Buying Schengen visa insurance from India
The certificate requirement is the same as anywhere else. What's different from India is getting the payment through, and knowing what VFS Global actually flags before your file even reaches the consulate.
Where your application actually goes
Most Schengen applications from India go through VFS Global centers in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Pune, on behalf of the consulate you're applying to — France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain all use VFS Global here. VFS staff run a document-completeness check at the counter before your file goes to the consulate itself, and a vaguely worded insurance certificate is one of the most common things that gets a file bounced back on the spot, before an actual visa officer ever sees it. Bring the printed certificate, not just a screenshot on your phone.
The payment problem, and how to avoid it
This is the part that trips up more Indian applicants than the insurance itself. Several Indian banks disable international and online transactions on debit and credit cards by default, as a security setting under RBI rules — so a payment can fail with no clear reason on an insurer's checkout page. Before you assume the site is broken, check your bank's app for an "enable international transactions" or "enable online payments abroad" toggle. If it's already on and the card still fails, trying a different provider from the comparison table is worth doing before assuming the issue is on your end.
Indian insurer or international one — which should you buy?
This is the question most guides skip, and it's the one that actually decides your purchase. The EU visa code says applicants should "in principle" buy insurance in their country of residence — which is why TATA AIG, HDFC Ergo, Care and the other names on PolicyBazaar dominate this market in India. Both routes produce a certificate consulates accept, but they behave differently in practice:
| Indian insurer (TATA AIG, Care, HDFC Ergo…) | International (AXA, Europ Assistance, Heymondo) | |
|---|---|---|
| Currency | Priced in INR — no forex markup on your card | EUR/USD at checkout, plus your bank's forex fee |
| Payment | UPI, netbanking, any domestic card | Needs international transactions enabled |
| Certificate | Usually same-day by email; check the wording states "Schengen" and "repatriation" | Instant PDF, wording built for the visa check |
| Refusal refund | Varies — many refund minus a processing fee | AXA refunds in full with the refusal letter |
| Claims, if you need care in Europe | Claim handled from India, often post-trip reimbursement | European assistance networks, sometimes direct billing |
Two practical notes. First, a few consulates in India historically circulated lists of approved local insurers — if the consulate or VFS page for your destination country publishes such a list, buying from a listed insurer removes one possible question mark. Second, whichever route you take, the certificate check is identical: €30,000 equivalent, all Schengen states, your exact dates, and the word "repatriation". An Indian certificate showing "USD 50,000, worldwide including Schengen" passes; one showing "overseas mediclaim" with no Schengen mention gets flagged at the counter.
What it costs in rupee terms
Most providers quote in EUR or USD and convert at checkout, so your final INR amount moves with the exchange rate on the day you pay. For a two-week trip, a healthy adult in their 20s or 30s is usually looking at roughly ₹3,400 to ₹3,900 for a compliant €30,000-cover plan — Heymondo tends to land at the lower end, AXA and Europ Assistance toward the higher end. Run your exact dates through the price estimator for a closer number.
| Traveler | 14-day trip | 30-day trip |
|---|---|---|
| Adult 18–39 | ~₹3,400–₹3,900 | ~₹6,700–₹7,500 |
| Adult 40–59 | ~₹3,900–₹4,700 | ~₹7,900–₹9,000 |
| Senior 60–69 | ~₹6,500–₹7,300 | ~₹12,800–₹14,000 |
| Senior 70+ | ~₹9,000–₹10,700 | ~₹18,300–₹20,000 |
Ranges assume the base €30,000-equivalent plan and today's approximate EUR–INR rate; the low end is typically Heymondo, the high end AXA or Europ Assistance. Indian insurers' INR pricing generally lands inside the same ranges for comparable cover.
One thing worth double-checking
If you're applying through the German or French consulate specifically, a certificate showing €50,000 or more in cover — rather than the bare €30,000 minimum — tends to go through without follow-up questions, based on patterns applicants report consistently enough to take seriously. It costs a euro or two more per day and can save you a second trip to VFS if your file gets held up.
Questions Indian applicants ask most
Does the certificate need to show euros? No — Indian insurers commonly state cover in USD. What matters is that the amount clearly equals or exceeds €30,000 and that Schengen-wide validity is stated. USD 50,000 comfortably clears the bar; USD 30,000 sits too close to the line when the exchange rate moves, so prefer the higher tier.
Do different VFS cities check differently? The checklist is the same everywhere; what varies is queue discipline. Applicants report the busiest centers — Delhi and Mumbai — are the quickest to bounce incomplete files rather than sort them out at the counter, so arrive with the certificate printed and correct.
I'm a student going for a semester — is this the right insurance? Only if you're on a short-stay C visa. A study program over 90 days means a national D visa, where the destination country sets its own insurance rules — see our students guide before buying anything.
My parents (65+) are visiting me in Europe — anything different? Yes, pricing: the senior brackets multiply fast, and the cheapest brand for you is often not the cheapest for them. The seniors guide covers which providers hold their rates flatter past 65.
Bottom line
Sort out the payment method first — that's the actual obstacle from India, not the insurance requirement itself. Once your card goes through, any plan on our comparison table that shows the four required items on its certificate will do the job.
Compare the five providers whose certificates consulates accept, or estimate the price for your exact trip in 10 seconds.