Schengen visa insurance: everything you need to know

Is Schengen visa insurance mandatory?

Yes, for every short-stay visa (tourism, business, family visit). Without a compliant certificate, your file is incomplete and may be rejected at submission.

What must compliant Schengen insurance include?

A compliant Schengen policy rests on five pillars that consulates systematically check at submission. It guarantees at least €30,000 in medical expenses, covers emergency hospitalization and medical repatriation, and remains valid across the entire Schengen area, not only in your main destination country.

Coverage must span the entire stay requested on the visa, and the certificate must be issued in the traveler's exact name as on the passport. These rules are set by Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, the Schengen Visa Code.

Certificate requirements in detail

How much does Schengen visa insurance cost?

For a 2-week trip, expect €15–30 per adult depending on age. Prices vary widely: always compare before buying to save up to 60%.

How to get Schengen visa insurance?

Buying Schengen visa insurance online is a fully digital process that takes less than five minutes. Enter your destination and travel dates in the Schengen Cover comparison tool: you instantly get a ranking of compliant offers from cheapest to most comprehensive. Select the right plan, then pay by card on a secure page.

The PDF certificate is generated automatically after payment and sent to your email. Print it and add it to your visa file, no physical validation is needed. You can complete this step from any country, including the day before your TLScontact, VFS Global or BLS appointment.