What does Schengen visa insurance cover?
What does Schengen visa insurance cover? At minimum, emergency medical expenses and repatriation for medical reasons, up to €30,000, across all Schengen states for your whole stay. Beyond that, plans differ a lot: headline limits run from about €30,000 to €2,000,000, several plans cap any single event at $3,000, and pre-existing conditions are generally excluded.
The visa only asks for a floor. What a plan actually pays depends on its schedule of benefits and exclusions, which we read from each provider's policy document.
The legal minimum
The Schengen visa rule requires travel medical insurance covering emergency medical care, urgent hospital treatment and repatriation for medical reasons, with a minimum of €30,000, valid in all Schengen states for the entire stay. The full requirements are in our requirements guide.
What each provider's plan pays
| Provider | Medical limit | Other limits worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| AXA Schengen | €30,000 (Basic), €100,000 (Essential), €2,000,000 (Premium) | Not verified against a policy wording |
| Europ Assistance | €30,000 (Schengen), €60,000 (Schengen Plus) | Repatriation at actual cost; dental €100; Schengen Plus adds companion and hotel-extension benefits |
| Heymondo | Set in your plan; paid for up to 180 days from the event | Private civil liability up to €600,000; sold to age 69 only |
| SafetyWing | Up to $250,000 per active period | Pre-existing evacuation capped at $25,000 lifetime; sold to age 69 only |
| EKTA | $50,000 (Start), $150,000 (Gold), $500,000 (Max+) | $3,000 cap per covered event on every program; age 60+ override cuts the limit |
| AURAS | $35,000 to $250,000 medical, depending on tier | $3,000 cap per covered event; body repatriation only $3,000 on the entry tier |
Source: policy documents in our internal fact table and AXA's public pricing page · Verified 2026-10-14 (AXA tiers checked 2026-09-21). Limits are in each provider's currency, and a plan's headline figure is a whole-trip ceiling.
Headline limit vs what one claim pays
EKTA and AURAS both cap any single covered event at $3,000 per person, on every tier. A $150,000 headline does not mean a $150,000 hospital stay is paid in full. The same pattern exists elsewhere in different forms, such as Europ Assistance's €100 dental limit and SafetyWing's lifetime cap on pre-existing evacuation. Before you buy, find the per-event or per-benefit limits in the schedule.
What is usually excluded
- Pre-existing conditions, except narrow emergencies. See pre-existing conditions by provider.
- Cosmetic and elective treatment, routine check-ups and preventive care.
- Dental beyond emergency relief.
- Extreme sports and alcohol: EKTA's Start program excludes any alcohol involvement, and Heymondo excludes high-risk sports even with its adventure supplement.
- Sanctioned or excluded countries: Europ Assistance and EKTA exclude Russia and Belarus, and AURAS excludes the UAE and any country on the US Level 4 list.
Claims rules that affect what you receive
- EKTA and AURAS require written pre-approval for expenses over $1,000.
- EKTA requires claim documents within 30 calendar days.
- EKTA has a 4-day waiting period if you buy after you have already left your home country.
- Europ Assistance reimburses only expenses it authorised before you incurred them.
Extras: cancellation, baggage and visa refusal
These are not part of the visa requirement. Baggage and trip cancellation are small or optional on the plans that offer them, for example EKTA's optional trip cancellation at $200 to $1,000. Visa-refusal benefits differ in kind: some providers refund the premium, while EKTA's add-on only reimburses the visa fee. See visa refusal refunds.
Frequently asked questions
What does Schengen visa insurance have to cover?
Does the headline limit mean one claim can be that large?
What is usually not covered?
Does it cover trip cancellation or lost baggage?
Do I get my money back if the visa is refused?
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