts at 00.00 on the departure date on your application, and same-day departures can be quoted. - Destinations to avoid
Any trip to or through Afghanistan, Cuba, Liberia or Sudan is outside the contract.
How do you claim with Schengen Start?
- Call AVA Assistance on +33 1 49 02 42 11 before you accept any treatment you expect to be paid for, and always before a hospital admission.
- Note the policy number, 4.089.008, and your own identification number from the cover certificate. Every later contact needs both.
- Keep the original receipts. Outpatient claims are settled against originals.
- Report the claim by recorded delivery within 15 business days of becoming aware of it, to AVA Assurance Voyages, 25 rue de Maubeuge, 75009 Paris, with everything that helps assess it.
- Declare any other insurance covering the same risk, and any reimbursement you receive elsewhere.
- For a theft, file a police complaint within 24 hours and send the original report.
Once the file is complete and the amount is agreed, the contract pays within 15 days. The whole policy is governed by the French insurance code, and claims can be made up to two years after the event.
Who insures Schengen Start, and who answers the phone?
Role | Company | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
Insurer Provides the guarantees | AIG Europe SA, Luxembourg RCS B 218806, French branch Nanterre 838 136 463 | The company that pays your hospital bill |
Policyholder and broker Sells you the policy | AVA, which holds group policy 4.089.008 | Issues your certificate and handles claims |
Assistance Answers the phone day and night | AVA Assistance, on +33 1 49 02 42 11 | Approves treatment, chooses the hospital and settles bills directly |
Claims and enrollment center | AVA, 25 rue de Maubeuge, 75009 Paris | Where claim letters go for everything except assistance |
The policy is governed by French law, with French as the contractual language. Complaints go first to AIG's customer service at Paris La Défense and then to the ombudsman of the Fédération Française des Sociétés d'Assurances.
How does Schengen Start fit among the Schengen plans we compare?
Every Schengen plan we compare gives the consulate the €30,000 it asks for. Schengen Start adds personal liability, direct hospital settlement and long-stay cover in the same contract. Our reviews of the other plans follow the same contract read: Silver Plan, Gold Plan and Cap Schengen. Before you apply, the Schengen visa document checklist helps make sure your file is complete, and the Schengen visa refusal reasons explain what consulates look at.
Our verdict: a complete visa policy, with liability and direct hospital payment
Schengen Start gives your consulate what it asks for, €30,000 of emergency medical cover and repatriation at actual cost, and goes further in the same contract: €50,000 of personal liability, hospital bills settled directly by AVA Assistance, emergency dental care and a relative flown to your bedside if you are hospitalized.
It is a strong pick if your visa is for Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Bulgaria or Romania, if you want liability cover during your stay, or if you are staying several months, since one policy runs up to 364 days. Young travelers pay the lowest band, €55 for two weeks.
Enter your dates, destination and ages below to see your Schengen Start price and get your certificate.
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Real quotes captured on hellosafe.com on 11 September 2026: 1 traveler aged 34, 14 days in France (10 to 24 November 2026), residence India, no cancellation option, in euros. Schengen visa insurance is sold and paid in euros, so every plan here is priced in euros. Schengen Start charges a flat premium for any stay of 15 days or less and then €110 per month, and it prices in three age bands (€55 to 29, €80 from 30 to 49, €120 from 50 to 69). Your own premium changes with your dates and ages.
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Schengen Start: what a visa applicant wants to know before paying
Yes. It carries €30,000 of emergency medical and hospital coverage and repatriation at actual expenses, the two things the Schengen visa code requires, and the cover certificate naming you, your dates and the assistance numbers is issued for your file. It is valid across the whole Schengen Area including Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Bulgaria and Romania.
For 14 days in France: €55 up to age 29, €80 from 30 to 49 and €120 from 50 to 69. At age 34, any stay of up to 15 days costs €80, then €110 for each 30-day month: €330 for 90 days and €1,320 for 364 days. Quotes captured on hellosafe.com on 11 September 2026.
€50,000 of personal liability for bodily injury and €50,000 for property damage, hospital bills settled directly, emergency dental care up to €150, a relative flown to your bedside if you are hospitalized, and the cost of extending your stay for medical reasons.
Yes. Outpatient care, meaning a doctor, a pharmacy and laboratory tests without an admission, is reimbursed at 75% up to €750. A hospital admission draws on the €30,000.
No, when the hospital accepts direct payment. Call AVA Assistance on +33 1 49 02 42 11 before any admission, or as soon as you are able; the assistance team names a hospital and settles the bill directly.
The general terms state that the premium is non-refundable. If a refund matters to you, ask AVA to confirm its position before you subscribe.
Travelers up to 69 can subscribe, in three price bands: up to 29, 30 to 49 and 50 to 69.
Schengen Start is built for visitors who live outside the Schengen Area and are coming in temporarily, so residents of a Schengen country should choose another plan.
The certificate is a medical, assistance and liability contract. AVA offers baggage cover during air transport and individual accident as separate options. If you need your flights and accommodation protected, you can compare travel insurance with cancellation included.
Recreational skiing is part of the medical cover, so a broken ankle on a marked run is handled as an ordinary emergency. There is no dedicated ski guarantee, such as piste rescue or equipment cover.
AIG Europe SA, registered in Luxembourg with a French branch at Nanterre. AVA is the broker that sells the policy and handles claims, and AVA Assistance runs the 24-hour emergency line.
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