More than the expense of applying for the Schengen visa, it is the cost of the health insurance that one must carry that can be overwhelming. If you are unemployed or are underage, it is likely that you do not have an insurance plan as most forms of health insurance are through your employer. If you are employed, the health insurance provided by your employer is sufficient to obtain this visa. For those of us that do not have any form of health insurance, simply producing a quote from an insurance agency is not sufficient. It is important to purchase health insurance for the duration of stay also making sure that it is over a certain value in order to be able to cover emergency medical situations and evacuation if the need arises.
An individual must have a minimum medical coverage of $30000. Make sure that your insurance company provides you with this information on their letterhead and not in e-mail. Visa authorities insist on receiving letters and not copies, faxes or printouts. There should also be a detailed breakup of what kinds of issues are covered and up to what value. For example, emergency treatment, ambulance and any subsequent hospitalization along with your transportation back to your own country must all be printed out in detail for visa authorities.
You may find that premiums for this type of insurance are fairly high. But keep in mind that you would be paying this premium only for three months as a Schengen visa is not applicable for much longer. Also depending on your age and what pre-existing conditions you have, you may be able to sign up for health insurance that works out to less than $600 for your entire trip. Of course, if you have medical conditions that can pose a problem during your travel such as kidney and diabetes issues, you may be looking at close to $1000 for the entire trip. Although this may sound high, there's really is no getting around having to pay for health insurance in order to obtain the Schengen visa. Remember that you do not have to take the most expensive insurance option that covers just about every ailment you can possibly conceive. If you are young, healthy and traveling alone, getting the very basic minimum that covers just enough for you to be able to qualify for the visa is sufficient. In all likelihood, you will not use the insurance but it does feel good to know that if you do, you will be covered.
A few years ago, it was sufficient to produce an insurance quote along with the letter stating that you would apply for it right before your trip. However, these regulations have changed and visa authorities expect you to have purchased health insurance even before you apply for the Schengen visa.
by: aschengenvisa
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