Schengen visa travel insurance, and the words that get a policy rejected
A Schengen visa needs EUR 30,000 of medical cover valid in every Schengen state for the whole stay. What the EU rule says and how it is checked.
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If you need a Schengen visa, you must show travel medical insurance with at least EUR 30,000 of cover, valid in every Schengen country, for every day of your stay, covering emergency treatment, hospital care and repatriation for medical reasons or death. That is Article 15 of the EU Visa Code, and a consulate must refuse a visa when the proof is missing or inadequate. If your passport lets you visit visa-free, as US, Canadian, Australian and British passports do, the rule is part of the visa application, so it is not a document you file to enter. This guide quotes the rule, shows how consulates read it, and lists the policy details that get files refused.
- EUR 30,000 is a floor, not a target. The policy also has to name the right territory and dates.
- Multiple-entry applicants prove cover for the first trip and sign a statement for later ones.
- The consulate checks that a claim could be paid in a Schengen country, not just that a certificate exists.
- Missing or inadequate insurance is a named refusal ground in Article 32 of the Visa Code.
What the EU rule actually says
Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, the Visa Code, sets the requirement, and the text is short enough to read in full before you buy anything. Paragraph 1 says applicants for a one- or two-entry visa “shall prove that they are in possession of adequate and valid travel medical insurance to cover any expenses which might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment or death, during their stay(s) on the territory of the Member States.”
Paragraph 3 adds the three numbers and limits that matter: “The insurance shall be valid throughout the territory of the Member States and cover the entire period of the person’s intended stay or transit. The minimum coverage shall be EUR 30 000.” If you are issued a visa valid only for some countries, the cover must work at least in those countries.
The European Commission's own visa page puts it in plain terms in its document list: “Medical insurance covering emergency medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation (including in the event of death).” The same page lists the adult visa fee at EUR 90 (EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 12), a normal decision time of 15 days that can stretch to 45, and an application window of no later than 15 days and no earlier than six months before you travel.
| Article 15 paragraph | What it requires | What it means for your policy |
|---|---|---|
| 15(1) | Cover for repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention, emergency hospital treatment or death | The certificate should name medical evacuation and repatriation of remains, not only treatment |
| 15(2) | Multiple-entry visa: cover for the first intended visit, plus a signed statement about later stays | You buy cover for trip one, and you are on notice to insure every later trip |
| 15(3) | Valid in all Schengen states, for the entire stay or transit, minimum EUR 30,000 | Dates must match your itinerary; “Europe excluding” wording can fail |
| 15(4) | In principle bought in your country of residence; otherwise in any other country | A policy bought by a sponsor in Europe is allowed, under the same conditions |
| 15(5) | Consulate checks that claims would be recoverable in a Member State | An insurer with no way to pay a European hospital may be rejected |
| 15(6) | Cover may be presumed from your job, for example seafarers | A narrow exemption, decided by the consulate |
| 15(7) | Diplomatic passport holders are exempt | Does not apply to ordinary passports |
Who needs it, and who does not
You need Schengen visa insurance if your nationality is on the EU's visa-required list, which includes India, China, the Philippines, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Egypt. Those countries are in Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, the list of nationals who need a visa to cross the EU's external borders. Article 15 is part of the visa application, so it applies to everyone applying for a short-stay Schengen visa, including people who have travelled to Europe before.
You do not file Article 15 insurance if you travel visa-free, as citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom do for short stays. Those travellers will need ETIAS once it starts, but as of 9 October 2026 the official ETIAS site says it “is currently not in operation and no applications for travel authorisations are collected at this point.” The fee will be EUR 20, and the site's “what you need to apply” page lists a travel document, personal information and a payment card, not an insurance certificate. We explain ETIAS alongside the UK, US and Canadian versions in four travel authorisations that now stand between you and a flight.
Being exempt from the visa rule is not a reason to travel uninsured. A visa-free visitor who is admitted to a hospital in Europe pays the same bill as anyone else; the difference is only that nobody checks your policy before you fly.
Article 15 covers short-stay visas, up to 90 days in any 180. National long-stay visas for work, study or family are set by each country and carry their own insurance rules. Our guide to the Schengen 90/180-day rule shows how the short-stay days are counted.
How consulates check your insurance
A consulate reads your insurance certificate against your application form and itinerary, and it is looking for four things: the amount, the territory, the dates and the risks covered. Paragraph 5 of Article 15 adds a fifth check that applicants rarely think about: “When assessing whether the insurance cover is adequate, consulates shall ascertain whether claims against the insurance company would be recoverable in a Member State.” In practice that means the consulate wants to be confident a French or German hospital could actually be paid.
You lodge the application with the consulate of the country you will spend longest in, or the first country you will enter if the stays are equal, and as a general rule in the country where you legally live. Some consulates and their visa service centres publish their own checklists for the insurance certificate. Read the one for your consulate, because the exact paperwork it expects is set locally, within the EU rule.
For a multiple-entry visa, paragraph 2 asks for cover for “the period of their first intended visit” only. You also sign a statement on the application form that you know you need cover for later stays. That statement is part of the application you sign, so plan to insure each later trip too.
The most common insurance reasons for a refusal
Article 32(1)(a)(vii) of the Visa Code says a visa shall be refused if the applicant “does not provide proof of holding adequate and valid travel medical insurance, where applicable”. “Adequate and valid” is where files fail. Reading Article 15 against a typical certificate, these are the gaps that make a policy inadequate:
- Cover below EUR 30,000, or a limit stated in another currency that converts to less than EUR 30,000 on the day the consulate checks it.
- Dates shorter than the stay. A policy ending the day before your return flight, or one that does not include a transit day, does not cover “the entire period”.
- Territory that is not the whole Schengen area. A policy for one country, or a regional policy that names some Schengen states but not others, fails paragraph 3 unless your visa is limited to those states.
- No repatriation. A plan that pays hospital bills but not medical evacuation home or repatriation of remains does not match paragraph 1.
- An insurer the consulate cannot see paying in Europe. Paragraph 5 lets the consulate reject cover that would not be recoverable in a Member State.
- A certificate that does not match the application: a different spelling of your name, a different passport number, or dates that disagree with the itinerary and flight booking.
Insurance is rarely the only issue in a refused file. The Commission's visa page lists the other documents consulates expect, including proof of means, accommodation and an intention to return, and our visas, passports and entry guide covers the passport checks that sit beside them, such as the Visa Code's rule that your passport must be valid for at least three months after you leave.
What to check in a policy before you pay
Before you buy, hold the policy wording against Article 15 line by line; a certificate that says “Schengen compliant” is a sales claim, not a legal test. We do not name or recommend insurers. These are the checks that matter whoever sells it:
Medical cover of at least EUR 30,000 stated on the certificate, in euros or clearly above it.
All Schengen states named, or “Schengen area”, not one country or a partial list.
From the day you enter to the day you leave, including any transit, with your name and passport number matching the application.
Emergency treatment, hospital stays, medical repatriation and repatriation of remains, all listed.
An insurer or assistance partner that can settle a claim with a European hospital, with a 24-hour emergency number on the certificate.
Pre-existing conditions, sports and age limits. They do not break the visa rule, but they decide whether you are actually covered.
One more point people miss: if your trip changes after the visa is issued, extend the policy to match. The visa was granted on the basis of cover for the whole stay, and the requirement does not stop when the consulate stamps your passport.
Our verdict
Treat the EUR 30,000 figure as the least important line on the certificate. It is the one everyone checks, and the one most policies meet. Files fail on the other words in Article 15: the whole Schengen territory, the entire period of the stay, repatriation, and an insurer whose claims could be paid in Europe. Buy cover that matches your exact dates, read the territory clause, keep the certificate consistent with your application, and if your visa is multiple-entry, insure every later trip as well. If you hold a visa-free passport, none of this is a visa requirement for you, but a hospital bill in Europe is still yours to pay.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum travel insurance for a Schengen visa?
EUR 30,000 of travel medical cover, under Article 15(3) of the Visa Code. It must be valid in all Schengen states and cover the entire stay, including emergency treatment, hospital care, medical repatriation and death.
Do US, UK, Canadian or Australian citizens need Schengen travel insurance?
Not as a visa document. They visit visa-free for short stays, so Article 15 does not apply to them. ETIAS, the future authorisation for visa-exempt travellers, was not in operation as of 9 October 2026.
Does a multiple-entry Schengen visa need insurance for every trip?
You prove cover for the first intended visit when you apply, and you sign a statement on the form that you are aware you need travel medical insurance for later stays.
Can someone in Europe buy the insurance for me?
Yes. Article 15(4) allows another person to take out insurance in your name, provided it meets the same conditions. In principle, applicants buy insurance in their country of residence.
Can my visa be refused only because of insurance?
Yes. Article 32(1)(a)(vii) of the Visa Code lists failure to provide proof of adequate and valid travel medical insurance as a ground on which a visa shall be refused.
Do I need insurance for an airport transit visa?
Article 15(1) applies to applicants for a uniform visa. Paragraph 3 refers to the intended stay or transit, so check with the consulate handling your transit visa which documents it requires.
Keep reading
The travel authorisations for visa-free visitors.
The three checks before you fly.
The fee, the documents and the timeline.
When a travel policy is the wrong product.
Sources: Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code), consolidated text of 2 February 2020 on EUR-Lex, Articles 12, 15 and 32, read 9 October 2026. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs, “Applying for a Schengen visa”, read 9 October 2026. Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, Annexes I and II, on EUR-Lex. Official ETIAS website, home page and “What you need to apply”, read 9 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice; your consulate's own checklist is the final word on documents.
Written by
Bishnu AdhikariPokhara-based, NMA-certified trekking guides. We’ve led 5,000+ treks across the Annapurna and Everest regions since 1998 — every word here comes from the trail. More from this author →
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