The 27 European countries which make up the Schengen area allow the free movement of their nationals across their internal borders without border controls.
Nationals from most other countries require visas to visit the Schengen area, and also are legally required to take out travel insurance specifically for their trip.
However, Australians are among the nationals of around 60 countries who can travel to the Schengen zone visa-free for up to 90 days within a 180-day period, and can therefore choose whether or not to purchase travel insurance.
A policy for Europe, or worldwide cover (excluding or including the US and surrounding countries) should cover a trip to any of the member countries, but it’s best to check the policy fine print to make sure your particular destination is covered.
The 27 Schengen countries are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
