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Travel medical insurance is required when applying for a short-stay Schengen visa (Type C). The policy that you provide in your application has to meet four specific requirements, regardless of which Schengen country you’re applying to. The requirements are: €30,000 minimum in emergency medical coverage, repatriation, and coverage across the entire Schengen Area. The policy also has to cover you for your entire stay, matching the dates on your visa application. 

Below, you can check the requirements to see what your insurance certificate needs to show, as well as review any policy you currently hold before your visa appointment. If you’re applying from the United States, make sure you understand the difference between your passport (nationality) and your US residence status. Residence status alone doesn’t affect whether or not you require a Schengen visa for your trip – nationality does.

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  Fill out the form

  With your departure country and arrival country

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  Answer a few questions

  The will help us assess your insurance

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  Be informed

  about whether or not your current policy meets Schengen Visa Requirements

Schengen insurance requirements at a glance

These are the core requirements for your coverage, though embassies can ask you to show a policy that includes additional guarantees. Always look closely at the checklist you receive from your visa application center or consulate. 

Already insured? Check your policy

Who needs Schengen visa insurance when applying from the US?

US passport holders don’t need a Schengen visa for trips up to 90 days that are for tourism, business, or visiting friends and family (that’s 90 days within any 180-day period). Because of that, submitting proof of Schengen visa insurance isn’t required. 

Even if you’re visa-exempt, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any destination-specific entry requirements. France, for example, includes a valid travel insurance policy among the documents that travelers (including Americans) may be asked to present on arrival at the border. Still, there’s no requirement to send proof ahead of time.

If you are a legal resident of the US, but not an American citizen, you may still need a Schengen visa. If you hold a Green Card, H-1B, or F-1 status, it doesn’t affect whether or not you need a visa. Whether you do or not is tied to your passport (your nationality). So, to know whether or not you need a visa, you should check the entry requirements for travelers of your nationality, then begin putting together your application based on the checklist you receive from the consulate or visa application center. Legal US residence and permission to re-enter the US are separate documentation processes. 

For travelers who want to stay longer than 90 days in a Schengen country, such as to work or study, there are other requirements to apply. You need to check your destination’s embassy website to understand their Type D (national visa) requirements and/or residence permit rules. This includes any required travel or health insurance. 

The Visa Code is a legal text created by the European Union, and it details all of the requirements for short-stay visas, including any exceptions (such as for diplomatic passports). If you believe you fall into an excluded category, make sure you confirm with your visa application center or consulate before omitting evidence of your coverage within your application. If you’re required to have it, it needs to be present in your application at your visa appointment.

How much travel insurance do you need for a Schengen visa?

Emergency medical (€30,000 minimum)

One of the key components of a compliant policy is €30,000 emergency medical coverage. This means that if you have a medical emergency overseas, the policy will cover up to 30,000 euros in qualifying emergency expenses. €30,000 is the minimum, which means that policies offering higher limits count too, so long as they meet the other requirements. Having higher limits is optional and gives you additional protection. 

Keep in mind that 30,000 dollars isn’t interchangeable with 30,000 euros. Check the policy itself and make sure that the coverage limit is in euros, or exceeds 30,000 euros when considering the exchange rate. At Insurte, all of our Schengen insurance policies have maximums in euros, so you can be sure that they meet the minimum. 

Medical repatriation (including remains)

Medical repatriation is a guarantee you have to have when you apply for a visa. Repatriation returns you to your country of residence for medical reasons. Related, your coverage must include repatriation of mortal remains, which is transportation after a death overseas. These benefits should be clearly listed on your insurance policy and certificate. If your policy doesn’t include these guarantees, your policy isn’t compliant.

Valid in all 29 Schengen member states

For a standard uniform visa, your policy must cover you across every single country in the Schengen Area, not just your destination(s). This is true even if you’re only planning a trip to Paris, for example. The policy you select has to have Schengen-wide validity. Ones that list “Europe” or “worldwide” may work for your needs, but always check the terms and conditions to verify that all 29 Schengen states are included. 

The 29 Schengen countries are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The United Kingdom, Ireland, and Cyprus are not part of the Schengen Area.

How long does your Schengen insurance need to be valid for?

For short-stay Schengen visas, you need to be covered for your entire trip. This is the case whether you’re planning a quick trip (such as 7 days) or a longer one (like 60). You need to be covered the entire time, from when you arrive in the Zone to when you travel home or onward. 

Partial coverage doesn’t fulfill the requirement. For instance, if you plan to start your trip on June 5th and leave on June 15th, that entire period needs to be covered. If the plan ends on the 14th because you’re leaving in the morning on the 15th, that still isn’t sufficient. It needs to cover you while you're in the Zone. Make sure you check your arrival dates and departure dates carefully and that you get a policy that covers you for those days. If the consulate or visa center you’re working with has specific criteria around coverage days, follow their guidance, as it’s official. 

Insurance for multiple-entry visas

You still need to show proof of travel insurance if you’re applying for a multiple-entry visa (two entries or more). In this case, you need to show proof of coverage for your first planned trip to the Zone. Article 15 of the Visa Code says that you must show proof of coverage for the first trip, and then promise to get compliant coverage for any additional trip that you go on during your visa’s validity. In this case, a single-trip policy will usually suffice, but it won’t cover you for any future trips you’re planning to take. It is possible to find multi-trip or annual policies that are often more cost-efficient for travelers taking several international trips each and every year.

What should your Schengen visa insurance certificate show?

When you purchase your policy, you should receive a travel insurance certificate. This certificate shows that you’re covered by providing fundamental information. At Insurte, we provide you with an official certificate upon purchase, but not all insurers may do this. If you purchased your coverage elsewhere and didn’t get one, make sure you reach out to them to ask for one, because you will need to include it in your application. 

It generally needs to show:

Your identity: your name as it appears on your passport, and any other identifiers requested by your consulate/visa center. 

The policy details: The insurer’s name, your policy/certificate number, and all covered travelers. 

Dates and territory: When and where you’re covered (exact dates and countries/regions). 

Medical benefits: The emergency medical coverage amount (30,000 euro minimum), and that repatriation and emergency hospitalization are included. 

Additional details: Your consulate/center may ask you to take out a policy with other specific criteria. If this is the case, make sure that the information they requested is also clearly visible. 

In your application, a receipt or email confirmation usually isn’t adequate. The Italian consulate in Chicago, for example, states that an insurance card alone isn’t sufficient. Make sure you have an insurance certificate that contains all of the necessary information. This way it’s easy for the consulate to assess whether you’re covered. 

Do Schengen insurance requirements vary by country?

The “core” requirements are the minimum. Consulates can have specific instructions on your coverage and proof of it. For instance, German Missions in the US require you to take out a policy without deductibles (also called excess or copays). 

Can existing health insurance or credit card coverage qualify?

It’s possible, but not that common. It depends on whether the policy meets Schengen visa requirements. A domestic health insurance plan from the US, for example, doesn’t typically cover medical care overseas – even in an emergency. If your plan does include international coverage, you need to ensure that it meets the core requirements, as well as any applicable ones detailed by your consulate/visa center. 

Another option is credit card coverage, which can be Schengen visa compliant, but it isn’t by default. Like with any existing policy, you will need to check the terms and conditions of your credit card coverage to see if all of the criteria are met.

Insurance gaps to fix before your visa appointment

If your travel insurance certificate doesn’t show that your coverage is compliant, your visa application will likely be refused. If you don’t provide a policy at all, it will be. Check all of the details and see what exactly is missing. 

Here are some examples of situations travelers can find themselves in. 

• There is a policy that has a 30,000 euro minimum, but it’s for personal liability, not emergency medical. Even though the liability benefit meets the requirement (numerically, anyhow), it isn’t compliant unless the emergency medical guarantee is €30,000+ too. 
• A traveler has purchased an annual policy from another provider, but noticed that there is a per-trip maximum of 45 days. Their first planned trip is 60 days in length. In this case, the applicant’s entire duration can’t be covered due to the per-trip maximum, so the policy doesn’t adhere, even if it meets all of the other specifications. 
• The insurance certificate doesn’t state repatriation is covered, even though the traveler’s selected policy covers it. In this instance, the traveler should reach out to their insurer and ask them to create a new certificate that includes the coverage on it, so it’s explicit. 

These are all just examples, but it goes to show just how important it is to pay attention to terms and conditions before you go to your visa appointment. 

Check your policy with the Schengen Visa Insurance Checker

The Schengen Visa Travel Insurance Checker tool is a free resource available to applicants. It reviews your policy by checking the answers you provide and comparing them against the official requirements as stated in the Visa Code. That said, it doesn’t issue an official approval or a decision on your visa – it looks at the answers you provide and checks for gaps in coverage based on them. 

Please note: We are an independent insurance broker committed to helping travelers understand visa requirements, particularly when it comes to their insurance. We aren’t an embassy, consulate, government branch, or visa processor. The checker’s results are based on your answers, and the result of the tool doesn’t guarantee visa approval or policy acceptance. 

How to use the checker tool

• At the top of the page, in the designated fields, add your departure country and your arrival country.
• Answer a few questions about your coverage.
• Learn whether or not your policy meets the requirements. 

The tool will prompt you with each piece of information it needs from you. You’ll start by selecting your departure country (such as the US) and then your destination (France, for example). Then, you’ll be asked a few questions about your policy, like its emergency medical limits, geographic coverage, and more. 

The checker then compares your answers against the core Schengen visa insurance requirements and regulations to pinpoint any potential gaps or issues. 

What information you need to fill in the form

Make sure that you have your policy in front of you, because you’ll need specific information found in it, and it’s important that you add the information as accurately as possible. You’ll need to share the coverage amount (in euros), which countries/zones are covered, the start and end dates, and whether repatriation guarantees are included.

Compare Schengen travel insurance plans

The right plan for you depends on whether you’re applying for a single-trip Schengen visa or a multiple-trip one. It also depends on the coverage that you care about. Anytime you’re buying insurance, you should compare policy eligibility, benefits, and exclusions against the core requirements and your consulate’s specific requirements (if applicable) before buying.

Single-trip Schengen insurance

Single-trip policies cover you for one trip to the Zone. When you are comparing and contrasting policies, make sure you choose a start date and an end date that includes your entire stay. Check the terms and conditions to see if there are any conditions that could affect when your coverage starts or ends (such as minimum waiting periods). 

Multi-trip/annual Schengen insurance

If you’re applying for a multi-trip visa, an annual travel insurance policy might make more sense for you than a single-trip one. When you’re looking at annual policies, check the policy terms to see if there are any per-trip maximums you need to be aware of. Even if you choose an annual policy, it still needs to meet the standard requirements for Schengen insurance. 

Compare Schengen travel insurance on Insurte

Frequently asked questions about Schengen visa insurance

How do I know if my travel insurance will work for a Schengen visa?

Can someone else buy my policy for me?

What happens if my Schengen insurance does not meet the requirements?

Will the premium be refunded if my visa is refused?