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You need travel insurance for Europe, even in the countries where Australia has a reciprocal health care agreement. Those agreements cover only medically necessary public treatment, in only some countries, and none of them pays to fly you home. France, Spain, Germany, Greece, Switzerland and most of the rest of Europe have no agreement at all, so tourists pay for all care.
Europe also brings its own mix of risks: a multi-country itinerary that has to fit one policy, the Schengen 90-day rule, different driving-permit rules country by country, summer wildfires and heat, strikes, and snow in the Alps.
By Better Rate Mate Editorial Team ยท Last reviewed
Smartraveller sets a level for each country, and the reciprocal health care agreements cover only some of them. This is how the most-visited countries stood on 28 September 2026.
| Country | Smartraveller level (page updated) | Reciprocal health care agreement | Driving on an Australian licence |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Exercise a high degree of caution, terrorism (11 Sep 2026) | Yes: NHS care within 6 months of arrival | Up to 12 months; no IDP required |
| France | Exercise a high degree of caution, terrorism (25 Jul 2026) | No | Australian licence; rental firms may require an IDP |
| Italy | Exercise normal safety precautions (5 Aug 2026) | Yes: public care within 6 months of arrival | IDP or official translation required, obtained before you leave |
| Spain | Exercise normal safety precautions (11 Sep 2026) | No | Australian licence plus IDP; fines and impounding without one |
| Greece | Exercise normal safety precautions (11 Sep 2026) | No | Australian licence recognised; must match the vehicle type |
| Germany | Exercise normal safety precautions (5 Aug 2026) | No | Get an IDP before you travel |
Australia's agreements in Europe are with the UK, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Slovenia. They give Australians publicly funded care that is medically necessary, meaning care that can't wait until you get home. You need your Australian passport and a current Medicare card, and some countries add conditions: the Netherlands needs an A111 certificate, Italy and the UK limit cover to your first six months, and Belgium, Sweden and Finland charge co-payments or fees per service.
Smartraveller lists what they do not cover: private care, non-urgent needs, non-subsidised medicines, the full cost where a co-payment applies, and medical evacuation. The Italian agreement does not cover existing conditions and, in Smartraveller's words, doesn't replace the need for private travel health insurance. In the other European countries, private hospitals will want payment up front, a guarantee or a deposit.
Australians can visit the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The count runs back 180 days from each day of your stay, across every Schengen country combined, so a long European summer plus an earlier trip can put you over the limit.
The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) became fully operational on 10 April 2026 and replaces passport stamping at Schengen borders. It records your fingerprints and photo on first entry, is free, and makes overstays easier to detect. The separate ETIAS travel authorisation was not in operation as at September 2026; the EU says it will announce the start date several months before launch. None of these is an insurance matter, but an overstay can end a trip and the policy will not pay for the consequences.
A European itinerary often includes the UK and Switzerland, which are outside the EU, a stopover in Asia or the Middle East, and sometimes a side trip to Turkey or Morocco. Your policy has to cover every country on the route, including transits, and every country has its own Smartraveller level. If any part of the trip is in a region rated 'Reconsider your need to travel' or 'Do not travel', check the policy before you book that leg.
Smartraveller's Greece advice is a useful warning for the whole Mediterranean. Quad bike and motorcycle accidents regularly cause serious injuries and deaths among Australian visitors, your licence must match the vehicle type, not wearing a helmet is illegal and may invalidate your travel insurance, and quad biking is defined as an extreme sport excluded from many policies. Hire companies' own insurance usually covers only third parties. On islands, serious cases may need evacuation to the mainland, which Smartraveller describes as very expensive.
Smartraveller lists forest fires through the northern summer in Italy, Spain and Greece, large wildfire evacuations in south-west France in July 2026, heatwaves across southern Europe, and floods and earthquakes in several countries. Strikes regularly disrupt flights and trains. Cancellation and delay cover can respond to all of these, but only if the policy was in force before the fire, strike or storm became known. Buy when you book, and read how the policy treats industrial action.
Snow sports need the policy's snow option. France, Switzerland and Austria have no reciprocal agreement with Australia, and Smartraveller warns that in some parts of France off-piste skiing or mountaineering can lead to arrest or prosecution as well as an insurance exclusion. See our ski travel insurance page for what the option covers.
It is not required for a visa-free visit, but you should have it. Only some European countries have a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia, those agreements cover only medically necessary public care, and none covers medical evacuation home.
Not directly. Medicare doesn't cover you overseas. In the UK, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Slovenia a reciprocal agreement gives access to medically necessary public care, with conditions. Elsewhere, including France, Spain, Germany and Greece, you pay for all care.
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa, counted across all Schengen countries together. The EU's Entry/Exit System now records entries and exits electronically, which makes overstays easier to detect.
Not yet. As at September 2026 ETIAS was not in operation and no applications were being collected. The EU has said it will announce the start date several months before launch.
A comprehensive policy that covers every country on your route, with a high overseas medical limit, cancellation cover that matches your prepaid bookings, and the snow or motorcycle options if you need them. Compare the cheapest policies that meet those terms.
