Travel Insurance for Schengen Visa: Requirements, Coverage and How to Get It

Romania joined the Schengen Area in 2025 — but non-EU citizens (Moldovans, Ukrainians, Russians and others) who want to enter the EU still need travel insurance when applying for a Schengen visa. Romanians applying for long-stay visas (study, work) also need it. Here is everything you need to know so your application is not refused because of the wrong document.

What the Schengen rules say about insurance

Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (the Visa Code) requires that every applicant for a short-stay Schengen visa must provide proof of medical insurance covering:

• Minimum €30,000 cover (or the equivalent in another currency)
• Validity for the entire planned stay
• Geographic scope covering all Schengen states (if the itinerary includes more than one country)
• Mandatory content: emergency medical expenses, medical repatriation, transport in case of death

Without these elements, the visa is refused automatically — regardless of the rest of your documentation.

What the policy must include

Mandatory (verified by the embassy):

• Emergency medical expenses (hospitalisation, surgery, medication)
• Medical transport (ambulance, repatriation)
• Repatriation in case of death
• Minimum €30,000 cover

Recommended but not mandatory for the visa:

• Trip cancellation
• Lost baggage
• Personal liability

Watch out for exclusions: cheap policies often exclude adventure sports, pre-existing conditions and accidents under the influence of alcohol. Read the conditions carefully, not just the insured sum.

What documents you receive

Your insurer will issue an electronic policy (PDF) containing:

• Name of the insured
• Cover period
• Insured amount
• Geographic territory
• Policy number and insurer details

This is what you submit to the embassy — not a receipt or a confirmation email, but the actual policy document. Some embassies also ask for a Schengen Certificate (a short document confirming the policy meets Schengen requirements). Check what the specific embassy you are applying to will accept before you buy.

How much it costs

Prices vary based on age, duration and provider:

Indicative prices for standard €30,000 cover

Annual multi-trip policy (if you travel frequently): €50–150 per year, covering all trips up to 30–45 days per journey. Worth it from 3–4 trips a year.

Note that the prices above are starting points. Some providers charge more for high-risk destinations, certain nationalities, or if you want to add baggage or cancellation cover. Always compare the total price with all the options you actually need.

Where to buy it

Schengen insurance can be purchased:

• Online directly from the insurer — fastest option, you receive the policy within minutes
• Through insurance comparison platforms — you compare multiple providers side by side
• At a bank or post office — slower and usually fewer options

Important: buy the policy AFTER you know the exact dates of your trip (entry and exit dates from the Schengen area). The policy must cover precisely the period declared in your visa application. A policy bought for the wrong dates means an automatic refusal.

EKTA — a practical option for Schengen insurance

EKTA is one of the better-known providers for Schengen-compliant travel insurance. The policy is issued instantly online, is available in English (which most embassies accept), and clearly states the required Schengen coverage on the document itself. It covers the mandatory €30,000 minimum and includes medical repatriation and death transport.

You apply, pay, and download the PDF in under five minutes.

Common mistakes that get visa applications refused

Sum below €30,000. Some providers sell policies with €15,000 cover — acceptable in some countries, but insufficient under the Schengen Regulation. Always check the insured amount before purchasing.

Limited geographic scope. An insurance valid "only in Germany" is rejected if your itinerary includes France. You need a policy valid "in all Schengen countries" or "Europe." Check the geographic territory listed on the policy document.

Policy expired on the application date. The embassy verifies that the policy covers exactly the trip period — not just that a policy exists. A policy bought for the wrong dates means refusal.

Using the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The EHIC covers emergency treatment in public hospitals within the EU — but it is not the same as travel insurance and embassies do not accept it as a substitute. You need a private travel insurance policy.

Using national health insurance only. Your home country's public health insurance (such as Romania's CNAS) covers treatment at home, not abroad. Embassies do not accept it as proof of Schengen insurance.

Policy not in English (or the required language). Some embassies — particularly for France, Germany and the Netherlands — require the policy in English or with a certified translation. Check before you buy.

Waiting until the last moment. Processing times at embassies can be 2–8 weeks. If your insurance expires before your appointment, you will need to renew it. Buy the policy after you receive your appointment date and check that it covers the entire stay.

Insurance for non-EU nationals: country-specific notes

The Schengen Visa Code applies uniformly across all 29 Schengen states, but individual embassies sometimes have stricter local requirements:

French embassy: Requires the Schengen certificate to explicitly mention "Schengen territory." Most digital insurers include this automatically.

German embassy: Strongly prefers policies from companies listed on the embassy's approved provider list — though legally any policy meeting the regulation is valid.

Dutch embassy: Known for rejecting policies that do not clearly state €30,000 on the document itself (not hidden in the terms and conditions).

Italian embassy: Generally the most flexible — standard online policies are accepted without additional documentation.

If in doubt, contact the embassy directly and ask what format they accept before purchasing.

What about long-stay visas (type D)?

Long-stay Schengen visas (for study, work, or family reunification) often require insurance with higher cover and longer validity — sometimes €60,000 or more, or private health insurance equivalent to the local system. The requirements vary significantly by destination country and visa type. Check the specific requirements at the embassy for the country you are applying to.

Annual multi-trip insurance: when it makes sense

If you travel three or more times a year:

For people who travel regularly — students, business travellers, frequent tourists — an annual policy typically pays for itself by the third trip.

What happens if your trip is cancelled after you buy insurance?

If your Schengen visa is refused, most policies allow a full or partial refund of the premium if you can prove the refusal (by showing the official rejection letter from the embassy). Check the refund conditions before purchasing — they vary by provider.

If your trip is cancelled for other reasons (illness, family emergency), you may be covered under the cancellation section of a more comprehensive policy. Basic Schengen-compliance policies often do not include cancellation — you would need a standard or premium travel insurance for that.

Before you apply: quick checklist

• Policy sum: minimum €30,000
• Policy valid for the exact dates of your Schengen stay
• Geographic scope: all Schengen countries (or "Europe")
• Covers: emergency medical expenses, medical repatriation, transport in case of death
• Document: official policy PDF (not a booking confirmation or receipt)
• Language: in English or with certified translation (check embassy requirements)
• Schengen certificate included (if required by the embassy you are applying to)

Five minutes of checking against this list before you buy can save your entire visa application.

Related guides

If you are planning your trip and need more than just visa insurance, these guides cover the next steps:

• Complete travel insurance guide 2026 — what different policy types cover and how to compare them
• European Health Insurance Card vs travel insurance — what the EHIC covers and where it falls short
• How to find cheap flights from Bucharest — once you have the visa, how to pay less for the flight