Home / Guides / Visa refusal refunds

Getting your money back after a visa refusal

Last updated: July 6, 2026 · By the SchengenCompare editorial team

A refused visa doesn't have to mean losing the insurance premium too — but only if you bought from a provider that offers a refusal refund, and only if you follow their process.

Who offers it

Of the providers on our comparison table, AXA Schengen refunds the full premium on a documented refusal. Europ Assistance's terms vary by plan, and Heymondo, EKTA and SafetyWing should be checked directly since refund policies aren't always the same across every plan tier they sell. This isn't a fixed industry rule — it's a specific term some insurers choose to offer, so it's worth confirming before you buy, not after you've already been refused.

What you'll need to claim it

• The official refusal letter or notice from the consulate or visa application center
• Your policy number and a copy of the insurance certificate you submitted
• Sometimes the passport page showing the refusal stamp, if the consulate stamps it

Keep the refusal letter — don't just photograph it and delete the physical copy. Some insurers ask for the original or a specific scanned format, and requirements differ enough between providers that it's worth reading their claims page as soon as you get the refusal, not weeks later.

Timing

Most insurers set a window to submit a refund claim after the refusal date — commonly somewhere between 14 and 30 days, though this varies by provider and isn't something we can guarantee here. Don't wait: request the claim process from the insurer the same week you receive the refusal.

Refund policies by provider

Provider	Refusal refund	What they typically ask for
AXA Schengen	Full premium	Official refusal letter; unused policy
Europ Assistance	Varies by plan	Check the plan terms before buying
Heymondo	Check terms	Not a standard advertised feature
EKTA	Check terms	Not a standard advertised feature
SafetyWing	Check terms	General anytime-cancel refund of unused days; no dedicated visa-refusal term

Terms change without notice — treat this table as a starting point and confirm on the provider's own refund page the week you buy.

The claim, step by step

1. Scan the refusal letter the day you receive it — a flat, readable scan of every page, including the checkbox page showing the refusal grounds. Keep the paper original.
2. Find the insurer's refund or cancellation page and read their exact document list before emailing anything. Sending an incomplete first claim is the most common way a two-week process becomes a two-month one.
3. Submit the claim with your policy number in the subject line, the refusal letter attached, and one short paragraph: application date, refusal date, request for the premium refund per their refusal-refund terms.
4. Note the date you submitted. If their terms promise a response window, hold them to it with a polite follow-up the day after it lapses.
5. Keep everything in writing. If a phone call happens, follow it with an email summarizing what was said. You'll want the paper trail if the refund stalls.

Reapplying instead? You may not need the refund at all

If you plan to fix the problem and reapply immediately — which is often the right move, since there's no mandatory waiting period after a refusal — check whether the insurer will amend the existing policy's dates to match your new appointment instead of refunding it. Most providers reissue a certificate with shifted dates for free or for a small fee, which is faster than claiming a refund and buying again. The exception: if the refusal was for the insurance itself (wrong wording, missing repatriation), don't amend — switch to a provider whose certificate passes, and claim the refund on the old one.

Edge cases that trip people up

You're appealing the refusal. An appeal can take weeks, and refund windows don't pause for it. If there's any chance you'll appeal, tell the insurer in writing immediately and ask whether they'll hold the refund window open — some will, none will retroactively.

The refusal letter names a different reason than insurance. Irrelevant for the refund: refusal-refund terms are triggered by the refusal itself, not by its grounds. Any officially documented refusal qualifies.

You already got the visa on reapplication. If you bought a second policy for the new application and the first policy's dates have now passed unused, the first one is usually still refundable under the original refusal — claim it, don't write it off.

The policy started before the decision came. If your coverage start date passed while the consulate was still processing, most insurers prorate or deny the refund since cover technically ran. When your appointment is close to your travel date, set the policy start as late as your itinerary honestly allows.

If the insurer stalls or refuses to pay

First, one written escalation: restate the claim, attach the refusal letter again, quote their own refund terms back to them, and give a clear deadline. If that goes nowhere and you paid by card, a chargeback through your bank for a service not delivered as described is a legitimate route — banks typically accept disputes within 60–120 days of the charge, which is another reason not to sit on a stalled claim. European insurers are also answerable to an insurance ombudsman or financial-conduct regulator in their home country, and a complaint reference number in an email has a way of speeding up internal reviews.

What this doesn't cover

A refusal refund returns your insurance premium — it has nothing to do with visa application fees, which are non-refundable everywhere, or with any other travel costs like flights or hotels. If you need protection for those, that's a separate trip-cancellation product, not visa insurance.

Before you buy

If a refusal refund matters to you — for example, if your application has risk factors that make refusal more likely — filter for it before choosing a plan, not after. Check the current terms directly on the provider's site, since refund policies are exactly the kind of detail insurers update without much notice.