Health insurance for visas: what each long-stay visa asks (2026)
Spain asks for an insurer authorised in Spain with 100% cover and no co-payments, Germany says foreign insurance is not sufficient, Portugal and Croatia accept travel insurance, Thailand's LTR asks for USD 50,000 of cover, and the UK charges a health surcharge instead. One row per visa, from the official pages read on 7 November 2026; where the source says nothing, the table says so.
Not immigration or insurance advice. These are the words of the official pages on the date we read them. Consulates can ask for more, and each consulate decides whether your policy is acceptable: check with the consulate or visa centre where you apply before you buy.
| Visa | Insurance required? | Minimum cover | Local insurer only? | Travel insurance accepted? | How long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain non-lucrative visa Retirement / passive income | Yes | All risks of the Spanish public health system; 100% of costs, no co-payments, no waiting periods in year 1 | Yes: an insurer authorised to operate in Spain | Not stated for this visa (the study visa page excludes it) | Full cover for the first year of residence; kept for renewals (art. 64) |
| Spain digital nomad visa Digital nomad | Yes, unless you are covered by Spanish Social Security or a social security agreement | All risks of the Spanish public health system | Yes: an insurer authorised to operate in Spain | Not stated | Not stated on the page |
| Spain student visa Student | Yes | Benefits similar to the Spanish National Health System; 100% of costs, no co-payments, no waiting periods | Yes: an insurer authorised to operate in Spain | No: travel insurance and credit-card insurance are not valid | The whole planned stay |
| Portugal D7 visa (passive income) Retirement / passive income | Yes, unless a health agreement covers you (e.g. Brazil PB4, UK S1) | Necessary medical expenses, urgent care and repatriation; no amount stated | Not stated | Yes: the page asks for “valid travel insurance” | Not stated on the page |
| Portugal D8 digital nomad visa Digital nomad | Yes, unless a health agreement covers you (e.g. Brazil PB4, UK S1) | Necessary medical expenses, urgent care and repatriation; no amount stated | Not stated | Yes: the page asks for “valid travel insurance” | Not stated on the page |
| Portugal student visa Student | No for higher education students at a recognised institution; yes for level 4-5 vocational courses | No amount stated | Not stated | Vocational students: travel insurance and health insurance | Not stated on the page |
| Italy digital nomad visa Digital nomad | Yes | Medical care and hospital stays; the Boston consulate asks for at least €30,000 (or $50,000) | Not stated | The Boston consulate asks for travel medical insurance | The period of the stay |
| Italy student visa (university) Student | Yes | Medical care and hospital stays (circular MUR/MAECI 2026-2028) | Not stated | See our Study in Italy page | The whole stay |
| Croatia digital nomad permit Digital nomad | Yes | No amount stated; must cover Croatia | Not stated | Yes: “travel or private health insurance” | The time you plan to be in Croatia |
| Hungary White Card Digital nomad | Yes: insurance, a health agreement, or proof you can pay for care | The full range of health services | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated on the page |
| Germany EU Blue Card Work | Yes | Statutory health insurance or comparable private insurance in Germany | Yes: “Foreign health insurance is not sufficient” (Berlin) | No (foreign insurance is not sufficient) | Not stated on the page |
| Thailand Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa Long-term resident (all four types) | Yes, or Thai social security, or a USD 100,000 deposit for 12 months | USD 50,000 for hospitalisation and medical treatment in Thailand | Not stated | No: the BOI checklist says travel insurance is not accepted | The whole stay, with at least 10 months of cover remaining when you apply; kept for the whole visa |
| Thailand Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) Digital nomad | Not asked on the 37 embassy pages we read | – | – | – | – |
| Mexico temporary resident visa Retirement / passive income | Not asked on the 10 consulate pages we read | – | – | – | – |
| UK visas (Skilled Worker, family, Graduate, Ancestry, Student) Work, family, study | No private insurance: most people pay the immigration health surcharge (IHS) | No insurance cover: Immigration Health Surcharge £1,035 a year (£776 for students and under-18s), a fee for NHS access | – | – | Paid per year of the visa; not for 6 months or less applying from outside the UK |
“Not stated” means the official page we read does not say it: it does not mean the consulate will not ask. Rows with a link have their own page with the official words.
Compare travel and health insurance
AffiliateWhere the official source accepts a travel insurance policy (Portugal, Croatia, Schengen visit visas), you can compare policies before you buy. Spain and Germany ask for an insurer authorised in the country, and the Thailand LTR checklist says travel insurance is not accepted: this offer is not for those visas. HelloSafe compares policies from several insurers online. Check that the policy you choose matches every point of the official rule (cover, dates, where it is valid) and ask the consulate if you are unsure: we have not checked any policy against a consulate's requirements.
Compare policies on HelloSafe (opens in a new tab)
Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Buying insurance does not guarantee a visa: the consulate decides.
The official words, visa by visa
Italy digital nomad visa
have health insurance for medical care and hospital stays, valid in Italy and for the period of the stay
(our translation; official text:dispongano di una assicurazione sanitaria per cure mediche e ricovero ospedaliero valida per il territorio nazionale e per il periodo del soggiorno
)Letter or certificate of travel medical insurance showing coverage for medical expenses, hospitalization costs and repatriation for medical reasons, for the days you are outside the United States.
Insurance coverage must not be less than 30,000 Euro (or $50,000).
Sources: Decree of 29 February 2024 on digital nomads and remote workers, Gazzetta Ufficiale no. 79 of 4 April 2024 (Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana, read on 7 November 2026); Consulate General of Italy in Boston, Digital nomad / remote worker visa (Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, read on 7 November 2026).
What the official page does not say: whether the insurer must be local or can be foreign. Ask the consulate or immigration office where you apply.
Italy student visa (university)
The circular of the Ministries of University and Foreign Affairs for 2026-2028 asks international students for Una adeguata copertura assicurativa per cure mediche e ricoveri ospedalieri
(“adequate insurance cover for medical care and hospital stays”). Once you hold a study permit you can also register with the National Health Service for at least €700 a year. Health insurance for studying in Italy: the options in detail.
Source: Procedures for the entry, stay and enrolment of international students, academic years 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 (Ministry of University and Research (MUR) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, read on 31 October 2026).
Croatia digital nomad permit
proof of health insurance for the period of time that you plan to be in Croatia (travel or private health insurance must cover the territory of the Republic of Croatia)
Source: Croatian Ministry of the Interior, Temporary stay of digital nomads (Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova, read on 7 November 2026).
What the official page does not say: whether the insurer must be local or can be foreign; a minimum amount of cover. Ask the consulate or immigration office where you apply.
Hungary White Card
You must prove with a document that you are insured for the full range of health services, or that you are able to pay for the cost of health care.
(our translation; official text:Önnek okirattal igazolnia kell, hogy az egészségügyi ellátások teljes körére biztosítottnak minősül, vagy az egészségügyi ellátás költségeit biztosítani képes.
)on the basis of the documents proving your means of subsistence, you are able to pay for the cost of your health care.
(our translation; official text:a megélhetését igazoló okiratok alapján egészségügyi ellátása költségeit biztosítani képes.
)
Source: National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing, White Card (digital nomad stay) (Országos Idegenrendészeti Főigazgatóság, read on 7 November 2026).
What the official page does not say: whether the insurer must be local or can be foreign; whether a travel insurance policy is enough; how long the policy must last. Ask the consulate or immigration office where you apply.
Mexico temporary resident visa
None of the 10 Mexican consulate pages we read on 31 October 2026 asks for health insurance for the temporary resident visa. Mexico residency: income and savings by consulate.
UK visas (Skilled Worker, family, Graduate, Ancestry, Student)
Most people need to pay the immigration health surcharge
You can start using the NHS free of charge from the date your visa starts.
£1,035 per year for all other visa and immigration applications
£776 per year for students, their dependants, and those on a Youth Mobility Scheme visa
£776 per year for visa and immigration applicants who are under the age of 18 at time of application
You do not need to pay the surcharge if you’re applying from outside the UK for 6 months or less.
Sources: GOV.UK, Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application (UK Visas and Immigration, read on 7 November 2026); GOV.UK, Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application: how much you have to pay (UK Visas and Immigration, read on 7 November 2026).
Visa pages
Visas we could not check
Greece (digital nomad and financially independent persons visas): the official pages of the Ministry of Migration answered 404 and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs page 403 on 7 November 2026, so we do not publish a rule.
Schengen visa insurance (short stays): the official rule · Digital nomad visa income requirements
Questions people ask
Which visas require health insurance?
11 of the 15 long-stay visas in our table ask for health insurance or an equivalent: Spain, Portugal, Italy, Croatia, Hungary, Germany and the Thailand LTR. The Thailand DTV and Mexico pages we read do not ask for it; the UK asks for the immigration health surcharge instead of insurance.
Is travel insurance enough for a long-stay visa?
It depends on the country. Portugal and Croatia accept travel insurance; the Spanish consulate's study visa page says travel insurance is not valid; the Berlin immigration office says foreign health insurance is not sufficient for the EU Blue Card; the BOI's checklist for the Thailand LTR says travel insurance is not accepted.
Do I need a local insurer?
Spain asks for an insurer authorised to operate in Spain; Germany asks for German statutory or comparable private insurance. The Portuguese, Croatian, Hungarian, Italian and Thai pages do not say the insurer must be local.