How much medical coverage does Schengen visa insurance need?

EU Regulation 810/2009 (Article 15) requires a minimum of €30,000 in emergency medical coverage, valid in all 29 Schengen countries for the entire duration of your stay, and it must explicitly include medical repatriation.

What happens to my insurance if my Schengen visa is refused?

Several providers, including AXA Schengen and EKTA, refund the full premium if you send them the official embassy refusal letter. Always check the refund terms before buying.

What is the cheapest Schengen visa insurance?

Basic compliant plans start from roughly €0.80–€3 per day depending on your age, trip length and country of residence. The cheapest plan is not always the best value — check that the certificate explicitly states €30,000 coverage, all Schengen countries, and repatriation.

Do I need to buy insurance before my visa appointment?

Yes. The insurance certificate is a mandatory document in your visa application file. All providers on this page issue the certificate instantly by email after purchase, so you can buy it even on the day of your appointment.

Is Schengen insurance accepted by every embassy?

A compliant policy from a recognized insurer is accepted by all Schengen consulates. Rejections almost always happen because the certificate is missing a required element — usually the word repatriation, full Schengen-area validity, or matching travel dates — not because of the insurer's name.

Does travel insurance from my credit card work for a Schengen visa?

Usually not. Embassies require a standalone certificate that explicitly states your name, the coverage amount, Schengen-wide validity and repatriation. Credit card benefits rarely come with such a certificate.

Updated for 2026 · 29 Schengen countries

Schengen visa insurance, compared the way embassies check it

Every year thousands of visa applications are refused over one missing word on an insurance certificate. Compare plans that pass the consulate checklist — from €0.80 per day, with the certificate in your inbox in minutes.

Estimate my price Compare plans

VISA
FILE
READY

The consulate checklist

✓

€30,000 minimum medical coverStated explicitly on the certificate

✓

Valid in all Schengen countriesNot just your main destination

✓

Covers your full stayDates match your travel itinerary

✓

Repatriation includedThe word must appear on the certificate

Estimate your price in 10 seconds

Indicative prices based on the insurers' published rates. Your exact quote is calculated on the insurer's site — age, residence and plan options can move the final price.

Traveler age Trip length Travelers

Estimates only — calibrated against public quotes and reviewed periodically. The insurer's checkout price is the binding one.

Compare Schengen visa insurance plans

Five providers whose certificates are routinely accepted at Schengen consulates and visa centers (VFS, BLS). Prices are indicative starting rates — your exact quote depends on age, trip length and country of residence.

Provider	Medical cover	Price from	Refusal refund	Certificate
Best price EKTAOnline-first insurer, pay by any bank card	€30,000+	~€0.80 / day	Yes	Instant PDF by email	Get a quote
Embassy favorite AXA SchengenLargest dedicated Schengen visa insurer	€30,000 – €150,000	~€3 / day	Yes	Instant, verifiable online by consulates	Get a quote
Europ AssistanceGenerali Group — double the required cover	€60,000	~€3 / day	Yes	Instant, recognized by all embassies	Get a quote
Best app Heymondo24/7 in-app doctor chat, direct hospital billing	Up to €10M (plan-dependent)	varies by trip	Check terms	Instant by email	Get a quote
InsubuyUS marketplace — compare several insurers at once	Plan-dependent	~$1 / day	Plan-dependent	Instant visa letter	Get a quote

Starting prices observed at the providers' own websites; always confirm the final price and certificate wording on the insurer's site before purchase. We currently link directly to insurers and earn nothing from these links.

What the law actually requires

EU Regulation 810/2009, Article 15, defines four conditions. An officer checks your certificate against each one — if any is missing, the application is refused on formal grounds.

Condition 01 €30,000 medical minimum

Emergency treatment, hospitalization and ambulance transport. Germany and France tend to prefer certificates showing €50,000+.

Condition 02 All 29 Schengen states

The certificate must say "valid in the entire Schengen Area". A policy listing only France fails at the German consulate — and vice versa.

Condition 03 Full trip duration

Coverage dates must span every day of the stay. A policy ending on your departure date with a next-day connecting flight is a documented refusal reason.

Condition 04 Repatriation stated

The single most common technical refusal: the policy covers repatriation, but the certificate never uses the word. Read the PDF before you submit.

Provider notes

Short, honest summaries. Full reviews of each provider are coming as separate guides.

EKTA

Best for: budget travelers and applicants from countries where card payments abroad are difficult

Lowest daily rates we've seen for compliant cover
Accepts payment from virtually any bank card
Certificate wording matches what VFS staff check

Younger brand — less name recognition at first glance
Base cover is the €30,000 minimum

Visit EKTA

AXA Schengen

Best for: applicants who want zero embassy risk

Certificates accepted by every Schengen consulate, verifiable online
Full refund on visa refusal with the embassy letter
Essential and Premium plans extend cover to the UK, Ireland and Cyprus

Often costs more than online-only competitors for the same trip
Basic plan covers only the €30,000 minimum

Visit AXA

Europ Assistance

Best for: applicants at stricter consulates (Germany, France)

€60,000 cover — double the minimum reads well with visa officers
Part of Generali, one of Europe's largest insurers
24/7 emergency line and repatriation explicitly included

Fewer plan tiers to choose from

Visit Europ Assistance

Heymondo

Best for: travelers who want real medical service, not just a visa document

Direct hospital billing — no paying huge bills and waiting for reimbursement
24/7 doctor chat in the app
Strong option for longer trips and multi-country itineraries

Verify the certificate explicitly meets visa wording before submitting
Pricing varies more with destination and duration

Visit Heymondo

Insubuy

Best for: comparing several insurers side by side, US residents and USD payments

Marketplace model — filter by deductible, limit and benefits
Instant visa letter after purchase
Support in 11 languages, including Russian and Spanish

Plan quality varies — open the sample certificate before paying
US-centric interface

Visit Insubuy

Frequently asked questions

How much coverage does Schengen visa insurance need?

A minimum of €30,000 in emergency medical coverage, valid in all 29 Schengen countries, for your entire stay, with medical repatriation explicitly included. This comes from EU Regulation 810/2009, Article 15, and is enforced by every consulate.

What happens if my visa is refused after I bought insurance?

Several providers — including AXA Schengen and EKTA — refund the full premium if you send the official embassy refusal letter. If a refund on refusal matters to you, confirm it in the policy terms before buying.

What is the cheapest compliant option?

Basic compliant plans start around €0.80–€3 per day. Cheap is fine as long as the certificate explicitly states €30,000, all Schengen countries, your exact dates, and repatriation. A €2/day policy missing the word "repatriation" is the most common refusal story.

Can I buy the insurance on the day of my appointment?

Yes. All providers listed here email the certificate within minutes of payment. Buying earlier is still smarter — it gives you time to check the wording and fix name or date typos.

Does my credit card's travel insurance count?

Almost never. Embassies want a standalone certificate with your full name, the coverage amount, Schengen-wide validity and repatriation stated explicitly. Credit card benefit letters rarely include all of that.

I'm staying more than 90 days — is this the right insurance?

No. These plans fit the short-stay C visa. National D visas (work, study, residence) have country-specific requirements, and students usually need incoming health insurance instead. We're preparing a separate long-stay guide.