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GUIDE
How to meet the Schengen visa travel insurance requirement
Schengen visa travel insurance is the travel medical cover an applicant for a short-stay Schengen visa has to prove when lodging the application. Article 15 of the Visa Code — Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 — sets the minimum coverage at EUR 30 000, valid throughout the territory of the Member States and for the entire intended stay. [1]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- An applicant for a short-stay uniform visa proves adequate and valid travel medical insurance covering repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention, emergency hospital treatment and death during the stay on the territory of the Member States. [1]
- The policy must be valid throughout the territory of the Member States, must cover the entire period of the intended stay or transit, and the minimum coverage is EUR 30 000. [1]
- A multiple-entry applicant proves cover for the first intended visit and signs the statement in the application form acknowledging the need for insurance on later stays. [1]
- The consulate also establishes whether claims against the insurer would be recoverable in a Member State, and works from the document list used in its own jurisdiction. [1]
What must a Schengen visa insurance policy cover?
The insurance has to meet four kinds of expense: repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention, emergency hospital treatment, and death, during the applicant's stay on the territory of the Member States. [1] For background on what repatriation benefits usually do, see emergency medical evacuation coverage.
Three conditions apply at the same time. The insurance must be valid throughout the territory of the Member States, it must cover the entire period of the person's intended stay or transit, and the minimum coverage is EUR 30 000 in the consolidated text of 28 June 2024. [1] Proof of adequate and valid travel medical insurance is one of the items an applicant produces when lodging the application, where applicable. [1]
The visa in question is the uniform visa, defined as a visa valid for the entire territory of the Member States for a stay of no more than three months in any six-month period. [1] The European Commission describes the same rule from the traveller's side: non-EU nationals need a visa for a visit of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and all 29 countries in the Schengen area apply the same visa rules. [2] Where a visa with limited territorial validity is issued for one or more Member States but not all of them, the insurance cover has to be valid at least in the Member States concerned. [1]
How long must the cover last for single, double and multiple-entry visas?
The article splits applicants by the number of entries on the visa they are applying for. [1]
| Visa applied for | What the applicant must prove |
|---|---|
| Uniform visa for one or two entries | Adequate and valid travel medical insurance for the stay or stays on the territory of the Member States, with minimum coverage of EUR 30 000. [1] |
| Uniform visa for more than two entries (multiple entries) | Insurance covering the period of the first intended visit, plus a signed statement in the application form declaring awareness of the need to hold travel medical insurance for subsequent stays. [1] |
The date on the certificate therefore has to line up with the trip the application describes, and for a multiple-entry file the first trip is the one the proof covers. [1]
Where can the policy be bought, and who can pay for it?
Applicants are in principle to take out the insurance in their country of residence; where that is not possible, they are to seek insurance in any other country. [1] A second person can take out the policy in the applicant's name, and the same conditions then apply to that policy. [1] For a general orientation on policy structures and what a certificate shows, see travel insurance basics.
How does a consulate decide whether the insurance is adequate?
When assessing whether the cover is adequate, the consulate is to establish whether claims against the insurance company would be recoverable in a Member State. [1] The Code applies the same conditions to a policy taken out in the applicant's name by someone else, so cover bought through a payment card benefit or arranged under a scheme in the applicant's home country is judged on the same points: validity throughout the Member States, the whole period of the stay, the EUR 30 000 minimum and recoverability of claims in a Member State. [1]
The other half of the assessment is local. The list of supporting documents is non-exhaustive, and sets out documents that a consulate may request from the applicant. [1] Within local Schengen cooperation, the need to complete and harmonise the lists of supporting documents is assessed in each jurisdiction in order to take account of local circumstances. [1] Member States may also require applicants to present proof of sponsorship and private accommodation by completing a form drawn up by each Member State. [1] In practice, the checklist published for the consulate handling the file is the document list to work through, read alongside the conditions in Article 15. [1]
The European Commission publishes operational instructions for applying the visa code in a Handbook for processing visa applications and a Handbook for managing visa processing. [2] Document preparation on the passport side is covered in passport validity and entry checks.
Which travellers are exempt from the Schengen visa insurance rule?
- Diplomatic passports. Holders of diplomatic passports are exempt from the requirement to hold travel medical insurance. [1]
- Professional cover. The requirement may be considered met where it is established that an adequate level of insurance can be presumed in light of the applicant's professional situation; the exemption from presenting proof may concern particular professional groups, such as seafarers, who are already covered by travel medical insurance as a result of their professional activities. [1]
- Limited territorial validity. If the visa is issued for one or more Member States but not all, the cover has to be valid at least in the Member States concerned rather than across the whole area. [1]
- Multiple entries. The proof lodged covers the first intended visit, and the signed statement in the application form stands in place of proof for later stays. [1]
- No insurer at home. Where insurance cannot be taken out in the country of residence, the applicant seeks it in another country. [1]
- Someone else pays. A policy taken out by another person in the applicant's name must satisfy the same conditions on territory, period and minimum coverage. [1]
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum cover for Schengen visa insurance?
EUR 30 000, in the consolidated text of 28 June 2024. [1]
Does the policy have to cover the whole Schengen area?
Yes: the insurance must be valid throughout the territory of the Member States and for the entire period of the intended stay or transit. [1] If the visa has limited territorial validity covering more than one Member State, cover must be valid at least in the Member States concerned. [1]
Can a family member buy the policy for the applicant?
Yes. When another person takes out the insurance in the applicant's name, the conditions on territorial validity, period of cover and the EUR 30 000 minimum apply to that policy. [1]
Who does not have to show travel medical insurance?
Holders of diplomatic passports are exempt, and the requirement may be treated as met for professional groups such as seafarers where an adequate level of insurance can be presumed from the applicant's professional situation. [1]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers the short-stay uniform visa requirement in the Visa Code. Visas for stays exceeding 90 days are subject to national procedures and are not covered here. [2]
- Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code), consolidated text, checked 18 October 2026
- European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs: Visa policy, checked 18 October 2026