Health Insurance Requirements

Why insurance trips people up

Income thresholds are easy to understand: you either earn the figure or you don't. Insurance is where applications fail on details. A policy can be perfectly good and still be refused because it covers the wrong territory, stops a month too early, is a travel policy where a health policy is required, or comes with a certificate that does not state the amount the consulate is looking for.

The tables below summarise what the programmes in the atlas ask for, as described on each country page. Amounts and wording change, and consulates sometimes apply stricter practice than the published rule: always check the current checklist of the office where you apply.

Europe

The Americas and the Caribbean

Asia, Africa and the Middle East

What consulates look for in a policy

• The amount, in writing. Where a minimum exists (€30,000, €42,600, €100,000, ¥10 million, US$50,000), the certificate should state the cover limit in figures. A policy summary that says "comprehensive" without a figure invites a request for more documents.
• The territory. Latvia wants Latvia and the Schengen area; Malta wants Malta, the EU and the UK; others only require the host country. A worldwide policy "excluding the country of residence" may exclude exactly the country you are moving to.
• The dates. Cover must usually run for the whole stay or the whole permit. Malta asks for the full year to be paid in advance; renewals need a new certificate for the new period.
• The type of policy. Travel insurance is designed for trips and often excludes routine care and pre-existing conditions. The Czech Digital Nomad Program explicitly refuses it and Spain asks for private health insurance without co-payments, while Estonia's checklist asks precisely for travel medical insurance covering the whole visa period. Where only "insurance" is required, a good international health plan is still the safer choice.
• Repatriation. Japan and Cabo Verde name it explicitly; check that it is included rather than sold as an add-on.
• Every family member. Costa Rica and Japan require dependants to be insured on the same terms as the main applicant; most programmes that accept families expect the same in practice.
• The language. A certificate in English is not always enough: some consulates ask for a translation into the local language. See the apostille and translations guide.

Local or international insurer?

Most programmes accept a policy from an international insurer as long as it meets the requirement. A few are stricter: the Czech requirement is for insurance that complies with Czech rules, and Spain asks for a private policy without co-payments. International plans are convenient if you move between countries, while local policies are sometimes cheaper and are what you will need anyway if you later become resident and join a national system.

Joining a public health system is a separate question from the visa. Taiwan, for example, does not open its national insurance to visitor-visa holders, so private cover is the only option for its nomad visitors. Where a nomad permit leads to ordinary residence, you may be able or required to register with the public system after arrival; the country pages explain what is known for each programme.

Renewals, gaps and exclusions

• Every renewal needs fresh cover. Programmes that are renewed yearly, such as Malta or Mauritius, ask again for insurance covering the new period; a policy that lapses between permits can be a reason to refuse the renewal.
• Territory changes when you travel. If your base country only requires local cover, remember that trips elsewhere may need separate travel insurance, and that Latvia requires cover valid in the whole Schengen area.
• Pre-existing conditions and age. Many international health plans exclude pre-existing conditions for a waiting period or apply age-related pricing. Declare conditions honestly: a claim refused later is worse than a higher premium now.
• Family policies. Where dependants come with you, each person must usually be named on a policy that meets the same requirement as the main applicant's.

Buying for the visa, or for your health?

The cheapest policy that satisfies a checklist is not always the one you want to rely on for a year abroad. The visa requirement sets a floor: an amount, a territory and a period. Your own needs may be higher: outpatient care, maternity, dental, evacuation from a remote island, or cover in your home country during visits. Choose the policy you would want to use, then check that its certificate meets the programme's wording, rather than the other way round.

Related guides

• Proof of income: what consulates accept
• Bringing your family
• Apostilles, legalisation and translations
• Schengen 90/180, EES and ETIAS
• Programmes that ended, closed or never opened

Official sources