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The rule in writing
“US and UK domestic health plans are generally not structured to cover treatment abroad for residents and are not accepted for long-stay visa applications in France or Italy.”
Official source: Consulate guidance & documented applicant reports — Last verified:
The rule in writing
“The elective residence visa requires health insurance valid across the Schengen area with minimum cover of €30,000, including hospitalisation and repatriation, for the full visa year.”
Official source: Italian consulate elective-residence guidance (via The Italian Lawyer & Global Citizen Solutions) — Last verified:
Will your certificate pass?
What a consulate officer actually looks for on the page.
Passes when it shows
- Private health cover — not travel or Schengen
- Valid in Italy and the Schengen area (€30,000 minimum)
- Covers your full visa period (up to a year)
- No disqualifying deductible on the core cover
Refused when it’s
- A travel or Schengen “trip” policy
- A deductible / excess on core cover
- Cover that ends before your visa does
Why your US plan won't pass
US domestic plans are written for care inside the US network. When you become a resident abroad, they generally stop covering you — and consulates know this. A US plan is a documented reason applications get sent back.
The fix is a health policy valid in Italy and the Schengen area, stating the cover on the certificate the consulate reads.
Medicare stops at the US border
Medicare does not travel. It pays for treatment inside the United States only, with very narrow exceptions, and none of it counts toward an Italian visa.
If you are planning around Medicare, read our Medicare abroad guide before your appointment. You will still need separate cover valid in Italy.
What the consulate accepts instead
The consulate looks for a health policy — not travel insurance — valid across the Schengen area, covering at least €30,000, with hospitalisation and repatriation, for the full visa year.
You can apply and get cover the same day, with no medical exam. Cover is worldwide but excludes treatment in the United States, and pre-existing conditions are excluded.
Honest limits: Cover is worldwide but excludes treatment in the United States. Pre-existing conditions are excluded, including conditions you did not know about. We disclose this before you request a quote. Consulates keep discretion, and requirements can change. We show the published rule and its source; the final decision is the consulate’s. US domestic and Medicare cover does not travel with you — see the questions below.