Schengen requires a specific minimum, programmes sometimes provide their own, and delegates routinely buy the wrong thing twice. What to check.
Short answer: for Schengen countries you need travel medical insurance with a minimum of €30,000 of cover, valid in every Schengen state for the whole of your stay, and you must show the certificate with your visa application. Check first whether the programme provides qualifying cover — delegates buy this twice more often than any other item.
A policy that covers only your destination country will be rejected. So will one that expires the day your programme ends if your flight is the next morning.
Many funded programmes provide insurance, and some provide cover that meets the visa requirement while others provide something narrower — accident cover during sessions, for example, which is not the same thing.
Ask two questions before buying:
If the answer to the second is unclear, ask for the certificate and read it.
The visa requirement is a floor, not advice. Worth considering:
The UK, the US and most other countries do not mandate a specific figure for a visitor visa, but proof of funds to cover medical costs may still be requested. Insurance remains sensible regardless — an emergency abroad without it is the single largest avoidable financial risk of the trip.
Carry a printed copy alongside your invitation letter. Border officers ask, and a phone with a flat battery is a poor place to keep a document you may need.
A minimum of €30,000 in medical cover, valid across all Schengen states for the full duration of your stay, including repatriation.
Some do, some provide narrower accident cover only. Ask specifically whether the policy meets the Schengen minimum and request the certificate.
No. The certificate is normally required as part of the visa application itself.
Standard travel medical policies do not. Some trip-cancellation products include visa refusal as a covered reason — read the specific wording before relying on it.
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