The short answer
Travel insurance for a Schengen visa must cover at least €30,000 for emergency medical treatment, hospital care and repatriation, including in case of death, in every Schengen state for the whole stay. Buy it from a real insurer, in your passport name, for your exact dates; Germany's embassy in Dhaka publishes a list of accepted Bangladeshi insurers.
In Bangla
শেনজেন ভিসার ভ্রমণ বীমায় জরুরি চিকিৎসা, হাসপাতালে ভর্তি এবং মৃত্যুসহ দেশে ফেরত পাঠানোর খরচ বাবদ কমপক্ষে €৩০,০০০ কভার থাকতে হবে, যা পুরো শেনজেন এলাকায় পুরো সফরজুড়ে বৈধ। পাসপোর্টের নামে, সঠিক তারিখে, আসল বীমা কোম্পানি থেকে পলিসি কিনুন; ঢাকার জার্মান দূতাবাস গ্রহণযোগ্য বীমা কোম্পানির তালিকা প্রকাশ করে।
Key takeaways
- Schengen travel medical insurance must cover at least €30,000 for emergency treatment, hospital care and repatriation, including repatriation after death.
- The policy has to be valid in every Schengen state and for every day of the planned stay.
- The German embassy in Dhaka lists 20 Bangladeshi insurers whose travel policies it currently accepts, and it does not accept credit-card insurance.
- Germany will not issue a visa that starts before the insurance does, so the policy dates matter as much as the amount.
- A policy the insurer cannot confirm is treated as false, so buy only from the insurer or its authorised agent and keep the receipt.
Travel insurance for a Schengen visa is one of the few papers you buy rather than collect, which makes it easy to get wrong in both directions: paying for cover you do not need, or buying a cheap certificate the consulate will not accept. This guide explains what the policy must cover, which insurers are accepted in Bangladesh, and how to check a policy before you lodge.
Do you need travel insurance for a Schengen visa?
Yes. Every Schengen visa applicant must show travel medical insurance that covers emergency medical care, hospital treatment and repatriation, including repatriation in the event of death, according to the European Commission's visa page. Without it the consulate can refuse, and missing insurance is one of the grounds printed on the standard refusal form.
The rule protects you and the country you visit. Medical care in Europe is expensive, and the consulate wants to know an accident or illness will not leave a bill nobody can pay. Treat it as a real policy for a real trip; our Schengen visa from Bangladesh guide shows where it sits in the wider file.
What must the policy cover?
The policy must cover at least €30,000 and be valid in all Schengen states for the whole stay. The Italian embassy's checklist says it must cover medical fees, hospitalisation and repatriation and fully cover the period of stay; the German checklist asks for a €30,000 minimum including repatriation, for the full visa period and all Schengen countries.
| Requirement | What to look for | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum cover | At least €30,000 for medical costs | German tourist checklist |
| Emergency care and hospital | Emergency medical treatment and hospitalisation named in the cover | European Commission visa page |
| Repatriation | Medical repatriation, and repatriation of remains in case of death | European Commission visa page |
| Territory | All Schengen states, not only your main destination | Italian tourism checklist |
| Dates | Every day from entry to exit, matching the flight reservation | Italian and German checklists |
| Name and passport | Your name and passport number exactly as in the passport | Consistency with the rest of the file |
Which insurance companies are accepted for a Schengen visa in Bangladesh?
The German embassy in Dhaka publishes a list of insurers whose travel policies it currently accepts. The page, dated 9 December 2024, names 20 Bangladeshi companies in alphabetical order, from Asia Pacific General Insurance to United Insurance, including Green Delta Insurance, Pragati Insurance, Sadharan Bima Corporation and Jiban Bima Corporation. It says currently, so check it again before buying.
The Italian tourism checklist sets the cover rules but names no insurers, and for other embassies the official page for your destination has the final word. A name on a list is not a recommendation: compare the policy wording, the exclusions and the claims process, not just the brand.
Is credit card travel insurance accepted?
Not by Germany. The German embassy's tourist checklist says insurance that comes with a credit card is not accepted, and other consulates may take the same view. Card cover often depends on conditions, such as paying for the trip with that card, that a consulate cannot verify, so buy a standalone travel medical policy in your own name.
How do you check that a policy is genuine?
A consulate can contact the insurer, so check the policy the same way before you lodge it.
- 1
Buy from the insurer or its authorised agent
Pay the insurer directly or through an agent it names, and get a money receipt in your own name.
- 2
Read the certificate line by line
Check the name and passport number against the passport, the travel dates, the territory covering every Schengen state, and cover of at least €30,000 including repatriation.
- 3
Call the insurer
Use the phone number on the insurer's own website, not the one printed on the certificate, and ask them to confirm the policy number.
- 4
Save the assistance number
Most travel policies list an emergency assistance line for use abroad. Save it on your phone before you fly.
- 5
Ask what happens after a refusal
Before paying, ask whether the policy can be cancelled or refunded if the visa is refused, what charge applies and which papers they need. Terms differ, so get it in writing.
Should an agency arrange your insurance?
An agency can point you to insurers, but you should still see the policy, check it yourself and pay a real insurer. Be careful with any agency that bundles insurance into its fee without handing you the insurer's own certificate and receipt.
The better use of an agency is checking that the insurance fits the rest of the file. An agency that uses Visolv has every paper read and compared: the policy name against the passport, the policy dates against the flights and leave, and the territory against the itinerary. Mismatches appear as findings before you lodge. See how the check works.
How long should the insurance last on a multiple-entry visa?
For a single trip, the policy should run from the day you enter to the day you leave the Schengen area. If you ask for a multiple-entry visa, the application form makes you declare that you need adequate travel medical insurance for the first stay and every later visit, so insure the first trip and buy fresh cover for each one after.
Germany adds that a visa cannot be issued earlier than the start date of your insurance, so a policy that starts a day late can shorten the visa you receive. Match the policy dates to the flight reservation, and leave a small margin at both ends if your insurer allows it.
What if you need to claim in Europe?
Call the insurer's emergency assistance number as soon as you can, keep every bill and medical report, and follow the claim steps in the policy wording. Read the exclusions, such as pre-existing conditions or age limits, before you buy rather than after you need them.
Keep the certificate with your passport while you travel, because border officers can ask for proof of insurance when you enter. Our Schengen visa documents checklist lists the other papers worth carrying, and if a refusal names insurance, our guide on what to do after a Schengen refusal explains how to fix it.
Travel insurance for a Schengen visa is easy to get right: €30,000 of cover, every Schengen state, every day of the trip, in your passport name, from a real insurer. Check it before you lodge, and if you want the whole file checked the same way, go through a visa agency that uses Visolv.
Frequently asked questions
How much travel insurance do I need for a Schengen visa?
At least €30,000 of cover for emergency medical treatment, hospital care and repatriation, including repatriation in case of death. The German and Italian embassy checklists in Dhaka both state the €30,000 minimum, and the policy must be valid in every Schengen state for the whole stay. Higher cover is fine; lower cover is not accepted.
Which insurance companies are accepted for a Schengen visa in Bangladesh?
The German embassy in Dhaka publishes a list of 20 Bangladeshi insurers whose travel policies it currently accepts, including Green Delta Insurance, Sadharan Bima Corporation and Pragati Insurance. The Italian checklist sets cover rules instead of naming companies. Check the embassy's page before buying, because the list can change, and compare the policy wording rather than just the brand.
Is credit card insurance enough for a Schengen visa?
Not for Germany, whose Dhaka checklist says credit-card insurance is not accepted, and it is risky elsewhere because card cover usually depends on conditions a consulate cannot check. Buy a standalone travel medical policy in your own name that shows the €30,000 minimum, every Schengen state, repatriation and your exact travel dates.
Do I get my insurance money back if my visa is refused?
It depends on the insurer and the policy terms, which differ between companies. Before you pay, ask whether the policy can be cancelled or refunded after a visa refusal, what charge applies and what papers they need, such as the refusal letter. Get the answer in writing so there is no argument later.
Does the insurance need to start on my flight date?
It should start on the day you enter the Schengen area and end on the day you leave, matching your flight reservation. The German embassy says a visa cannot be issued earlier than the start date of the insurance, so a late start can shorten your visa. Leave a small margin at each end if the insurer allows it.
Do children need separate Schengen travel insurance?
Every applicant needs cover in their own name, including children, though some insurers sell family policies that list each traveller. Whatever the format, each child's name and passport number must appear on the certificate, with the same €30,000 cover, territory and dates as the adults. Check that the policy names every person before you lodge.
The Visolv team
Editorial team, Easital Technologies (Dhaka)
Visolv is software for visa agencies, made in Dhaka by Easital Technologies: an AI caseworker that reads and checks every paper in a client's file, writes the drafts and builds the upload pack under the agency's own brand. We write about what we see in real visa files from Bangladesh.
