Schengen Visa Travel Insurance: Minimum Requirements and Best Options

Schengen visa travel insurance is a mandatory document for any non-EU national applying for a short-stay visa to enter the Schengen area. EU regulations require every applicant to hold a policy that meets four specific criteria before a consulate will process the application. Missing or under-specifying the insurance is one of the most common reasons for Schengen visa rejection, and it is entirely preventable. This guide walks you through exactly what the policy must cover, how to choose a compliant provider, and how to sequence the insurance purchase within your broader application.

Step 1: Confirm Whether You Need Schengen Visa Insurance

Not every traveler to Europe requires a Schengen visa, and the insurance requirement is tied directly to the visa requirement.

You need Schengen visa insurance if:

• You are a non-EU national whose country does not have a visa-free agreement with the Schengen area
• You are applying for a Type C short-stay visa (tourist, business, family visit, or transit)
• You plan to stay up to 90 days within any 180-day period

You may not need a visa and therefore may not need to prove insurance at the embassy – if your nationality qualifies for visa-free travel to the Schengen area. Citizens of the United States, Japan, Canada, Australia, South Korea, and Brazil, among others, are currently exempt from Schengen visa requirements. That said, Europ Assistance notes that even visa-exempt travelers may be asked to show proof of medical coverage at the border, so carrying a compliant policy remains strongly advisable regardless.

If you are unsure whether your passport requires a visa, the Schengen visa requirements by nationality differ considerably, and checking your specific situation before booking anything is essential.

Step 2: Understand the Four Mandatory Requirements

Article 15 of the EU Visa Code defines exactly what Schengen travel insurance must include. A policy that fails any one of these four criteria will not be accepted by a consulate.

Requirement 1: Minimum Coverage of €30,000

The policy must provide at least €30,000 (approximately $32,879 USD) in medical coverage. This ceiling must apply to emergency medical treatment, hospitalization costs, and prescription expenses incurred during the stay.

Requirement 2: Full Schengen Area Validity

Coverage must be valid across all 29 Schengen member states, not just the primary destination country listed on the application. The current member states include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Bulgaria and Romania joined the Schengen area in 2025.

Requirement 3: Full Duration Coverage

The policy must be active from your intended arrival date through your intended departure date, matching the travel dates stated in your application. A policy that starts one day late or expires one day early will be rejected.

Requirement 4: Repatriation Coverage

The insurance must cover the cost of medical repatriation – returning the insured person to their home country by air ambulance or other medical transport and must also cover expenses related to death abroad, including repatriation of remains.

Step 3: Choose a Compliant Insurance Provider

Several internationally recognized insurers offer Schengen-compliant policies. When evaluating options, the criteria beyond the legal minimum include price per day, coverage ceiling, speed of certificate delivery, and embassy acceptance rate.

Option 1: AXA Schengen

AXA Schengen offers policies specifically designed for Schengen visa applicants. The insurance certificate is issued immediately after payment and contains all the information embassies require – coverage amounts, policy dates, and emergency contact details – displayed prominently. AXA also offers a full refund if the visa application is refused, provided the applicant submits a copy of the official refusal letter.

Option 2: Europ Assistance Schengen

Europ Assistance offers two tiers. The base plan starts at €3 per person and meets the minimum legal requirements with €30,000 in medical coverage. The upgraded plan starts at €5 per person and extends coverage to €60,000, adds countries outside the core Schengen zone (including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania, and the UK), and includes additional benefits such as extended-stay costs if medically required and return travel for a minor accompanying the insured. The certificate is issued immediately after online purchase.

Option 3: WorldTrips Atlas Travel

WorldTrips Atlas Travel insurance is a frequently cited option for travelers from the Americas and Asia. Policies meet the €30,000 minimum and can be purchased and downloaded online within minutes. Coverage is valid across the full Schengen zone and provides 24-hour emergency assistance.

Option 4: Insubuy Schengen Insurance

Insubuy acts as a marketplace for multiple Schengen-compliant underwriters, allowing applicants to compare plans side by side. All listed policies meet the €30,000 minimum and include emergency hospitalization and repatriation. Insubuy is particularly useful for applicants who want to compare pricing across multiple providers before committing.

What to confirm before purchasing any policy:

• The certificate explicitly states the coverage amount in euros
• The coverage dates match your visa application travel dates exactly
• The policy document names each insured traveler individually
• The insurer's name and emergency contact number appear on the certificate

Step 4: Purchase the Policy and Download the Certificate

Once you have selected a provider, the purchase process is straightforward. Most compliant insurers deliver the certificate digitally within minutes of payment.

1. Enter the names of all insured travelers exactly as they appear on their passports
2. Set the start date to your intended entry date into the Schengen area and the end date to your intended departure date
3. Confirm that the coverage amount shown is at least €30,000 per person
4. Complete payment via the insurer's secure checkout
5. Download the certificate immediately from the confirmation page and save a copy to cloud storage
6. Check your email for a backup copy – if nothing arrives within ten minutes, check your spam folder

The insurance certificate is a required document in the Schengen visa document checklist. Embassies will not accept a payment receipt or a policy summary page in place of the full certificate.

Step 5: Assemble Your Supporting Flight Documents

Travel insurance alone is not sufficient for a complete Schengen application. Embassies also require proof of your intended itinerary, which typically means a confirmed or reserved flight itinerary covering the entire stay.

Most applicants face a practical problem at this stage: they have not yet purchased their flights because they do not want to spend hundreds of dollars on tickets before knowing whether the visa will be approved. A flight itinerary reservation for visa applications solves this directly – it provides a document with a real PNR (Passenger Name Record) that embassies can verify, without requiring the applicant to hold a confirmed paid ticket.

ProvisionalBooking issues flight itinerary reservations starting at $15 for a one-way and $19 for a round-trip, delivered to the applicant's email in under 60 seconds. Over 60,000 itineraries have been issued across 190+ countries, and the PDF format is designed specifically to meet embassy documentation standards.

Step 6: Verify That Insurance Dates Align With Your Itinerary

Before submitting, cross-check three sets of dates: the insurance policy, the flight itinerary, and the visa application form. All three must describe the same travel window.

A common mistake is purchasing insurance based on estimated travel dates and then adjusting the flight itinerary after. If the itinerary shows a later departure date than the insurance end date, the consulate may flag the application as inconsistent.

The alignment check is simple:

• Insurance start date = flight itinerary arrival date into the Schengen area
• Insurance end date = flight itinerary departure date from the Schengen area
• Both dates match what is entered on the visa application form

If any of these three do not match, contact the insurer before submission. Most providers allow date corrections without a fee if the change is made before the policy start date.

Processing timelines for Schengen visas vary by consulate and nationality, with standard processing typically running five to fifteen working days. Purchase insurance and prepare your itinerary at least three weeks before the application appointment to give yourself enough time to correct any documentation issues without pressure.

Step 7: Submit the Insurance Certificate With Your Application

At the consulate or visa center, the insurance certificate is submitted as part of the physical or digital document package. Depending on whether you are applying through a consulate directly or a visa application center, the submission process differs – the consulate vs. visa center appointment process determines exactly how and where you hand over documents.

Submit the certificate in its original digital or printed format. Do not summarize or paraphrase the coverage details on a separate sheet. The embassy officer needs to see the original document from the insurer.

If your visa is refused despite a compliant insurance policy, the refusal letter will state the grounds. A refused application does not automatically mean you cannot reapply, and understanding the Schengen visa appeal process is worth reviewing if the refusal seems incorrectly reasoned.

FAQ

What Is the Minimum Coverage Required for Schengen Visa Travel Insurance?

The minimum coverage required for Schengen visa travel insurance is €30,000 per person. This amount must cover emergency medical treatment, hospitalization, and repatriation to the applicant's home country. The policy must be valid for the full duration of the stay and across all 29 Schengen member states, not just the primary destination country.

Can I Use My Existing Health Insurance for a Schengen Visa Application?

Existing health insurance may be accepted if it meets all four EU requirements: €30,000 minimum coverage, full Schengen area validity, date coverage matching the travel period exactly, and explicit repatriation coverage. In practice, most domestic health insurance policies do not cover international repatriation, so a supplemental Schengen-specific policy is usually necessary. The safest approach is to request a written coverage letter from your insurer confirming each requirement is met.

How Much Does Schengen Visa Travel Insurance Cost?

Schengen visa travel insurance typically costs between €3 and €15 per person per week of coverage, depending on the provider and coverage tier. Short-stay policies for a two-week trip can cost as little as €6 through providers like Europ Assistance. Annual plans for frequent travelers generally range from $100 to $314 USD. Age is a factor in pricing for some providers, with older applicants paying higher premiums.

Do Visa-free Travelers Also Need Schengen Travel Insurance?

Visa-free travelers are not required to show insurance at the embassy because they do not submit a visa application. However, border police at Schengen entry points may ask for proof of medical coverage upon arrival, and the U.S. State Department recommends that all international travelers carry short-term health insurance. Carrying a compliant policy is advisable for any traveler, regardless of visa status.

Does the Insurance Certificate Need to Be Printed, or Is a Digital Copy Acceptable?

Most Schengen consulates and visa application centers accept a printed copy of the insurance certificate. Some accept a digital PDF on a device. The specific format requirement depends on the consulate of the country where you are applying. When in doubt, bring both a printed copy and the PDF saved to your phone or tablet. The certificate must include the insurer's name, policy number, coverage dates, coverage amount in euros, and the insured traveler's full name.

What Happens If My Visa Is Refused After I Purchase Travel Insurance?

AXA Schengen and several other providers offer a full refund of the insurance premium if the visa application is refused, provided the applicant submits the official embassy refusal letter. This policy varies by provider, so confirm the refund terms before purchasing. The insurance refund does not cover other application costs such as the visa fee itself. The financial risk of booking flights before visa approval is a separate concern – one reason many applicants use a flight itinerary reservation rather than purchasing full tickets before the visa decision.

Can One Insurance Policy Cover Multiple Schengen Countries in a Single Trip?

Yes. A compliant Schengen travel insurance policy is valid across all 29 Schengen member states simultaneously. Applicants planning to visit multiple countries – for example, France, Germany, and the Netherlands in one trip – do not need separate policies for each country. The single policy covers the entire itinerary as long as the travel dates fall within the policy period.

What to Do Now

1. Confirm your nationality's visa requirement using the Schengen area entry rules for your passport.
2. Select a compliant insurer – AXA Schengen, Europ Assistance, WorldTrips, or Insubuy and purchase a policy that matches your exact travel dates.
3. Download the insurance certificate immediately and verify that it shows €30,000 minimum coverage, full Schengen area validity, and your correct travel dates.
4. Secure a verified flight itinerary for the same travel period and align all dates across your insurance, itinerary, and application form before submitting.

Get your flight itinerary from ProvisionalBooking – delivered in under 60 seconds, starting at $15.