What is the best Travel insurance for a Schengen visa?
Travel Insurance is mandatory to obtain a Schengen visa
Written by the AXA Schengen team
Date: 21/07/2025
Ready to go sailing in beautiful Brittany, to explore the Transylvanian forests of Romania, to go skiing in the Swiss Alps, to celebrate with friends in Barcelona, to be amazed by the Portuguese architecture in Lisbon or simply to finalise a business deal before enjoying mussels and chocolate in Brussels? The list of fun activities and amazing sites to discover in the Schengen area is almost endless!
However, whether you are travelling to Europe for business or pleasure, you and your fellow companions need to feel protected and supported in case of trouble. This is where travel insurance comes into play !
Not only is medical travel insurance compulsory if you need to apply for a Schengen visa, it is also highly recommended to prevent a silly mishap or a serious accident from turning into a financial pit hole.
Have no fear! The AXA team has prepared a step-by-step guide allowing you to understand your Schengen insurance needs while making sure the one you choose meets all the criteria required by embassies and consulates, offers the best value for money as well as the best coverage to protect you during your European adventures.
Who needs travel insurance to visit Europe?
The short and wise answer is everyone! But whether it is compulsory or not depends on your situation.
If you need a Schengen visa…
Several billion earthlings from over a hundred countries need to obtain a visa if they wish to enter the Schengen area.
→ To find out if this applies to you, check out the list of nationalities subject to Schengen visa requirements.
With your Schengen application file, you will need to enclose several documents, including a travel insurance certificate. To be valid, it must comply with several criteria (see below) imposed by the European Union Visa Code. Otherwise, your application will be denied.
Travel insurance is thus mandatory to obtain a Schengen visa.
You must subscribe to Schengen travel insurance BEFORE applying for your visa, as the insurance certificate must be enclosed with your application file when you submit it.
If you don’t need a Schengen visa…
You come from a country which is not subject to visa requirements to enter the Schengen area?
Travel insurance is consequently not mandatory but highly recommended by authorities.
Why, you ask? Well, the sacred saying “Prepare for the worst, hope for the best”, has never been more appropriate. When travelling, wonderful experiences and cherished memories are all you want to bring back home. Unfortunately, health issues, accidents or other mishaps can also be on the list. Limiting damage and ordeal is where efficient travel insurance comes into play.
Good travel insurance will, among other things, cover medical as well as sanitary repatriation expenses which can skyrocket particularly for foreign travellers visiting Europe.
Without international medical insurance, you could be faced with colossal health bills without the possibility of any kind of refund when you get home.
What are the mandatory Schengen travel insurance requirements?
Schengen travel insurance must:
- Guarantee a €30, 000 minimum coverage.
- Be certified by all the countries of the Schengen area.
- Be valid in all Schengen states.
- Cover emergency hospitalisation and medical care due to health issues occurring during your stay.
- Bear the costs of repatriation to your home country in case of serious health issues or even death.
- Remain valid during the entire duration of your stay.
Please Note
To make sure your travel insurance complies with current legislation, check if its policy is recognised as valid by all the countries of the Schengen area, even if you intend on visiting only one.
Bear in mind that in case of non-compliance with current requirements for mandatory travel insurance, your application will be turned down.
Make sure to provide a travel insurance certificate accepted by European embassies and consulates.
What are the 10 golden rules when comparing Schengen visa insurance offers?
When it comes to choosing the right travel insurance, comparing the different options available on the market is always the best way to go. Here is what you should look out for:
- Does it meet the required criteria to obtain a Schengen visa (see above)?
- Is the insurance company certified by the embassies and consulates of the country you are travelling to and by all the Schengen member States?
- Does it apply any deductible?
- Is there any age limit to subscribe?
- Does it offer 24/7 assistance?
- Must future subscribers submit to a medical exam?
- How long does it take to obtain your insurance certificate, mandatory with your visa application?
- Does it offer the best value for money?
- Does it offer the possibility of a refund in case your visa application is denied?
- Does it offer additional guarantees such as extended coverage including to other countries, in case of theft or loss of ID documents, of search and rescue costs, etc.?
Why should you subscribe to AXA Schengen travel insurance online?
For more than 65 years, AXA has supported travelers worldwide with trusted expertise and a deep commitment: being there for you, wherever and whenever you need us.
First and foremost, AXA travel insurance is automatically accepted with Schengen visa applications and here’s why:
- AXA Schengen visa insurance complies with all E.U requirements in terms of visa obligations.
- It is certified and accepted by the consulates and embassies of all the countries part of the Schengen area.
- It guarantees a coverage of minimum €30,000 and up to €2 million depending on the chosen plan.
- It covers medical expenses, hospitalisation, sanitary repatriation including in the event of death.
- It includes civil liability and personal liability insurance.
- Its coverage scope includes all the Schengen states, European microstates, other non-Schengen but European countries as well as the United Kingdom (depending on the chosen option).
- It remains valid during the entire duration of your stay in the Schengen area.
Other advantages of choosing AXA travel insurance
- AXA is internationally renowned for its expertise in Schengen travel insurance.
- It offers 24/7 assistance thanks to its devoted teams of experienced professionals.
- Online subscription is quick and easy.
- Your Schengen travel insurance certificate is available instantaneously. You can thus immediately print and enclose the certificate with your application file, saving you precious time.
- There is no age restriction
- 0 deductible
- No medical check-up is required.
- It is refundable if your visa application is denied.
- It includes death and disability insurance.
- Free remote medical consultations are available with our unique “Doctor, please!” feature in English, French, and a number of other languages.
- It includes baggage insurance depending on the chosen plan.
- It offers many additional advantages:
- Delivery of medicines, glasses and prosthesis
- Daily hospitalization allowance
- Search and rescue costs
- Repatriation of victim's companions
Etc.
- AXA offers tailor-made insurance with multiple upgrade options designed to satisfy all needs and budgets.
- Compare all our different insurance plans to choose the one that best suits your needs.
What is the best AXA travel insurance plan option for you?
Each European trip is different, and not all situations are the same, that is why AXA has imagined different insurance plans tailored to all travel needs while always meeting the necessary requirements to obtain a Schengen visa.
AXA Schengen Basic offers standard and efficient coverage to obtain your Schengen visa. This travel insurance option meets all the mandatory requirements, covers you in all the countries of the Schengen Area as well as in the 4 European microstates (Andorra, Vatican City, Monaco and San Marino).
AXA Schengen Essential provides complete and reliable coverage at an affordable price.
Another perfect choice to obtain your Schengen visa. Not only does it meet all visa requirements and is valid in all the Schengen countries + the European microstates, it also offers coverage in all the EU countries as well as the UK.
AXA Schengen Premium is THE all-inclusive plan allowing you to obtain your Schengen visa and to travel stress-free all over Europe.
Its coverage is valid in all Schengen countries + the EU countries + the 4 microstates + the UK.
AXA Annual is the ideal yearly travel insurance plan for frequent travellers to Europe as well as multiple-entry Schengen visa holders.
One contract for a full year of travel coverage across Europe!
It is valid in all Schengen countries + the EU countries + the 4 microstates + the UK
It only takes a few seconds to get your free quote online.
Don’t think twice and subscribe online now!
You might also find these articles interesting
- How much does Schengen travel insurance cost?
- How to obtain Schengen insurance for a long-stay visa?
- Is Schengen travel insurance mandatory?
FAQ
I want to subscribe to Schengen travel insurance for someone else. What information will I need to provide?
When you subscribe, you will need to provide the future beneficiary’s name, date of birth, passport number, nationality and country of residence.
What is a certified Schengen travel insurance?
Travel insurance must be subscribed with a company considered as valid by the consular authorities of the Schengen country where you are applying for your visa. Otherwise, the visa application will be denied.
Can my Schengen visa insurance subscription be refunded if my visa application is denied?
AXA Schengen travel insurance guarantees the refund of subscription costs if your visa application is denied. You will nonetheless need to supply the written documents provided by consular authorities to prove the negative decision.
