Schengen Travel Insurance Requirements: the €30,000 Rule

Schengen visa travel insurance must cover at least €30,000 of costs from urgent medical care, emergency hospital treatment, repatriation for medical reasons and death. It must be valid in all 29 Schengen countries for every day of your trip. Buy it in the UK, where you live, and check the certificate shows all of this before you apply.

What the law requires

The rules are in Article 15 of the EU Visa Code. Every Schengen consulate applies them, whether you apply for France, Germany or Iceland.

Your policy must:

• cover expenses from repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention, emergency hospital treatment and death
• have a minimum cover of €30,000
• be valid in every Schengen country, not only the one you are visiting
• cover the entire period of your intended stay

The Visa Code also says you should, in principle, buy the insurance in your country of residence. For you, that is the UK. The Commission's handbook for consulates adds that the insurer should be based in your country of residence or in a Schengen country. Someone else, such as your host, can buy the policy for you, as long as it meets the same conditions.

Consulates also check that a claim against the insurer could be recovered in a Schengen country. If you are unsure about a particular insurer, check with the consulate.

What to check before you buy

Read the policy certificate, not just the sales page. Check each line in this table.

Get the dates right

Your insurance must cover the days you will actually be in the Schengen Area. The Commission's handbook says it covers "the period of effective stay, and not the validity of the visa". If you enter on 3 May and leave on 17 May, the policy must cover 3 May to 17 May at least.

You can add a day or two at each end in case a flight changes. That costs little and avoids a mismatch with your flight reservation.

Watch for cover split into small limits

Some policies reach €30,000 only by adding together separate smaller limits, for example one for hospital treatment and another for repatriation. The Commission's guidance for consulates warns that "even if the sum of the different risks amounts to 30 000 EUR the coverage could be misleading". Look for a policy where the medical and repatriation cover itself is at least €30,000.

Check the territory wording

Some policies define "Europe" in their own way. A few list countries one by one. Make sure every Schengen country is included. The full list is Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

What some consulates add

The Visa Code sets the minimum. National checklists add their own wording, so check the one for your consulate. Some examples:

• Germany: a policy "with cover of at least €30,000 and valid for all Schengen member states".
• Netherlands: the policy must cover hospital care, emergency treatment, prescription medicine and repatriation, including in the event of death. The first page of your policy, the policy schedule, in your name, is accepted as proof.
• Spain: the insurance must cover repatriation for medical reasons or death. If you apply for a multiple-entry visa, you undertake to buy insurance for future trips.
• Italy: the consulate asks for insurance "issued in UK or in one of the Schengen countries", with a letter from the insurer confirming overseas cover.
• Greece: the policy must state the €30,000 cover for repatriation, urgent medical attention, emergency hospital treatment and death. If you are insured through your bank, you need a letter from the bank, because "bank statements alone are not sufficient".
• Iceland: cover must be "for all risks", and must include "the date of arrival & departure".
• Finland: VFS says travel medical insurance "can be bought from any insurance company".

Single-trip or annual policy?

A single-trip policy for your exact dates is the simplest choice. The certificate shows one trip, one set of dates and one territory, which is easy for the consulate to check.

An annual multi-trip policy can also work. Neither the Visa Code nor the Commission's handbooks deal with annual policies specifically, so the test is simply whether your policy meets the Article 15 conditions for this trip. Check three things:

• The maximum length of each trip. If the policy limits how long a single trip can last, your stay must fit within that limit.
• The territory. Make sure the policy covers Europe, including every Schengen country, not just the UK.
• The certificate. You need a document in your name showing the cover limits and that the policy is valid on your travel dates.

Insurance for a multiple-entry visa

If you apply for a multiple-entry visa, you only need to prove cover for your first trip. You also sign a statement on the application form confirming that you know you need travel medical insurance for later trips.

That statement matters. Each time you travel on that visa, you should be insured. Keep the certificate with you, on paper or on your phone.

Is a GHIC or EHIC enough?

No. The NHS says: "The UK GHIC is not a replacement for travel insurance." A UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) gives you access to state healthcare in many European countries. It does not cover being flown back to the UK, which the NHS calls medical repatriation, or treatment in a private medical facility. So it cannot meet the visa requirement.

You can apply for a free GHIC if you are ordinarily and legally resident in the UK, including as a non-UK national. Check before you rely on it in Switzerland, though: the NHS lists who can use it there, and that list does not include most non-EU nationals.

Take your GHIC with you if you have one, because it can help in an emergency. But you still need a travel insurance policy for your visa.

Bank account and credit card travel insurance

Some UK bank accounts and credit cards include travel insurance. The Commission's handbook says this kind of cover may be accepted if it meets the Visa Code criteria, but it is harder to prove. You usually need a certificate from the insurer in your name, showing the cover limits, the territory and that you are covered for the dates of your trip. Check any age limits, and whether family members are covered as well as the account holder.

If your bank cannot give you a certificate with these details, buy a separate single-trip policy. It is the safer option. If you are unsure whether your bank's document will be accepted, check with the consulate.

Mistakes to avoid

• The dates do not cover the whole stay, often missing the day of arrival or departure.
• The cover is in pounds and falls below €30,000 at the current exchange rate.
• Repatriation is missing, or only covered for some countries.
• The policy covers "Europe excluding" one of the countries on your trip.
• The name on the policy does not match the passport.
• Only a sales email is provided, not the policy certificate.

Missing or inadequate insurance is a separate ground for refusing a visa under Article 32 of the Visa Code. The Commission's handbook says inadequate insurance should not automatically lead to a refusal, and that you should first be given the chance to show proper cover. Do not rely on that. It is one of the easiest refusals to avoid.

Who does not need travel insurance

The Visa Code exempts holders of diplomatic passports. Consulates can also treat the requirement as met for some professional groups, such as seafarers, who are already covered through their work.

The Commission's handbook also says family members of EU citizens who travel with them or join them under EU free movement rules do not have to present travel medical insurance. Having insurance is still sensible.

Almost everyone else applying from the UK needs a policy.

Let us check your policy

Not sure your policy meets the rules? Book a free eligibility check and we will review your insurance with the rest of your documents before you apply. For country-specific rules, see our pages for Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Greece, Iceland and Finland.