International health insurance for visa seekers: 2026 Guide

Whether you’re self-employed, moving abroad with family, working as a digital nomad, or looking to retire somewhere warm, there are plenty of great reasons to move abroad. But wherever you’re moving, there’s a good chance you’ll need a visa. If so, you’ll probably have to think about health insurance sooner rather than later.

Valid health insurance is a prerequisite for most visa applications. This means you’re going to have to think carefully about what policy you require before making your application.

To help you get started, we’ve brought together the health insurance visa requirements for key regions around the world. Here’s what that includes:

• United States J-1 visa health insurance requirements
• United States F-1 visa health insurance requirements
• Schengen visa (Type C) travel insurance requirements
• Long-stay (Type D) visa requirements in Germany, France, and Spain
• United Kingdom Immigration Health Surcharge

United States: health insurance requirements for visas

For expats in the US, there are two main types of visas:

• J-1: The main visa used by expats coming to the US for study and work-related activities. It covers activities like employment, internships, or research projects. Generally, applicants must be sponsored by an organization to qualify.
• F-1: This is the main visa used by international students. If you’re pursuing a full-time academic course at a United States college/university, there’s a good chance this is the visa you’ll need.

These visas have different health insurance requirements. Let's look at each one separately.

United States: J-1 visa health insurance requirements

Most expats in the United States will enter on a J-1 visa. To do so, you will need to demonstrate private health insurance that meets the following requirements:

• Medical benefits of at least $100,000
• Maximum deductibles of $500 per accident or illness
• Maximum co-payments of 25%
• Minimum medical evacuation coverage of $50,000
• Minimum emergency repatriation coverage of $25,000
• Coverage for pre-existing conditions (after a reasonable waiting period)
• Includes coverage or benefits for activities related to the reason for your visa

Travel insurance policies are rarely accepted here. The chosen insurance provider must also be accredited by one of the four following credit agencies:

• AM Best (Minimum A-)
• Insurance Solvency International (Minimum A-i)
• Standard & Poor’s (Minimum A-)
• Weiss Ratings (Minimum B+)

United States: F-1 visa health insurance requirements

Unlike J-1, the F-1 visa does not have health insurance requirements at the federal level.

Nonetheless, the vast majority of students on this visa will need health insurance anyway. The only difference is it will be managed and enforced by your college/university.

By default, most colleges/universities require you to have international health insurance. In general, you will be auto-enrolled into a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) that is managed by your education provider. By default, these must be valid for the entire period of study.

You may opt out in some cases, but only if you can prove equivalent levels of coverage through an alternative health insurance policy.

Schengen area: health insurance requirements for visas

The situation in the Schengen area can be complex because there are several visa types to consider. At the same time, the rules aren’t exactly the same across all Schengen countries.

For the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on two main types of visa:

• Type C Schengen visa: Known as the ‘Schengen’ visa or ‘short-stay’ visa. This is the main type of visa used by tourists. It is valid for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period. The health insurance requirements for this visa are fairly minimal. You will generally require travel insurance for the Schengen visa.
• Type D Schengen visa: This is the long-stay visa, which applies to anybody staying between 90 days and a year. Unlike the short-stay visa, it is designed for use primarily within a specific country, rather than the entire Schengen area. This visa is most relevant to anybody looking to move to a specific Schengen country as an expat. As such, the health insurance requirements differ notably between different countries.

As well as sharing these visas, there are several other principles that Schengen countries have in common:

• Public and private healthcare: Most European countries operate a mixed public and private insurance healthcare system. If you’re moving to a European country, you may become eligible for public healthcare while you’re here. If so, you may not need separate, long-term medical insurance. However, public healthcare entitlements don’t become valid immediately. Either way, you’ll still need valid insurance at the point of entry.
• Schengen baseline: A baseline set of health insurance requirements is defined at the EU level. For instance, rules such as ‘€30,000 minimum coverage’ are consistent across the Schengen area.
• Type C vs. Type D visa requirements: Type C requirements do not differ widely across the Schengen area. Type D requirements are generally higher and differ noticeably between countries.

Schengen visa travel insurance requirements (Type C)

The health insurance requirements for a Type C Schengen visa are defined in the EU Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Article 15. Here are some of the main requirements:

• The policy must offer minimum coverage of €30,000 and be valid across all Schengen countries
• It should also be valid for the entire period of the person’s intended stay/transit
• You should be covered for repatriation expenses. This can relate to urgent medical attention, emergency hospital treatment, or death

These rules are less strict than those for Type D visas, because they’re only designed for short stays. Travel insurance is generally valid here – though repatriation coverage must be included.

Long-stay visa requirements in Germany

Germany has demanding health insurance requirements for long-stay (Type D) visa applicants. Visa applicants must demonstrate valid health insurance at the point of entry. You must also arrange a long-term health insurance solution, which may differ from the policy you used to enter. There are essentially two options for what that long-term arrangement can be:

• State social security: This is known as ‘gesetzliche Krankenversicherung’ (GKV). This is the default option for anybody employed by a German organization who earns less than €77,400 per year – including expats. If you’re an expat with a confirmed job offer, your health insurance will only need to cover you until your GKV entitlements become valid.
• Private insurance: Also known as ‘private Krankenversicherung’ (PKV). This is required for anybody who does not qualify for GKV. If you’re an expat, you will likely require private insurance unless you’re employed by a German organization. If you are employed and earn over €77,400 a year, you may choose a PKV insurance package and opt out of the GKV.

Regardless of the long-term arrangement, you’ll need to demonstrate some form of valid health insurance to enter Germany. If needed, a PKV policy must offer equivalent coverage as Germany's GKV.

Often, expats who aren’t employed by a German organization will not have access to the GKV system. This is particularly relevant to retirees and other non-lucrative expats. If this applies to you, you must maintain full private health insurance indefinitely.

For self-employed expats in Germany, the situation is a little different. Here, you can opt in to the GKV, but only if you’ve previously been registered under the GKV or another European public healthcare system. In this case, you can choose either GKV or PKV. If you haven’t been registered under a European public healthcare system, you’ll need a long-term PKV policy.

Given the choice, many self-employed people still prefer PKV as it can result in lower payments in the short term.

Long-stay visa requirements in France

In France, the long-stay (Type D) visa is known as VLS-TS (Visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour). This enables you to live in France for between four months and a year. Here are some of the most important health insurance requirements:

• Travel insurance policies are not accepted
• The health insurance policy should cover the entire visa length, regardless of how long you want to stay in France
• Medical expenses, hospitalization, and repatriation must all be covered
• Minimum coverage of €30,000
• The policy must not exclude pre-existing conditions
• There must also be no co-pays or deductibles

The situation in France becomes more complex when we take into account the country’s public healthcare system. This is known as ‘Protection Universelle Maladie’ (PUMa). In France, you’ll become eligible for public healthcare after three months in the country. If you apply for and secure public healthcare, the above requirements are no longer valid.

However, France’s public healthcare system only covers around 70% of standard medical costs. French residents and citizens therefore take out an additional ‘top-up’ insurance (known as ‘mutuelle’). This covers the remaining costs in most cases.

If you qualify for public health insurance, you no longer require private insurance. In this case, you may choose to replace your international health insurance with top-up insurance instead. If you’re employed in France, you’ll generally be automatically enrolled in a mutual insurance policy.

Long-stay visa requirements in Spain

Spain has similar requirements for long-stay visas to France. Here are some of the baseline details:

• €30,000 minimum coverage
• The insurer must be authorized to operate in Spain and issue a certificate in Spanish
• No co-pays or deductibles
• The insurance policy must cover all risks insured by Spain’s public healthcare system
• The policy must be valid for at least a year and be maintained for the entire duration of the stay
• Travel insurance is not accepted

For your visa to be accepted, you must have a valid health insurance policy that fulfills these requirements.

Like with other European countries, you may qualify for public healthcare shortly after arriving. In Spain, you can do this by contributing to the local social security system – known as ‘Seguridad Social’.

If you’re employed by a Spanish organization, you will be enrolled into this by default. For freelancers, retirees, and other non-working expats, the situation is more complex. By default, you do not qualify for public healthcare. Therefore, the private health insurance requirements we listed above will apply.

However, there is one caveat: Convenio Especial. This is a separate scheme that lets you pay into the social security system if you’re not already covered through employment. This is primarily designed for non-lucrative expats and freelancers who don’t pay into the system by default. You may apply for this after one year’s residence in the country.

United Kingdom: healthcare requirements for visa applicants

The United Kingdom has a different approach to healthcare and insurance than most European countries.

Visa applicants do not require private health insurance. Instead, you are required to pay an up-front Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) when applying for the visa. This essentially buys access to the country’s public healthcare system – the National Health Service (NHS).

However, the NHS does not cover all types of treatment. Opticians, dentists, hearing specialists, and prescriptions are not paid for by the NHS – even for UK citizens. Therefore, you may choose to take out private healthcare to cover these additional treatments.

The IHS currently costs a flat rate of £1,035 a year. This must be paid up-front, when you apply for your visa. Payment is a prerequisite for the visa being accepted. If the visa you’re applying for will last for multiple years, you must pay all in one go.

Once you’ve paid this fee, you’ll have access to the full UK healthcare system from day one. You can then interact with it in the same way as British citizens.

Expert international health insurance for expats in Europe

Health insurance can be complicated enough in your own country. When you move abroad as an expat, the situation gets even harder.

That’s where Feather comes in. We specialize in international health insurance for expats. Our policies are specifically designed to offer the coverage needed for your visa application. This means we can instantly offer policy documentation that’s designed to be quickly approved by embassies.

What’s more, our friendly (English-speaking) experts are happy to talk through your specific situation. If you’re not sure what health insurance you need or how long for – get in touch, and we’ll be happy to help.