Travel insurance for a Schengen visa: what to check

Travel insurance is one of the mandatory documents for a Schengen visa application. A poorly chosen certificate can be enough to weaken an otherwise strong application. Here is what to check before you attach it.

A minimum level of cover

European rules require insurance covering at least €30,000 for medical expenses, emergency hospitalisation and repatriation, including in the event of death. A certificate that does not clearly state this amount risks being rejected.

The whole Schengen area, the whole length of your stay

The insurance must be valid in all the countries of the Schengen area, not just in your main country of destination. It must cover the entire planned stay: check that the dates match exactly those on your flight booking and your application form.

• If you are applying for a multiple-entry visa, the insurance must cover at least the first planned stay.
• If you are unsure of your dates, allow a few extra days rather than cover that is too short.

A clear and complete certificate

The document must show your name exactly as it appears in your passport, the dates of validity, the geographical area covered, the amount guaranteed and the insurer's contact details. A simple invoice or payment receipt is not enough.

The mistakes we see most often

• Cover limited to a single country.
• Dates that do not match those on the ticket or the hotel booking.
• An amount expressed in another currency with no clear equivalent.
• A name spelt differently from the passport.

Our advice

Choose your insurance once your travel dates are fixed, and reread the certificate before attaching it to your application. When preparing your application, we check with you that all the documents are consistent, insurance included.