A sales rep admitted to intensive care in New York for three days: the room charge alone easily exceeds $24,000, before physician fees and diagnostics.[1] If a medical evacuation becomes necessary from Asia or North America, the bill runs between €40,000 and €250,000. That is the direct financial exposure of every business trip taken without properly scoped corporate travel insurance. Under French law, the employer's duty of care (Article L.4121-1 of the French Labour Code) covers this risk: companies must protect the health and safety of their employees, including during international business travel.[2] This guide explains what a corporate card actually covers, which guarantees are non-negotiable, and how to choose a policy that fits your company's size and travel frequency.
- Premium corporate cards cover medical expenses up to €155,000. That is not enough for the United States or Japan, where a hospital stay can surpass that threshold within days.
- Corporate travel insurance is a de facto legal obligation under Article L.4121-1 of the French Labour Code: without adequate coverage, both civil and criminal liability can fall on the employer.
- 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 that removes friction for frequent travellers. Several guarantees activate automatically, with no separate application needed, a genuine advantage over policies that must be purchased 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, third-party liability abroad up to €1.5M, 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 exceeds €7,500.[1] The €155,000 ceiling can be reached in under three weeks of hospitalisation.
- Pre-existing conditions excluded: a relapse linked to a known medical condition before departure is generally excluded. Employees with chronic conditions need supplementary coverage.
- Assistance must be called before incurring costs: for repatriation and medical expenses to be reimbursed, the assistance line must be called before any expense is committed. This requirement is routinely overlooked, and failure to comply results in a claim denial.
- Excess of €50–70: negligible for a hospitalisation, but worth knowing for routine consultations.
- Cancellation activation condition: the trip must have been paid in full or in part with the card to trigger insurance guarantees (cancellation, baggage). Assistance guarantees (repatriation, medical expenses) require only that a valid card is held.
In short: a corporate card provides reasonable protection for Europe and countries with moderate healthcare costs. It is not sufficient for missions to North America, Asia-Pacific, or countries with limited public healthcare infrastructure.
The four essential guarantees in a corporate travel policy
A solid corporate travel insurance policy rests on four core coverages. Without all four, the employer's residual risk remains high.
1. Medical expenses and hospitalisation
This is the central guarantee. The recommended minimum cap is €300,000 for European destinations and €1,000,000 for the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan. The insurer should pay the hospital directly (direct billing), so employees never have to front costs and claim reimbursement 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 without a restrictive sub-limit. Also check that the policy covers early non-medical return (death of a close relative in France, personal emergency) and repatriation of remains in the event of death.
3. Third-party liability abroad
This covers bodily injury or property damage caused to third parties outside France. The standard market cap sits 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. Particularly valuable for long-haul missions booked well in advance.
Depending on your travel profile, useful add-ons include: professional equipment protection (laptop, field gear), personal accident cover (permanent disability), 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 in the absence of adequate coverage following a serious incident, both civil and criminal liability can be brought against the company.
Corporate travel insurers compared
The market is dominated by a handful of specialist providers offering group policies tailored to companies. Key selection criteria: medical cap, 24/7 assistance quality, ease of adding or removing insured employees, and 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 recognised provider, global 24/7 assistance, and high caps. Chubb is better positioned for complex missions (risk zones, on-site technical teams). Europ Assistance and April remain competitive for SMEs with tighter budgets seeking a strong value-for-coverage ratio.
Annual policy or per-trip cover: how to choose
The practical rule: as soon as three employees each travel abroad three times a year, an annual group policy is cheaper than stacking individual per-trip purchases, and 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]
Two things to check carefully in any annual policy: the maximum duration per trip (often 30 or 45 days, beyond which coverage stops automatically) and the geographic scope. A "worldwide excluding USA and Canada" policy is cheaper but useless if transatlantic missions are on the agenda. The cost of a missed geographic exclusion is disproportionate.
For SMEs sending employees abroad occasionally, per-trip cover remains the right choice: more flexible, with no annual commitment, and purchased only when needed. A short five-day European mission starts at around €15–20 per person.
In all cases, travel insurance must be documented in the company's corporate travel policy: which policy to activate, which emergency number to call, 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
Within the European Union, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) gives access to emergency care at local public-system rates. It reduces the amount of coverage needed within Europe, but it does not cover medical repatriation, out-of-network fees, or private facilities. In countries where public hospitals are overstretched or inconsistent in quality, the EHIC alone is not enough.
Outside the EU, French national health insurance only reimburses healthcare costs at the conventional French rate, a negligible fraction of a US or Japanese hospital bill. The EHIC does not relieve the employer of their duty of care: supplementary coverage remains 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.
