TL;DR
For a Schengen visa from the UK, your travel insurance must cover the entire Schengen area, last for your whole trip, and provide a minimum of €30,000 in medical and repatriation cover. Buy it before you apply, include the certificate, and make sure the dates and area match your itinerary exactly. The fixed facts:
| Schengen short-stay visa (Type C) | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Visa fee (adult) | €90 |
| Visa fee (child 6–12) | €45 |
| Visa fee (child under 6) | Free |
| Maximum stay | 90 days in any rolling 180-day period |
| Standard processing | 15 calendar days (up to 45 in some cases) |
| Travel insurance — minimum cover | €30,000 |
| Passport | Issued within 10 years; valid 3+ months beyond your trip |
| Member states | 29 countries |
What must Schengen travel insurance cover?
The requirement is set at EU level and is the same whichever consulate you apply to. Your policy must tick every one of these boxes:
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| €30,000 minimum cover | At least €30,000 for emergency medical treatment and repatriation |
| Medical + repatriation | Both emergency treatment and the cost of bringing you home or repatriating remains |
| Whole Schengen area | Valid in every Schengen country, not just your main destination |
| Full trip duration | Covers every day you're inside the Schengen zone, first day to last |
| Named certificate | A document naming you, with the cover amount and dates clearly stated |
If any one of these is missing or below the threshold, the policy is non-compliant and the application can be refused on that basis alone.
Why €30,000 and the whole area?
The figure exists so that a serious medical emergency or repatriation never falls on the host country's health system. Because Schengen visas let you move freely across the zone, the cover has to follow you everywhere — a policy that only names France is no good if you take a day trip to Belgium. "Whole area, whole trip, €30,000" is the simplest way to remember it.
How do I buy it from the UK?
You have two straightforward routes:
- A Schengen-specific travel policy from a UK insurer or specialist provider. These are written to the EU rules and the certificate states the €30,000 figure and area explicitly, which makes the caseworker's job easy.
- A standard UK travel insurance policy — but only if it clearly meets the rules. Many annual multi-trip and single-trip policies do, yet the certificate doesn't always spell out the €30,000 and Schengen-area wording the consulate wants to see. Check the policy documents, and if in doubt, ask the insurer for a confirmation letter.
A travel-insurance recommendation is a natural add-on at this stage of an application — you need the cover anyway, so buying a compliant policy early removes one of the easiest reasons to be refused.
What does a compliant certificate show?
When you read your certificate before submitting, confirm it shows all of this:
- Your full name as it appears on your passport
- Cover of at least €30,000 (some policies state a higher figure — that's fine)
- Emergency medical treatment and repatriation explicitly included
- Validity across the entire Schengen area
- Start and end dates that cover your whole trip, including arrival and departure days
If the certificate is vague on any point, request a clearer version. A one-line ambiguity can cost you the application.
What are the common mistakes?
- Under-cover — a policy below €30,000, or one that doesn't mention repatriation.
- Wrong dates — cover that starts after you arrive or ends before you leave. It must wrap your full trip.
- Not covering the whole area — a single-country policy when your itinerary crosses borders.
- Buying too late — you need the certificate in the application, not after.
- Mismatched details — insurance dates that don't line up with your flights and itinerary read as careless and invite extra scrutiny.
Where insurance fits in your application
Travel insurance is one item in a larger set — see the full Schengen documents checklist. Once you've got a compliant policy:
- Checklist generator — a tailored document list for your trip
- Bundler — merge the certificate and everything else into one ordered PDF
- Compressor — fit the visa centre's upload size limit
Want a human eye over the whole file before you submit? Our done-for-you Schengen service checks your insurance, funds and UK-ties evidence together. For the overview, see the Schengen visa from the UK hub.
Sources
Common questions
- 01
How much travel insurance do I need for a Schengen visa?
Your policy must provide a minimum of €30,000 in medical and repatriation cover. It must be valid across the entire Schengen area and last for the whole of your trip, including the first and last days you're inside the Schengen zone.
- 02
Is travel insurance mandatory for a Schengen visa from the UK?
Yes. Travel medical insurance is a mandatory document. Without a compliant certificate showing at least €30,000 of cover for the whole area and full trip, your application can be refused, even if everything else is in order.
- 03
Does my UK travel insurance cover a Schengen visa?
It can, but only if it explicitly meets the Schengen rules: at least €30,000 medical and repatriation cover, valid across all Schengen countries, for the full duration of your stay. Many standard UK policies don't state these figures clearly, so check the certificate wording or buy a Schengen-specific policy.
- 04
What does a compliant Schengen insurance certificate show?
It names you, states cover of at least €30,000, confirms it's valid throughout the Schengen area, includes emergency medical treatment and repatriation, and shows dates covering your entire trip. The consulate checks these details, so they must match your itinerary exactly.
- 05
When should I buy travel insurance for my Schengen application?
Buy it before you submit, because you must include the certificate with your documents. Match the cover dates to your travel dates and confirm the policy covers the whole Schengen area, not just one country.
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