Schengen visa travel insurance, and the words that get a policy rejected

Trek Guide 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. By Bishnu Adhikari · Oct 9, 2026 Read the full story

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… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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)… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Frequently asked questions

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. Not as a visa document. They visit… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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)… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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