The legal requirement
The Schengen Visa Code (Article 15) requires every visa applicant to hold travel medical insurance with at least €30,000 of cover, valid in all Schengen states for the entire requested stay, including emergency treatment, hospitalisation and repatriation (medical and of remains).
Since 2025 the area counts 29 members — Bulgaria and Romania joined fully — so an older certificate listing 26 or 27 states is still fine as long as it says "Schengen area", which compliant certificates do.
What the consulate actually checks
Officers verify four things: the €30,000 (or higher) medical limit stated explicitly; policy dates that cover every day of the itinerary; territorial validity naming the Schengen area; and the applicant’s name matching the passport. Certificates from recognised insurers pass without discussion; screenshots of app dashboards do not.
Multiple-entry visa applicants sign a declaration to hold insurance for later trips too — an annual multi-trip policy is the clean way to honour it.
Choosing a compliant plan
Any plan on our Schengen page meets the floor with margin — most carry $50,000+ medical, which converts safely above €30,000 and reflects what European hospital stays actually cost.
Indian applicants: insurers issue the consulate-format certificate instantly on purchase (Tata AIG, ICICI Lombard, HDFC ERGO, Care, Reliance all do). US and visa-free travellers are not legally required to hold cover for short stays but face the same hospital bills.
If your plans change
Dates moved after visa issuance? Have the insurer re-issue the certificate for the new dates rather than buying a fresh policy — free with most insurers before the start date.
Trip cancelled entirely? Schengen policies bought for a visa are refundable with proof of visa refusal with most Indian insurers — one of the few full-refund situations in travel insurance.
Apply this to your actual trip
Run an instant comparison, or tell our consultants the trip — they’ll shortlist plans and confirm live premiums with the insurers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which countries require Schengen insurance?
All 29 Schengen members require it for visa-required nationalities: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Is €30,000 enough cover for Europe?
It is the legal minimum, not a recommendation — surgeries with complications and extended ICU stays exceed it. Plans with $50,000–100,000 cost only marginally more and are what we list by default.
Does the UK count as Schengen?
No — the UK and Ireland are outside Schengen. A Europe-region or worldwide policy covers both; a strictly-Schengen certificate may not.
Keep reading
Premiums shown are indicative estimates compiled from publicly available plan literature and typical market rates — the final premium, terms and issuance are always set by the insurer. Plan benefits, limits and exclusions are summarised for comparison; the policy wording issued by the insurer is the only binding document. Confirm current terms with the insurer or our consultants before purchase.