Updated June 2026. Assurance voyage covers what your public health cover does not: cancellation (annulation), medical costs abroad, repatriation, baggage, and liability abroad. Your health insurance card (carte Vitale) and the EHIC/CEAM only cover basic care inside the EU/EEA, so you need travel insurance outside the EU and for cancellation or repatriation. Many bank cards (Visa Premier, Gold Mastercard) include cover when you pay with the card, and Schengen visa applicants need a compliant policy.
Key takeaways
- Travel insurance covers annulation, frais médicaux à l'étranger, rapatriement, bagages, and third-party liability cover abroad (responsabilité civile à l'étranger).
- The EHIC (CEAM) covers state healthcare inside the EU/EEA and Switzerland, not private clinics, repatriation, or care outside the EU.
- Bank card cover (Visa Premier, Gold Mastercard) usually applies only when you pay the trip with the card and is often capped.
- Schengen visa applicants need at least EUR 30,000 of medical cover including repatriation.
- Insurers are supervised by the ACPR; the sector is represented by France Assureurs.
What Are the Best Travel Insurance Providers for France?
The French market includes specialist travel insurers like Chapka and AVA, large assistance networks like Allianz Travel (Allianz Partners / Mondial Assistance) and Europ Assistance, and the cover built into premium bank cards. Compare the medical and repatriation limits, the cancellation reasons accepted, and the franchise rather than headline price alone.
Chapka Assurances
Chapka (part of the Heymondo group) is a travel-insurance specialist with high medical and repatriation limits and clear formules for long stays, Schengen visas, working holidays, and students.
Why we recommend it: A specialist travel insurer with strong medical and repatriation limits and clear long-stay, Schengen, and working-holiday formules.
Pros
- +High medical and repatriation limits
- +Dedicated long-stay and Schengen formules
- +Online subscription with instant attestation
Cons
- −Specialist focus, less of an all-in-one insurer
- −Premium rises with high cover limits
- Cancellation, medical, repatriation, and baggage cover
- Schengen-compliant attestations available
- Distributed under ACPR-supervised insurers
AVA Assurance Voyage
AVA is a long-established French travel broker offering cancellation, medical, and Schengen-compliant cover, with both single-trip and annual multi-trip options to match how often you travel.
Why we recommend it: A long-established French travel broker offering cancellation, medical, and Schengen-compliant cover with flexible single-trip and annual options.
Pros
- +Single-trip and annual multi-trip formules
- +Cancellation and medical cover options
- +Schengen-compliant policies available
Cons
- −Broker model spans several underwriters
- −Limits vary by formule, so compare carefully
- Annulation, frais médicaux, and rapatriement cover
- Single-trip and annual options
- Distributed under ACPR-supervised insurers
Allianz Travel
Allianz Travel is the travel brand of Allianz Partners (formerly Mondial Assistance), a large global assistance network offering broad medical, repatriation, and cancellation cover worldwide.
Why we recommend it: Allianz Partners (Mondial Assistance) is a large global assistance network offering broad medical, repatriation, and cancellation cover worldwide.
Pros
- +Global 24/7 assistance network
- +Broad medical and repatriation cover
- +Single-trip and annual formules
Cons
- −Large-insurer processes can feel less personal
- −Cover tiers need comparing for the right limits
- Cancellation, medical, and repatriation cover
- Worldwide assistance via Allianz Partners
- Supervised by the ACPR
Europ Assistance
Europ Assistance is a 24/7 assistance specialist with deep repatriation and emergency-medical experience, well suited to travellers who prioritise responsive on-the-ground support during a trip.
Why we recommend it: A 24/7 assistance specialist with extensive repatriation and emergency-medical experience, well suited to travellers prioritising on-the-ground support.
Pros
- +Extensive repatriation experience
- +24/7 multilingual assistance
- +Medical and cancellation cover options
Cons
- −Assistance focus over headline-cheap pricing
- −Formule limits vary, so read the conditions
- Medical, repatriation, and cancellation cover
- 24/7 emergency assistance abroad
- Supervised by the ACPR
Providers listed for comparison as of June 2026. We do not quote premiums; cost depends on your destination, trip length, age, and cover limits. Confirm current cover and pricing on each insurer's official site.
What Travel Insurance Do You Need for a French Visa Application?
If you are applying for a Schengen visa, you must show travel medical insurance that meets the Schengen minimums. The standard requirement is at least EUR 30,000 of medical cover, including emergency hospital treatment and repatriation, covering the entire Schengen area for the full duration of your stay. You submit the attestation d'assurance with your France-Visas application at the consulate.
- Step 1: Confirm your travel dates and the full Schengen itinerary.
- Step 2: Choose a policy that meets the EUR 30,000 medical minimum with repatriation, covering the whole Schengen area.
- Step 3: Buy from a provider that issues a Schengen-compliant attestation (e.g. Chapka, AVA, Europ Assistance).
- Step 4: Check the certificate names the Schengen area and your exact dates, for the full stay.
- Step 5: Attach the attestation d'assurance to your France-Visas application submitted at the consulate.
EU/EEA visitors do not need a visa and instead carry the EHIC/CEAM (carte européenne d'assurance maladie), which gives access to state healthcare across the EU/EEA and Switzerland but does not cover private care, cancellation, or repatriation.
Sources: france-visas.gouv.fr, service-public.fr, ameli.fr (CEAM / Carte Européenne d'Assurance Maladie), ACPR, and France Assureurs, June 2026. Verify current visa rules and cover with your chosen insurer and consulate.
Do Residence Permit Holders in France Need Travel Insurance?
If you hold a residence permit (titre de séjour) and live in France, you are normally covered for healthcare in France by the Sécurité sociale (the public health system), usually topped up by a mutuelle for the part it does not reimburse. For everyday life in France, that combination replaces the need for travel insurance.
Travel insurance still matters for trips outside France. Inside the EU/EEA and Switzerland, your EHIC/CEAM (carte européenne d'assurance maladie) routes you into the local public system, but it does not cover repatriation, cancellation, or care outside the EU. A dedicated assurance voyage fills those gaps for holidays and longer trips abroad. General rules are explained on service-public.fr.
The CEAM is free and complementary
What Should You Look For in Travel Insurance for France?
A standard assurance voyage bundles several guarantees. Compare the cover limits (plafonds), exclusions, and the excess or deductible (franchise) you pay per claim, rather than the headline price alone. Pre-existing conditions, extreme sports, and trips booked against official advice are commonly excluded, so always read the conditions générales before you buy.
Medical Emergency Coverage
Frais médicaux à l'étranger pays for emergency treatment abroad, often advancing the cost so you are not out of pocket. For a French visa this must be at least EUR 30,000, but for non-EU and long-haul travel prioritise the highest medical limits you can, since a hospital bill in the United States or Asia can run into tens of thousands of euros.
Repatriation and Evacuation
Rapatriement organises and pays for medical evacuation and repatriation home after a serious illness or accident. This is mandatory for a Schengen visa and one of the most valuable guarantees on any trip, since arranging a medically supervised return is expensive and hard to organise yourself.
Trip Cancellation and Interruption
Annulation reimburses non-refundable bookings if you have to cancel for a covered reason, and interruption cover helps if you must cut a trip short. Check exactly which cancellation reasons are accepted, since this is where contracts differ most and where card-based cover is often weakest.
Luggage and Personal Belongings
Bagages covers lost, stolen, or delayed luggage, and responsabilité civile à l'étranger covers damage you cause to others while travelling. Limits are usually modest and capped per item, so declare valuables and keep receipts if you are carrying expensive equipment.
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