Take a sales rep admitted to intensive care in New York for three days. The room charge alone easily tops $24,000, before doctors' fees and tests.[1] If a medical evacuation from Asia or North America is needed, the bill runs between €40,000 and €250,000. That is the direct financial risk of every business trip taken without the right corporate travel insurance.
French law covers this risk through the employer's duty of care (Article L.4121-1 of the French Labour Code). Companies must protect the health and safety of their employees, including during international business travel.[2] This guide explains what a corporate card really covers and which guarantees you cannot do without. It also shows how to choose a policy that fits your company's size and how often your staff travel.
- Premium corporate cards cover medical expenses up to €155,000. That is not enough for the United States or Japan. There, a hospital stay can pass that amount within days.
- Corporate travel insurance is a de facto legal obligation under Article L.4121-1 of the French Labour Code. Without adequate coverage, the employer can face both civil and criminal liability.
- An annual multi-trip policy pays for itself from as few as three international trips per year per employee, at €120–450/employee/year.
What your corporate card covers, and what it doesn't
Premium corporate cards (Visa Infinite, Mastercard World Elite) include built-in travel coverage. This makes life easier for frequent travellers. Several guarantees start automatically, with no separate application. That is a real advantage over policies you must buy trip by trip. But the limits are specific, and CFOs and HR directors need to know them.
What it covers: emergency medical expenses up to €155,000 on premium cards, medical repatriation, and third-party liability abroad up to €1.5M. It also covers transport delay, baggage, and cancellation when the trip was paid with the card.
What it does not cover, or covers insufficiently:
- Inadequate medical cap outside Europe: a single day in a US intensive care unit costs more than €7,500.[1] The €155,000 ceiling can be reached in less than three weeks in hospital.
- Pre-existing conditions excluded: a relapse of a medical condition known before departure is usually excluded. Employees with chronic conditions need extra coverage.
- Assistance must be called before incurring costs: to get repatriation and medical expenses refunded, you must call the assistance line before you spend anything. People often forget this rule. If you do not follow it, the claim is denied.
- Excess of €50–70: small next to a hospital bill, but worth knowing for routine doctor visits.
- Cancellation activation condition: the trip must be paid in full or in part with the card to trigger the insurance guarantees (cancellation, baggage). For assistance guarantees (repatriation, medical expenses), you only need to hold a valid card.
In short, a corporate card gives fair protection in Europe and in countries with moderate healthcare costs. It is not enough for missions to North America, Asia-Pacific, or countries with limited public healthcare.
The four essential guarantees in a corporate travel policy
A solid corporate travel insurance policy rests on four core guarantees. Without all four, the employer's remaining risk stays high.
1. Medical expenses and hospitalisation
This is the main guarantee. The recommended minimum cap is €300,000 for European destinations. For the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan, it is €1,000,000. The insurer should pay the hospital directly (direct billing). That way, employees never have to pay first and claim the money back later.
2. Medical repatriation
A medically equipped repatriation from Southeast Asia or North America can cost up to €150,000. The policy must cover this amount with no restrictive sub-limit. Also check that it covers an early return for non-medical reasons (death of a close relative in France, personal emergency). It should also cover repatriation of the body in the event of death.
3. Third-party liability abroad
This covers bodily injury or property damage caused to third parties outside France. The usual market cap is between €1M and €2M per claim. This guarantee matters most during client site visits or fieldwork abroad.
4. Trip cancellation and interruption
This covers non-refundable flights, hotel nights, and booking penalties when a trip is cancelled or cut short for medical or family reasons. It is most useful for long-haul missions booked well in advance.
Depending on how your staff travel, some add-ons are useful. They include cover for work equipment (laptop, field gear) and personal accident cover (permanent disability). Others are transport delay (flat-fee compensation) and remote medical consultation when no local network is available.
Article L.4121-1 of the French Labour Code requires employers to ensure the safety and health of their employees, including during overseas travel. No statute explicitly names "travel insurance." But if a serious incident happens without adequate coverage, the company can face both civil and criminal liability.
Corporate travel insurers compared
A handful of specialist providers lead the market. They offer group policies built for companies. The key criteria are the medical cap and the quality of 24/7 assistance. Also look at how easily you can add or remove insured employees, and at certificate management for HR teams.
| Insurer | Max medical expenses | Repatriation | Annual group policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allianz Travel | Up to €1M (Business range) | Unlimited on premium tiers | Yes, from 5 insured employees |
| AXA Business Travel | €300,000 to €1M depending on plan | Included, varies by contract | Yes, SMEs and mid-market |
| Chubb | High, suited to complex missions | Included, no restrictive sub-limit | Yes, mid-market and key accounts |
| Europ Assistance | Up to €300,000 | Included | Yes, annual corporate plan |
| April International | Up to €300,000 | Included | Yes, suited to expats and business missions |
Allianz and AXA lead when a company wants a well-known provider, global 24/7 assistance, and high caps. Chubb is better suited to complex missions (risk zones, on-site technical teams). Europ Assistance and April stay competitive for SMEs with tighter budgets. They offer good coverage for the price.
Annual policy or per-trip cover: how to choose
The rule of thumb is simple. Once three employees each travel abroad three times a year, an annual group policy costs less than buying cover trip by trip. It is also far simpler for HR to manage. Annual group plans cost between €120 and €450 per employee per year, depending on covered regions, medical caps, and add-ons (cancellation, equipment).[3]
Check two things carefully in any annual policy. The first is the maximum duration per trip, often 30 or 45 days. After that, coverage stops automatically. The second is the geographic scope. A "worldwide excluding USA and Canada" policy is cheaper. But it is useless if transatlantic missions are on the agenda. A missed geographic exclusion can cost far more than the policy saves.
For SMEs that send employees abroad now and then, per-trip cover is still the right choice. It is more flexible, has no annual commitment, and you buy it only when needed. A short five-day mission in Europe starts at about €15–20 per person.
In all cases, document travel insurance in the company's corporate travel policy. Say which policy to activate, which emergency number to call, and which documents to keep. A policy no one knows about is a policy no one uses.
EHIC and French national health insurance: what they cover abroad
In the European Union, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) gives access to emergency care at local public-system rates. It reduces the coverage you need within Europe. But it does not cover medical repatriation, out-of-network fees, or private facilities. In countries where public hospitals are overloaded or uneven in quality, the EHIC alone is not enough.
Outside the EU, French national health insurance only refunds healthcare costs at the conventional French rate. That is a tiny share of a US or Japanese hospital bill. The EHIC does not free the employer from their duty of care. Extra coverage is still essential for any trip outside the EU.
Frequently asked questions
References
- APRIL International, Bank card insurance (Visa and Mastercard): the limits abroad, april-international.com: premium card medical cap up to €155,000; US hospitalisation cost €7,500/day. ↩
- Resco Courtage, Employer obligations for international business travel, resco-courtage.com: Article L.4121-1 French Labour Code; repatriation cost €40,000–€250,000. ↩
- Accril Assurances, Corporate travel insurance pricing for SMEs 2026, accril.fr: range of €120–450 per employee per year for an annual corporate policy. ↩
Business travel guide: Travel policy, lodge cards, per diems, and insurance: every business travel topic is covered in the complete corporate travel guide.
