Printable · every rule cited and dated
The visa health-insurance checklist
Eight countries, eight written rules. For your destination: read the rule as published, then tick each certificate line before you book the appointment. Print it if you like paper on the day — consulates do.
Before any consulate, anywhere
- The certificate — not just the policy — is what gets checked. Every required fact below must be stated on the certificate.
- Names and dates on the certificate match your passport and your intended stay.
- Keep cover continuous: a lapse can reset your policy’s date of entry and re-open exclusions.
- Pre-existing conditions are excluded, including conditions you did not know about. We disclose this before you request a quote.
- Cover is worldwide but excludes treatment in the United States.
- Consulates keep discretion, and requirements can change. We show the published rule and its source; the final decision is the consulate’s.
France
The rule in writing
“For a long-stay visa (VLS-TS), you must hold private health insurance covering your full stay in France. Travel insurance and short-stay Schengen policies are not accepted.”
Official source: France-Visas (france-visas.gouv.fr) & FrenchEntrée long-stay guide — Last verified:
The rule in writing
“The policy must provide medical and hospitalisation cover valid in France for the whole visa period (up to one year), stating inpatient and outpatient cover and the territory.”
Official source: France-Visas long-stay visa requirements — Last verified:
The rule in writing
“Consulates commonly refuse policies with a deductible (excess) on the core cover. Applicants report rejections over deductible clauses; the certificate should show cover without a disqualifying deductible.”
Official source: Consulate application guidance & documented applicant reports — Last verified:
Your certificate checklist
- Certificate says private health insurance (not travel insurance)
- Cover valid in France for the full visa period
- No deductible / excess stated on the certificate
- Budget note: a 2025 law added a healthcare participation charge for some non-working residents (decree pending) — see the France pages
Italy
The rule in writing
“The elective residence visa is widely handled to the €30,000 Schengen insurance standard — hospitalisation and repatriation cover for the full visa year — though published consulate checklists vary: some ask for cover of 100% of medical expenses, and requirements differ by consulate.”
Official source: Official esteri.it consulate checklists (Chicago, Boston et al., which vary) & widely-applied Schengen standard — Last verified:
The rule in writing
“A health policy structured for residence is the safe submission for the elective residence visa: consulate checklists vary, and applicants report refusals over travel-grade policies. Cover should be valid in Italy and the Schengen area for the full year.”
Official source: Official esteri.it consulate checklists (varying) & documented ERV applicant reports — Last verified:
The rule in writing
“For the first year, consulates commonly expect zero deductible or co-pay and repatriation cover — practice varies by consulate, and no published checklist states a deductible rule outright.”
Official source: Consulate application language & applicant reports (b2 forum pass; re-checked vs 8 esteri.it checklists 2026-07) — Last verified:
Your certificate checklist
- Cover meets the widely-applied €30,000 standard (published checklists vary by consulate)
- Hospitalisation and repatriation named on the certificate
- Zero deductible in year one (consulates commonly expect it)
- Keep the certificate for the questura (police HQ) permesso stage after arrival
Portugal
The rule in writing
“Portugal’s national-visa documentation page requires valid insurance covering urgent medical care and possible repatriation. In practice, consulates and visa centres commonly apply the €30,000 Schengen standard (Schengen-wide validity, urgent care, hospitalisation, repatriation), and some US visa centres ask for a full year of validity — treat €30,000 as the practical bar, with the published national-visa rule as the floor.”
Official source: Portuguese MFA visa portal — national-visa documentation (vistos.mne.gov.pt); €30,000 = the MFA’s published Schengen-visa standard, commonly applied in practice — Last verified:
The rule in writing
“At the AIMA residence-permit appointment after arrival, travel-grade insurance is no longer enough: applicants show full health insurance valid in Portugal, or registration with the public SNS. Applicants consistently report this second stage catching them out.”
Official source: AIMA appointment guidance as documented by applicants and advisors (not a single government checklist — confirmed case-by-case) — Last verified:
Your certificate checklist
- Consulate stage: urgent care + repatriation published; the €30,000 Schengen standard is the bar applied in practice
- Some US visa centres ask for a full year of validity — check yours
- AIMA stage: full health insurance valid in Portugal (travel-grade is no longer enough)
Spain
The rule in writing
“Spain requires health insurance “contracted with an insurance entity authorized to operate in Spain” for the non-lucrative and digital-nomad visas — with no deductible, no copayment, no waiting period and no coverage limit. Most international policies fail this rule on registration grounds.”
Official source: Consulates General of Spain (Los Angeles & London) — official visa requirements — Last verified:
Your certificate checklist
- Insurer authorized to operate in Spain (the rule most international policies fail)
- No deductible, no copayment, no waiting period, no coverage limit
- Confirm the Spain-compliant arrangement on your quote call before you rely on it
Greece
The rule in writing
“Greece’s national (type D) visas require travel medical insurance with minimum cover of €30,000, valid for the whole Schengen area and the full duration of stay, covering emergency care, hospitalisation, and repatriation.”
Official source: Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs (mfa.gr) national-visa documentation — Last verified:
Your certificate checklist
- Minimum €30,000, valid across the whole Schengen area
- Full duration of stay covered
- Emergency care, hospitalisation, and repatriation named
Malta
The rule in writing
“Malta’s Nomad Residence Permit requires health insurance covering the EU (including Malta) and the UK, for one full year with the premium paid in advance. Travel insurance is not accepted — but a foreign health policy that meets the requirements is explicitly acceptable.”
Official source: Residency Malta Agency — Nomad Residence Permit health-insurance policy — Last verified:
Your certificate checklist
- Cover for the EU (including Malta) and the UK
- One full year, premium paid in advance
- Foreign health policies are explicitly acceptable — travel insurance is not
Germany
The rule in writing
“For Germany’s national visa, health insurance must include the benefits statutory-insured persons are entitled to under §11(1–3) SGB V, and the contract must be open-ended — no expiry or cancellation clauses tied to age, employment, or residence status. Travel insurance is insufficient.”
Official source: German Federal Foreign Office — health insurance in the national visa procedure — Last verified:
Your certificate checklist
- Benefits equivalent to statutory cover (§11(1–3) SGB V)
- Open-ended contract — no expiry or cancellation tied to age, employment, or residence status
- Travel insurance is insufficient
Austria
The rule in writing
“Austrian residence permits require health insurance that provides benefits in Austria and covers all risks, with claims payable in Austria — a stricter standard than a Schengen travel policy.”
Official source: migration.gv.at & oesterreich.gv.at — residence-permit general conditions — Last verified:
Your certificate checklist
- Benefits provided in Austria, covering all risks
- Claims payable in Austria
- Standards are assessed case by case — have the wording checked before you file
Want it checked by a person? Request a quote — a specialist confirms the certificate wording your consulate expects before you buy anything.