Schengen visa travel insurance: the €30,000 rule, accepted providers and costs
Exactly what insurance a Schengen visa requires in 2026 — €30,000 medical cover, repatriation, validity across all 29 countries — plus prices and how to get an accepted certificate.
A Schengen visa requires travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 of cover, valid in all 29 Schengen countries for the entire requested stay, and explicitly including emergency medical treatment and repatriation of remains. A compliant certificate costs about €10–€35 for a two-week trip and must be a PDF naming the applicant, the dates and the cover amount.
The legal requirement
Article 15 of the EU Visa Code sets four conditions. Your certificate must show:
- Minimum €30,000 of medical cover.
- Validity in all Schengen member states — not just the country issuing the visa.
- Cover for emergency medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation of remains.
- Validity for the entire period requested, ideally with 15 extra days on each side.
What consulates reject
- Certificates that state cover in USD without a euro equivalent.
- Policies that exclude the applicant's country of residence transit or a listed Schengen state.
- Bank or credit-card letters with no policy number.
- Documents with no named insured person or no explicit repatriation clause.
- Cover that ends the day the trip ends — several consulates (France, Germany, Czechia) want a buffer.
Multi-entry and long-stay visas
For a multi-entry visa you must have insurance for the first trip and sign a declaration that you will hold valid cover for later trips. For long-stay national visas (type D) and digital-nomad visas, several countries — Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece — expect a full year of private health cover instead of a short-stay policy.
Prices in 2026
| Stay | Age 18–30 | Age 31–65 | Age 66+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 days | €7 – €14 | €10 – €20 | €25 – €60 |
| 14 days | €10 – €25 | €15 – €35 | €45 – €110 |
| 30 days | €18 – €40 | €28 – €60 | €80 – €200 |
| 90 days | €45 – €95 | €65 – €140 | €200 – €450 |
Get the paperwork right
Print the certificate, do not just email it. Bring two copies to the appointment, keep the policy number visible on page one, and make sure the traveller's name matches the passport character-for-character — transliteration mismatches are a common rejection reason for Cyrillic and Arabic names.
If your visa is refused
Reputable insurers refund the premium in full when a visa is refused, provided you send the refusal letter. Check this refund clause before buying — it is not universal.
Frequently asked questions
Is €30,000 insurance enough for a Schengen visa?
It meets the legal minimum, so the visa will be issued. Medically it is thin: a week in an Austrian or Dutch hospital can exceed that, so €50,000–€100,000 is the safer purchase for a similar price.
Does the insurance have to cover all Schengen countries?
Yes. The certificate must state validity across all 29 Schengen states, even if you only plan to visit one, because internal borders are open.
Can I get a refund if my Schengen visa is refused?
Most visa-oriented insurers refund the full premium when you supply the official refusal letter, as long as the policy has not started. Confirm the clause before paying.
How long should the policy be valid?
For the whole requested stay plus a buffer of about 15 days on each side. Consulates frequently reject policies that end on the exact departure date.
Two things we never travel without: a medical policy that actually pays abroad, and a way to claim cash back when an airline ruins the plan.
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