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Best Italy Travel Insurance: Plans, Cost, & Tips

  • Based on our research, our top picks for Italy travel insurance come from Generali Global Assistance, Tin Leg, Travel Insured International, AXA Assistance USA, and IMG Global (skip ahead to view these plans).
  • Travel insurance can protect the financial investment you made in your trip by helping you get reimbursed for prepaid travel expenses when something goes wrong.
  • This type of coverage can also pay for emergency medical care you require overseas, as well as emergency evacuation to a nearby hospital or even your home country.
  • While any type of travel insurance is better than nothing, you should strive to purchase a plan that includes travel health insurance, trip cancellation insurance, trip interruption coverage, baggage insurance and more.
  • We recommend using an online comparison tool to find the right travel insurance for your trip to Italy. This way, you can compare multiple quotes and get a clear overview of the options available.

Our top picks for the best Italy travel insurance

Advertiser Disclosure
Best for Medical Coverage

Tin Leg

GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
4.6
Preferred Plan
Gold
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$500,000 / $500,000
Best for Basic Overall Coverage

Generali Global Assistance

GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
4.34
Preferred Plan
Standard
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$50,000 / $250,000
Best for Non-Medical Evacuation Coverage

Travel Insured International

GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
4.39
Preferred Plan
Worldwide Trip Protector
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$100,000 / $1,000,000

Do I need travel insurance to visit Italy?

It is not mandatory to purchase travel insurance for Italy. However, traditional U.S. health insurance plans do not work in Italy, neither do government-sponsored plans like Medicaid or Medicare. Travel insurance will cover unexpected medical costs and protect your trip costs against unforeseen cancellations.

Reasons you should get travel insurance for Italy

Pickpockets & petty crime

As seen in the US Department of State guidelines, pickpocketing and petty theft can be commonplace throughout major Italian cities, especially in areas where vast crowds gather or spots frequented by unassuming tourists. It is also not unheard of for thieves to use mopeds as a means of snatching valuables from unsuspecting tourists.

Travel insurance can reimburse you for any stolen, lost, or damaged personal items if you become a victim of any incident of theft or pickpocketing.

Risk of injuries

Italy is known for its numerous cobbled streets, historical sights, and winding vineyard trails. No visit to the land of Ancient Rome and wine would be complete without a visit to such places, but it’s not without its risks. An unforeseen roll of the ankle on a vineyard valley path or a broken toe on the cobblestones of Rome could have you heading straight for the Emergency Room.

Medical travel insurance can cover you for any injuries, illnesses, or accidents you encounter during your vacation to Italy.

Terrorist threats

Although the risk of terrorist attacks is seen as low in Italy, much like neighboring European nations, Italy is on alert for terrorist activity. With the recent rise of Islamic extremism across Europe, possible terrorist attacks are possible across Italy’s major cities.

Many travel insurance policies can cover you for emergency evacuations, emergency medical assistance, cancellations, or interruptions due to terrorist activities.

Earthquakes & volcanic activity

Italy is located on the tectonic plate boundary of the Mediterranean Sea, and although rare, it’s important to account for Italy’s elevated risk of earthquakes and volcanic activity. This can include a risk of injury as well as ruined plans or lodgings due to a natural disaster.

Travel Insurance can cover you for medical treatment or reimburse you for trip disruptions and cancellations due to reasons like natural disasters.

Our top picks for the best Italy travel insurance

Advertiser Disclosure

Best for Medical Coverage

Full Policy Details

Tin Leg

4.6
GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
Preferred Plan
Gold
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$500,000 / $500,000
Why We Like It

Editor's take

Tin Leg is known for offering high-quality travel insurance coverage at a competitive, reasonable price.

All Tin Leg policies have an A- rating or better for their financial strength from AM Best. We like the Tin Leg Gold plan because it offers great medical and evacuation coverage limits at an affordable price.

This plan comes automatically with trip cancellation and interruption coverage for coronavirus and other covered instances, as well as up to $500,000 in emergency medical expense protection and up to $500,000 in coverage for emergency medical evacuation, just in case something were to happen while on your Italy trip.

You may also qualify for travel delay protection, baggage insurance, and insurance that protects against missed connections on your way to Italy.

PROS

  • Excellent primary coverage for medical expenses
  • High limit for emergency evacuation coverage
  • Optional cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage available
  • Comes with coverage for hurricanes and inclement weather
  • Coverage for pre-existing conditions is available if purchased within 14 days of the trip deposit

CONS

  • Baggage delay coverage requires a 24-hour waiting period
  • Low coverage limits for baggage and personal effects

Best for Basic Overall Coverage

Full Policy Details

Generali Global Assistance

4.34
GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
Preferred Plan
Standard
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$50,000 / $250,000
Why We Like It

Editor's take

Generali Global Assistance offers high coverage limits for medical expenses, emergency dental expenses, emergency medical evacuation coverage, and more for your trip to Italy.

This travel insurance provider offers three tiers of travel insurance coverage to suit your needs:

  1. Standard plan
  2. Preferred plan
  3. Premium plan

If you’re looking for basic coverage at an affordable price point, the Standard plan may be just what you need. This plan offers coverage for up to 100% of the insured trip cost for cancellation and up to 125% of the insured trip cost for interruption. It also offers $1,000 per person in baggage coverage, up to $50,000 in medical coverage, and $250,000 in medical evacuation coverage.

This plan can help ensure you and your traveling companions are covered in case something would happen on your travels to and around Italy.

PROS

  • Lowest cost of all Generali Global Assistance plans
  • 24/7 emergency travel assistance included
  • Telemedicine included

CONS

  • Lower coverage than other Generali plans
  • Pre-existing conditions are not covered by the Standard plan
  • No coverage for accidental death and dismemberment during on-land travel

Best for Non-Medical Evacuation Coverage

Travel Insured International

4.39
GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
Preferred Plan
Worldwide Trip Protector
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$100,000 / $1,000,000
Why We Like It

Editor's take

Travel Insured International offers two plans, Worldwide Trip Protector Edge and Worldwide Trip Protector. Of these two, we recommend the Worldwide Trip Protector plan for your trip to Italy due to its superior coverage.

Worldwide Trip Protector covers 100% of the insured trip cost due to cancellation, 150% of the insured trip cost due to interruption, as well as $1,500 for trip delays and $500 for baggage delays after only 3 hours. It also includes $100,000 worth of secondary medical coverage and $1 million worth of evacuation coverage. it also offers $150,000 worth of non-medical evacuation coverage, which provides transportation during a natural disaster or during civil or political unrest.

PROS

  • Travel delay coverage kicks in after just six hours
  • Generous $150,000 non-medical evacuation coverage
  • 24/7 emergency travel assistance included

CONS

  • CFAR and IFAR coverage not included
  • Baggage delay coverage only kicks in after 12 hours
  • No rental car coverage

Best for Trip Cancellation Coverage

AXA Assistance USA

4.22
GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
Preferred Plan
Platinum
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$250,000 / $1,000,000
Why We Like It

Editor's take

Since AXA Assistance USA offers three coverage levels, you can tailor your policy for Italy to suit your needs and budget. These levels are:

  1. Silver
  2. Gold
  3. Platinum

We recommend the Platinum plan from AXA Assistance USA for your trip to Italy because it includes trip cancellation coverage worth up to 100% of non-refundable travel expenses and $1,250 in travel delay coverage. It also offers $1 million in medical evacuation protection, $250,000 in insurance for medical expenses, $100,000 in coverage for non-medical emergency evacuation, and more.

PROS

  • High coverage limits in every category. Extremely comprehensive
  • Includes identity theft coverage & non-medical evacuation coverage
  • CFAR coverage reimburses 75% of prepaid travel expenses

CONS

  • Coverage cannot be extended unlike other plans
  • Medical limit is lower than other cheaper plans, but still sufficient

Best for Last-Minute Coverage

Full Policy Details

IMG

4.24
GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
Preferred Plan
iTravelInsured Travel SE
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$250,000 / $500,000
Why We Like It

Editor's take

We like IMG Global because it offers a variety of plans you can purchase up until the day before you depart for your trip to Italy.

The iTravelInsured Travel SE plan comes with plenty of benefits for families and groups who need to secure coverage for an affordable price. Individuals up to the age of 99 can purchase a plan.

This plan will cover trips lasting up to 180 days, meaning you can spend almost 6 months at your destination and be covered the entire time. It includes trip cancellation coverage worth up to 100% of the trip cost and travel interruption coverage worth up to 150% of the trip cost. Other coverage benefits include up to $2,000 for trip delays, up to $250,000 for emergency medical expenses, and up to $500,000 for emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains.

PROS

  • Purchase your plan up until one day before you depart
  • Generous limits for trip delays, emergency evacuation, and more
  • Pre-existing condition waiver available if purchased within 20 days of initial trip deposit
  • 24/7 emergency travel assistance included
  • Coronavirus-related medical expenses covered

CONS

  • Plan gets notably more expensive with age
Passport and Plane Ticket

How much does travel insurance for Italy cost?

Comprehensive travel insurance typically costs around 5-7% of your total trip cost, however Medical-only travel insurance can cost as little as $1 per day.

In the table below you can see examples showing comprehensive Italy travel insurance costs based on a $6,000 seven-night trip to Italy in September of 2024 for two 40-year-olds.

Insurance provider Travel insurance plan Cost
AXA Assistance USA Silver $174
Travel Insured International Worldwide Trip Protector Edge $270
IMG iTravelInsured Travel SE $279.46
Tin Leg Gold $320
Generali Global Assistance Standard $317
Trawick International Safe Travels First Class $291.42

The cost of travel insurance for a trip to Italy depends on a variety of factors, including the age of the people traveling, the length of the trip, the total cost of the trip, and the type of coverage included in the plan. Therefore, actual costs for your trip will vary.

One of the biggest factors that affect your overall insurance costs is the types of coverage included in the plan. Higher rates of emergency coverage and emergency evacuation coverage can raise the price. Also, added extras such as sports and activities cover, rental car damage or hurricane and weather cover can all increase the overall cost of your plan.

What type of travel insurance do I need for Italy?

Due to the far distance and expensive cost of trips to Italy, we recommend opting for a comprehensive travel insurance plan that covers medical emergencies, medical evacuations, trip delays, cancellations, interruptions, and more.

Travel insurance policies can be broken down into two main categories:

  1. Medical-based travel insurance 
  2. Comprehensive travel insurance

What your travel insurance plan for Italy covers will all depend on the type of policy you purchase.

Medical-based travel insurance

Medical-based travel insurance is the most basic level of insurance you should purchase for your trip to Italy as US health insurance (including Medicare and Medicaid) will not work while you are traveling in Italy. Policies only offering medical coverage are also the cheapest forms of travel insurance you can buy.

Medical-based travel insurance policies usually cover two separate coverage limits for medical emergencies and emergency medical evacuations:

Medical-only plans will typically not cover things such as non-medical trip cancellations or trip cost reimbursement. If you want this coverage, you should opt for a comprehensive travel insurance plan.

Comprehensive travel insurance

By comprehensive travel insurance we refer to plans that cover medical-related travel issues like accidents and injuries as well as reimbursing you for things like delays, trip cancellations, interruptions, lost baggage, and more.

When you purchase your travel insurance plan for Italy, you will have the option of choosing plans that reimburse you for trip expenses and plans that don’t. To buy a comprehensive travel insurance plan, always select plans that reimburse your for trip costs.

Optional add-ons

Some travel insurance policies for Italy will offer to cancel for any reason (CFAR) insurance. With this type of coverage, you can cancel your travel plans for any reason at all and still get back around 50% to 75% of your prepaid travel expenses. Including CFAR insurance within your plan will allow you far more flexibility and peace of mind should you change your travel plans.

Where do I get travel insurance for Italy?

You can purchase travel insurance for trips to Italy online or in person.

Here are some of the best places to find a travel insurance policy for your trip to Italy:

Passport and Plane Ticket

How to choose the best travel insurance for Italy

The following tips can help you find the best travel insurance policy for your needs and budget.

1

Compare multiple providers and policies.

The best way to find the right policy involves shopping for plans from at least three travel insurance companies. From there, you’ll also want to compare multiple policies from each company based on the amount of coverage you need.

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2

Look at coverages and policy limits.

As you compare plans, make sure you’re looking at the types of coverage you get and the total limits for each. After all, some plans have incredibly low limits for medical expenses or medical evacuation, and these low limits can leave you financially vulnerable.

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3

Decide if you want the option to cancel for any reason.

If you want to be able to cancel your trip to Italy for any reason at all, consider plans that let you add on optional CFAR coverage. You’ll pay more for these plans, but you’ll get 50% to 75% of your prepaid travel expenses back if you decide you can’t go.

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4

Think over your unique needs.

Finally, consider what you need the most from travel insurance before you buy. If you have a pre-existing condition, for example, you’ll want to check your plan comes with a pre-existing conditions waiver and that you know what it takes to qualify.

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Italy travel information & requirements

Query Details
Are there visa requirements? Not for stays of less than 90 days
How long can I stay without a visa? Up to 90 days
Are there passport requirements? Six months validity recommended, with at least three months validity beyond your planned date of departure from the Schengen area
What is the local currency? Euro
Are there vaccine requirements? No
Are there COVID testing requirements? No
What is the travel advisory level? Level 2: Exercise increased caution
Is US health insurance accepted? No
Is travel insurance required? No

Is Italy in the Schengen area?

Italy is located in the Schengen area, which is made up of 27 European countries that allow free travel between them. This makes it easy to visit several different countries during your travels overseas. For example, you could visit Italy for part of your trip, then take a train or quick flight to other Schengen countries like France or Spain.

Do I need a visa or passport to visit Italy?

While tourist visas are not required if you’re planning to visit Italy for less than 90 days, you will need a passport to enter the country.

Your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure date from the Schengen area, although Italy recommends having a minimum of six months of validity. You’ll also need to have two empty passport pages to receive an entry stamp.

Beginning in 2024, Americans traveling to Italy will need to fill out a European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) application and pay an entry fee of $8 to visit Italy and other European countries that are co-signers of the Schengen Agreement.

Digital nomad visa for Italy

As of March 2024, Italy has released a new digital nomad visa. This visa will allow skilled workers from non-EU member states to stay and work in Italy for a whole year. Skilled workers are defined as those who have an annual income of at least three times the minimum level required for exemption from participation in healthcare costs in Italy - this is around $30,000.

As travel health insurance seems to be the biggest stipulation for being granted the visa, you should ensure you take out a robust plan that will cover the entirety of your stay in Italy.

Are there still COVID-19 restrictions in Italy for U.S. visitors?

While Italy once had some of the most stringent COVID-19 restrictions for travelers wanting to visit from overseas, all requirements have since been dropped. This means you can visit Italy with or without a coronavirus vaccine, and you no longer need to be tested for COVID before your trip. Since the pandemic, the vast majority of travel insurance plans now include COVID-19 coverage as they would cover treatment of any other illness.

Tips for traveling to Italy

Tipping is not obligatory

Unlike much of the US, most staff in the Italian service industry don’t rely on tips to get by. Although it’s always a nice gesture and appreciated, don’t feel obligated to tip every time you sit down in a bar or restaurant.

In August many places close down

With temperatures regularly climbing as high as 35C, Italians often collectively choose the month of August to go on vacation. During the mid-August holiday of Ferragosto, numerous Italians will vacate the heated cities and head for the coasts en masse.

Throughout the peninsula’s popular coastal vacation spots, prices may rise, crowds increase and the city’s interiors may become fairly empty. It’s therefore important to book your accommodation well in advance if you plan to travel to Italy during the summer months. 

Italian meal times

Italy and Italians are not only famous for their food but also for their food-related rules. ‘No cappuccino after 11 am’ is arguably the most well-known, yet there are other food culture norms such as Aperol spritz is considered a pre-dinner cocktail and limoncello is regarded as an after-dinner drink.

Expect to dine later than you would back home, lunch takes place around 1 pm and dinner rarely begins before 8 pm. Familiarizing yourself with these little nuances can help you get the most out of your of trip to Italy.

FAQs - Travel Insurance Italy

Am I required to have travel insurance to visit Italy?

Italy does not require international visitors to have travel insurance unless they need a Schengen visa. However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have coverage that protects the financial investment you made in your travel plans.

Am I required to have health insurance to visit Italy?

Italy does not require those traveling to the country without a Schengen visa to have health insurance. However, not having travel insurance with adequate coverage for medical expenses means you’ll have to pay for the medical care you receive out-of-pocket.

Do US citizens get free healthcare in Italy?

U.S. citizens do not get free healthcare in Italy. This is yet another reason to get international travel insurance before your arrival.

How much is travel insurance for Italy?

Based on our estimates, travel insurance for a $6,000 trip to Italy for two 40-year-olds may cost between $250 and $380.

How much is a hospital visit in Italy?

The cost of a hospital visit in Italy varies dramatically based on the type of care you receive. If you want to avoid surprise bills during your trip overseas, your best bet is to have travel insurance with medical coverage in place before you go.

Holly D. Johnson
Holly D. Johnson Finance Expert

Holly D. Johnson is an award-winning personal finance writer who covers topics like insurance, investing, credit and family finance. As a leading voice in the travel and loyalty space, Johnson has traveled with her family to more than 50 countries over the last decade.

The author has also written extensively on the power of household budgeting, and she even co-authored a book on the topic. Zero Down Your Debt: Reclaim Your Income and Build a Life You’ll Love was originally published in 2017, and it teaches families how to use zero-sum budgeting to reach their financial goals. She is also the co-owner and founder of the family finance and travel website, ClubThrifty.com.

Johnson’s 10+ years of writing have focused on helping families make important financial decisions at each stage of their lives. The author also applies the financial principles she teaches to her own life, and she is currently on track to retire in her late 40’s with her partner. She currently lives in Central Indiana with her husband and children, and she is a regular contributor for Bankrate, CNN, Forbes, U.S. News and World Report Travel and many other notable publications.

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