Article 15 of the Schengen Visa Code requires every short-stay applicant to hold travel medical insurance, and the VFS and BLS counters in Hyderabad check the certificate before the file is accepted. A missing or non-compliant policy is listed as a ground for refusal in its own right, which makes it the cheapest document to get right and the most expensive to get wrong.
What the policy must cover
- Minimum cover of €30,000 for medical expenses. The headline sum assured is not enough on its own; the medical limit specifically must reach €30,000 or its equivalent.
- Valid in all Schengen states, not just the country you are applying to. Single-country or 'worldwide excluding Schengen' wording fails.
- For the entire stay or transit. The policy must start no later than the day you arrive and end no earlier than the day you leave. Buffer a day on each side; flights slip.
- Urgent medical attention and emergency hospital treatment.
- Repatriation for medical reasons, and repatriation of remains. A policy without a repatriation clause is refused even if the medical limit is high.
Buy it before the appointment
The certificate is a mandatory counter document. Most Hyderabad applicants buy a Schengen-specific plan the day before the appointment, once dates and flights are fixed, and print the certificate showing €30,000 cover, Schengen-wide validity and the exact trip dates. Submitting a payment receipt instead of the certificate is a surprisingly common slip.
Which Indian insurers are accepted
Schengen missions in India accept policies only from insurers on an agreed list, in force since July 2022 and still cited by consulates in late 2024. It includes most of the familiar names: Acko, Aditya Birla Health, Bajaj Allianz, Bharti AXA, Care Health, Cholamandalam MS, Navi, Zuno, Future Generali, Go Digit, HDFC ERGO, ICICI Lombard, IFFCO-Tokio, Magma, ManipalCigna, National, Niva Bupa, New India Assurance, Oriental, Royal Sundaram, SBI General, Star Health, Tata AIG, United India and Universal Sompo. Domestic mediclaim is not accepted. Confirm the current list with the mission or our desk, as insurers merge and rename.
Employer group policies are accepted only when the consulate can verify each traveller on the insurer's portal, and corporate schemes generally cover full benefits only up to age 70. For parents travelling with you, a separate individual policy is simpler.
Why compliant-looking policies get refused
- A medical sub-limit under €30,000. Worldwide plans often quote a large overall sum with a smaller medical limit in rupees. Read the schedule, not the brochure.
- Dates that do not span the trip. A policy starting on the flight date but ending before the return landing.
- Wrong territory wording. 'Asia', 'worldwide excluding Europe' or a single country.
- No repatriation clause.
- Name not matching the passport, or a certificate the counter cannot read.
- A deductible or excess. The Visa Code does not ban one, but a high excess can push the effective cover under €30,000, and several missions in India expect nil-excess policies. Every Indian 'Schengen' plan we see is written with zero excess, so buy that and avoid the argument.
Multi-year visas: insure every trip
If you are granted a two-year or five-year multiple-entry visa under the cascade for Indian residents, you prove insurance only for the first trip, and you sign a declaration on the form that you will hold compliant cover for every later stay. Border officers can ask for the policy on any entry. Buying a fresh Schengen-compliant policy for each trip is the only way to keep that promise.
How the UK, Australia and Japan differ
- United Kingdom: insurance is not a visa condition, but visitors pay for NHS treatment, so it is strongly recommended and cheap relative to a hospital bill.
- Australia (subclass 600): recommended by the Department of Home Affairs, and some grants carry condition 8501, which makes health insurance compulsory for the stay. Read the grant letter.
- Japan: not mandatory for the tourist visa, recommended, and worth having for the same reason as the UK.
Our travel insurance desk arranges Schengen-compliant policies from approved insurers with the exact dates of your file, and the Schengen visa desk checks the certificate against the consulate's checklist before the appointment.
Questions we hear at the desk
Do I need travel insurance before my Schengen visa appointment?
Yes. The insurance certificate is a mandatory document checked at the VFS or BLS counter, and a missing or non-compliant policy is a formal ground for refusal. Buy it once your dates are fixed, usually the day before the appointment, and bring the printed certificate rather than a payment receipt.
What must Schengen visa insurance cover?
At least €30,000 of medical cover, valid in all Schengen states for the whole stay, including urgent medical attention, emergency hospital treatment, repatriation for medical reasons and repatriation of remains. The dates must span arrival to departure, and the name must match the passport.
Which Indian insurers are accepted for a Schengen visa?
Only policies from insurers on the list agreed with the Schengen missions in India, in force since 2022, which includes most major names such as Bajaj Allianz, HDFC ERGO, ICICI Lombard, Tata AIG, Care Health, Niva Bupa and the public-sector insurers. Domestic mediclaim is not accepted. Check the current list with the mission or our desk.
Does a deductible cause a Schengen insurance refusal?
Not by law, but a high excess can reduce the effective cover below €30,000, and several missions in India expect nil-excess policies. Indian Schengen-specific plans are written with zero excess, so choose one of those and the question does not arise.
I have a five-year Schengen visa. Do I need insurance for every trip?
Yes. You proved cover only for the first trip and signed a declaration that you will hold compliant insurance for every later stay. Border officers can ask for the policy at any entry, so buy a fresh Schengen-compliant policy for each visit.