Travelling to Romania without adequate travel insurance is a risk not worth taking. Although the country has been part of the European Union since 2007, relying solely on your home country’s healthcare cover — when available — presents significant limitations that could leave you exposed to unexpected expenses and complicated situations.
Romania is a relatively safe and accessible destination, but like any international trip, medical emergencies, baggage issues, flight cancellations or road accidents can happen. If you’re planning a tour of Romania that includes Transylvania, the Carpathian Mountains or the Danube Delta, good insurance becomes even more important.
In this guide we explain everything you need to know about travel insurance for Romania: what it covers, how much it costs, when it’s truly necessary and how to choose the one best suited to your type of trip, whether you’re from the European Union or from non-EU countries.
If you’re a citizen of the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, you can use the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to access Romanian public healthcare facilities. This allows you to receive necessary medical care under the same conditions as Romanian citizens, but it doesn’t mean everything is free or that you’re fully protected.
If you’re a non-EU citizen, the situation is different: you’ll have no automatic cover and will have to pay all medical expenses out of your own pocket unless you’ve taken out private travel insurance. Romanian healthcare costs, whilst lower than in some other European countries, can still become significant in case of emergencies or hospitalisation.
Romanian public healthcare, whilst improving, still shows significant disparities between major cities like Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca or Timișoara and rural areas. In public hospitals you may face waiting lists, outdated facilities and need to pay for some services or medicines anyway.
But the real problem is common to all travellers, regardless of nationality: the EHIC (if you have one) doesn’t cover medical repatriation, which in case of serious injury could cost you tens of thousands of euros for transfer to your home country. It also doesn’t cover treatment at private facilities, which are often the only reasonable option for timely, quality care, especially outside major cities.
A good travel insurance policy for Romania should include several types of cover, each designed to protect you from specific risks.
This is the most important cover. Insurance should guarantee payment of medical and hospital expenses up to an appropriate limit — at least €50,000-100,000 for a European trip. Always include cover for hospitalisation, surgery, medical consultations, diagnostic tests, emergency dental care and prescribed medicines.
Verify that the policy covers private clinics too, which in Romania are often the best option for receiving prompt care in more comfortable surroundings. In Bucharest, for example, clinics such as Regina Maria or MedLife offer Western standards but require advance payments that your insurance should reimburse.
Medical repatriation is essential: in case of serious injury or illness, you may need to be transferred to your home country to receive appropriate care. An equipped medical flight can cost anywhere from €10,000 to €50,000 depending on the distance and type of assistance needed during transport.
The policy should also cover local ambulance transfers to the best-equipped hospital, which in remote areas of Maramureș or Bucovina could require long, costly journeys.
Baggage cover protects you in case of loss, theft or damage to your luggage. Reimbursement limits typically range from €500 to €2,000, with excess amounts varying from €50 to €150. Pay attention to the maximum amounts for individual items, which are often limited to €200-300.
If you’re carrying expensive camera equipment, laptops or other valuables, check whether basic cover is sufficient or whether it makes sense to take out specific additional cover.
Public liability covers damages you might unintentionally cause to people or property during your trip. If, for example, you accidentally spill wine on an antique carpet in a restaurant in Sighișoara or bump into someone causing them injury, this cover will step in to compensate for the damage.
Typical limits range from €50,000 to €500,000. For a trip to Romania, cover of at least €100,000 is generally considered adequate.
Trip cancellation insurance reimburses you for non-recoverable expenses if you’re forced to cancel your trip before departure for reasons covered by the policy: serious illness, injury, bereavement, damage to your home caused by unforeseen events.
Trip interruption covers expenses incurred and lost if you have to return to your home country early. This cover may include the cost of an early return flight and proportional reimbursement of booked services not used.
If you’re a citizen of the European Union, European Economic Area or Switzerland, you’re entitled to the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This card allows you to receive healthcare in Romania under the same conditions as Romanian residents. This means access to public facilities of the national health system, paying only any fees and contributions that Romanian citizens would pay.
The EHIC covers necessary medical care during your stay: if you fall ill or are injured, you can receive treatment without having to pay the full cost of services upfront. But be careful: “necessary” means care that cannot be postponed until you return home. Emergency surgery is covered, a non-urgent specialist visit may not be.
What the EHIC never covers includes: private healthcare facilities, medical repatriation, travel expenses for family members, non-urgent care, length of stay extension for medical reasons, non-emergency dental care, medicines not prescribed in a hospital setting.
If you’re a citizen of countries outside the European Union, you won’t have access to the Romanian healthcare system through the EHIC and will have to pay all medical expenses in full. For this reason, private travel insurance becomes essential and not optional.
Some non-EU countries have bilateral agreements with Romania that guarantee reciprocal healthcare cover (such as some Balkan countries), but these agreements generally only cover emergency care and don’t replace comprehensive insurance.
For non-EU citizens, it’s advisable to take out insurance with high limits (at least €100,000 for medical expenses) that covers both public and private facilities, as well as medical repatriation, of course.
Essentially, the EHIC is a basic safety net for European citizens, but leaves too many critical aspects uncovered to be considered sufficient. For non-EU citizens, private insurance is indispensable, especially if you’re travelling to remote areas or undertaking outdoor activities in the Carpathians.
The cost of travel insurance for Romania varies depending on several factors: length of trip, age of travellers, chosen limits, planned activities and whether trip cancellation is included.
For a one-week trip to Romania, basic cover for an adult typically costs between €15 and €30. If you include trip cancellation, the cost can rise to €40-60, depending on the total value of the trip being insured.
For a 10-15 day itinerary that includes car rental, mountain excursions and outdoor activities, expect to spend between €50 and €100 per person for comprehensive cover with adequate limits and no excessive exclusions.
Annual multi-trip policies are particularly good value if you travel frequently: for €100-200 you can cover yourself for all trips made in the year, typically up to 30-60 consecutive days per trip. Ideal if, besides Romania, you regularly visit other European countries.
For non-EU citizens requiring a Schengen visa, policies with minimum mandatory requirements (€30,000 limit) typically cost between €20 and €40 for a week, but it’s strongly recommended to enhance this basic cover with additional benefits for baggage protection, cancellation and higher limits.
Choosing the right insurance means analysing your type of trip and the actual risks you might face. Not all policies are the same, and the lowest price isn’t always the best choice.
For a cultural trip to Bucharest, Sibiu or Brașov, focused on cities and accessible tourist sites, basic cover with good medical expense and repatriation limits may be sufficient. Verify that it includes private clinic cover.
For an itinerary tour with a rental car that touches cities, mountains and rural areas, add cover for non-professional sports, increase limits and consider additional car excess insurance.
For adventure trips in the Carpathians, Danube Delta or remote areas of Maramureș, choose policies that explicitly cover trekking, nature activities and rescue in hard-to-reach areas. The medical expense limit should be at least €100,000.
Before purchasing any insurance, take time to carefully read the information sheet — the document containing all policy terms, exclusions and limitations. Don’t rely just on the commercial summary.
Check the medical expense limit: €50,000 is the minimum acceptable for Europe, but €100,000 or more is preferable. Check whether there are sub-limits for specific services such as dental care, physiotherapy or medicines.
Check the excess amounts provided: some policies apply fixed excess (e.g. €50-100) or percentage (e.g. 10% of damage) that you’ll still have to pay out of pocket. No-excess policies cost more but simplify claims handling.
Carefully examine the exclusions: pre-existing conditions, pregnancy beyond a certain week, injuries caused by alcohol abuse, intentional damage, travel to areas advised against by your government. Some exclusions are standard, others might surprise you.
Check how 24/7 assistance works: active helpline, multilingual operations centre, possibility of contact via app or chat. In an emergency, the speed and efficiency of assistance make the difference.
Once you’ve taken out insurance, save all documents in digital format on your smartphone and email them to yourself as well. Carry a printed copy with emergency contact numbers with you.
In case of medical need, always contact the insurance company’s operations centre first, when possible. They’ll direct you to the nearest agreed facility and handle payment directly, avoiding you having to advance significant sums.
If you have to pay for medical expenses out of pocket, keep all original receipts, medical prescriptions and reports. Without complete documentation, reimbursement could be refused or substantially reduced.
For baggage theft or damage, always file a formal report with the local authorities within 24 hours. The insurance company will almost always require the police report to process the reimbursement.
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