Travel insurance for a Schengen visa
Applying for a Schengen visa means proving you have travel medical insurance. The rule is specific — a minimum amount, valid across the whole area, for your entire stay — and getting it wrong is a common reason applications are refused.
The requirement
You must show proof of travel medical insurance when you apply for a Schengen short-stay (type C) visa.
Schengen consulates require every visa applicant to hold travel medical insurance that meets a fixed standard. Without a certificate that meets it, the application is refused — this is one of the most common, and most avoidable, refusal reasons.
The rule comes from the EU visa code and is applied by every Schengen state, so the standard is the same whichever country's consulate you apply through.
The minimum standard
A compliant Schengen visa insurance policy has to meet four things at once:
- At least €30,000 cover — Minimum €30,000 (roughly £26,000 / US$34,000) for emergency medical treatment and hospital care.
- Valid in all Schengen states — The policy must be valid across the entire Schengen area, not just your main destination.
- Covers the whole stay — It has to cover every day of your intended stay, matching the dates on your application.
- Includes repatriation — It must cover medical repatriation and repatriation of remains, not only in-country treatment.
How much cover does your trip need?
Enter your destination and dates. This works out the exact minimum a consulate will accept — nothing padded, nothing sold.
Choose a destination and both dates to see what your policy has to cover.
Where to buy a compliant certificate
Insurers that sell a Schengen-compliant certificate directly. We are not paid for these links and earn nothing if you buy — they are here so you have somewhere concrete to go, and so we can see whether this section earns its place.
The "from" figures are each insurer's own advertised minimum, for the shortest trips. A compliant certificate for a week typically runs about €15–25; the final premium depends on your age and how long you are away. If someone quotes you €150 for a short-stay policy, you are paying for paperwork, not cover.
Details checked on 2026-07-27 — We do not sell insurance and take no commission. Prices and cover are indicative — check the current terms on the insurer's own site before buying.
Who needs it
Whether it's mandatory or merely wise depends on how you're entering:
- Visa applicants — mandatory — If your passport needs a Schengen visa, insurance meeting the €30,000 standard is required to get one.
- Visa-free & ETIAS — recommended — If you enter visa-free, insurance isn't legally required, but Schengen states expect you to cover your own emergency costs — so it's strongly recommended.
How to prove it
You submit an insurance certificate with your visa application. It has to state the cover amount, the area of validity and the dates, clearly enough for the consulate to see it meets the standard.
- An insurance certificate — A document from the insurer confirming the €30,000 cover, Schengen-wide validity and repatriation — not just a booking receipt.
- Matching your dates — The cover period must match the travel dates on your application, with no gaps at either end.
Common mistakes
- Cover below €30,000 — A policy with a lower medical limit — or one that only shows a baggage/cancellation limit — doesn't meet the rule.
- Wrong area of validity — Insurance valid for one country only, when it must be valid across the whole Schengen area.
- Date gaps — Cover that starts a day late or ends early — the policy has to span every day you'll be there.
Common questions
Rarely, and the reason is the certificate rather than the cover. A consulate needs a document stating at least €30,000 of medical cover, validity across the whole Schengen area, repatriation, and dates spanning your stay. Card insurers will often issue a confirmation letter on request, but it commonly omits at least one of those. Ask for it in writing before you rely on it.
No — the certificate is part of the application, so it has to exist before you apply. What you can usually do is buy a policy that is refundable if the visa is refused, which most Schengen-specific insurers offer. Check that specific term before buying rather than assuming it.
It can, provided its certificate states the right things. The usual failure is that an annual certificate names a policy year rather than your travel dates, which is not what the consulate is looking for. Most insurers will issue a trip-specific certificate for a named period on request — ask for one before you apply.
You would need to reapply with a compliant certificate, and the application fee is not refunded. That is why the four criteria are worth checking carefully in advance: cover amount, area of validity, date range and repatriation. Getting one of them wrong is among the most common refusal reasons, and it is entirely avoidable.
packset.travel is an independent trip-planning tool, not an insurer or broker. This is general information, not insurance advice — always confirm cover levels and entry requirements with the insurer and the relevant consulate before you travel.