Why ordinary travel insurance sometimes doesn't work for a visa
The insurance offered "as part of the package" when you buy a flight or a tour and the insurance you need for a Schengen visa aren't always the same thing, even if both are called "medical". The requirement for a visa policy is set by the EU Visa Code (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Article 15), and it's stricter than the standard minimum built into budget holiday packages: those often have an excess, limited cover for specific events or a low overall limit — which is more or less acceptable for an ordinary trip but not for a visa application.
The problem is that both policies look the same on the outside — a PDF with the insurer's logo and an amount at the top. The difference only emerges when you read the terms, and the consulate reads them carefully. It's easier to find out in advance whether a policy you've already bought works than to redo everything at the last minute before applying after a refusal.
What cover you need
The requirements most often cite a minimum cover of €30,000 (sometimes the equivalent in dollars is given, around $50,000) — this amount is for emergency medical care and repatriation, not for just one of the two. The policy must cover both risks at once: treatment if something happens during the trip, and transport home if needed.
The second condition is the period. The policy must be valid for the whole stay in the Schengen area, with no gaps in the dates. If the trip gets longer after you've bought the policy and the insurance was calculated tightly around the original dates, the last days of the trip formally have no cover — and that's no longer a question of the amount, but of the calendar.
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Take the quizExcess, co-payments and waiting periods — what the consulate won't accept
The most common reason for refusal on insurance grounds isn't a low amount of cover but the wrong type of policy: with an excess, co-payments for doctor's visits or a waiting period before the insurance takes effect. The requirement is for none of these at all — not "with a small excess" or "with a co-payment, but a token one". Any one of these three features makes a policy non-compliant, even if the stated amount of cover is sufficient.
It's also worth remembering insurance cards — simple electronic confirmations without cover details, sometimes issued instead of a full policy. They aren't accepted: you need a document that clearly sets out both the amount of cover and the terms, not just the fact that you have insurance.
Insurance for a multiple-entry visa
If you're counting on a multiple-entry visa (double or multiple entry — C1/C2/C3, valid from one to several years), there's a separate question about insurance: whether to take it out for one trip or for the whole validity of the visa. Under one approach, the policy must fully cover the first trip, and for subsequent trips you attach a declaration that you'll take out insurance before each one. Under the other, the policy is taken out for the entire validity of the visa from the start.
Which of the two options a particular consulate will accept in your case is worth checking right before applying, because practice isn't uniform here. Bear in mind too that a multiple-entry visa doesn't cancel the 90/180 rule: however many entries you have, your total stay in Schengen still can't exceed 90 days in any 180-day period — insurance doesn't affect this limit, but it's worth planning its dates with it in mind.
Where to get it and how to check the policy before applying
Before buying a policy — or before attaching one you already have to your documents — it makes sense to run through a short list: the amount of cover is no lower than what the consulate requires at the time of applying; repatriation is listed separately; the terms explicitly state "no excess"; there are no co-payments for seeing a doctor and no waiting period; the policy dates cover the whole trip with no gaps, including a margin in case your flight is delayed. If even one of these points isn't met or is vaguely worded, it's more sensible to check with the insurer in advance than to deal with a mismatch at the application itself.
It's best to check the exact required amount of cover and the rules for multiple-entry visas against the current conditions of your particular application point — these details are clarified from time to time, and it's more reliable to check them with the consulate or visa centre when you apply rather than relying on a figure from an article, even ours.
Final checklist
- A policy with cover of at least €30,000 (or the dollar equivalent), including emergency medical care and repatriation.
- Policy dates that fully cover the trip, with no gaps.
- A policy with no excess, no co-payments for doctor's visits and no waiting period.
- A document with the amount of cover and terms clearly set out — not an electronic insurance card.
- For a multiple-entry visa — a clear approach: a policy for the first trip with a declaration for the future, or a policy for the whole validity of the visa.
- A separate policy for each family member, including children.
- The specific consulate's or visa centre's requirements at the time of applying — if you're unsure about anything, check in advance.
Frequently asked questions
Not always. These policies are often designed to the minimum holiday-package standard — with an excess, limited cover or no separate repatriation clause — while the visa requirement is stricter.
Check the terms separately: the amount of cover, the absence of an excess and co-payments, repatriation and the validity dates. If the policy doesn't cover all of this, you'll need a separate visa policy.
The verified facts on the tourist visa include no specific strict requirement about the language of the policy — unlike, for example, the student visa, where the consulate explicitly requires Spanish.
To avoid any risk at the appointment, check this with the consulate or visa centre in advance: if a translation is needed, it's better to do it before applying than after a request for additional documents.
Yes, each applicant, including children, must have their own policy with the amount of cover and terms set out — the consulate won't accept a joint "family" policy that isn't broken down by name.
The policy must cover the whole actual stay in Schengen with no gaps. If your travel dates have shifted or been extended after buying the insurance and the policy is still based on the old dates, part of the trip will be uncovered.
In that case you need to extend the policy or take out a new one for the current dates — it's better to do this before you leave than to hope a mismatch of a couple of days goes unnoticed.
If something in your situation doesn't fit the general pattern, that's normal — visa cases almost always have nuances. and we'll look at it for free and suggest your next step.