Short answer
Yes. A Schengen visa legally requires travel insurance covering at least €30,000 in medical expenses, including emergency hospital treatment and repatriation of remains, valid in every Schengen state for the entire stay. Non-compliant policies cause refusal. A compliant policy costs $10 to $20 for ten days.
This is a requirement in the Visa Code rather than a consular preference, and applications with defective insurance are refused without the rest of the file being assessed. The common failures are a policy naming some Schengen states but not all of them, one that omits repatriation of remains, and one whose end date matches the return flight exactly.
Buy cover for two or three days past your return date. If a flight cancellation strands you overnight in Frankfurt, an expired policy turns a minor problem into an uninsured one and complicates any overstay question.
The €30,000 floor is not a sensible target. It clears a fracture and two hospital nights in France; it does not clear an air ambulance from Zermatt or a cardiac event in Zurich, where intensive care runs past €80,000 in a week. For anyone over 55, with a pre-existing condition, or heading to the Alps, buy the US$100,000 tier — the premium difference is usually $5 to $15.
| Requirement | Specification |
|---|---|
| Minimum medical cover | €30,000 |
| Repatriation of remains | Must be explicitly listed |
| Emergency hospital treatment | Must be explicitly listed |
| Geographic scope | All Schengen states, named or stated as area-wide |
| Duration | Full stay, ideally 2–3 days beyond the return date |
| Recommended sum insured | US$100,000 for Alpine or over-55 travel |