Erasmus travel and health insurance: is EHIC enough, or do you need private cover?
A guide for Erasmus students explaining EHIC, private health insurance, campus requirements and how to prepare insurance proof.
Insurance is the item in the Erasmus file most often considered "sorted" and most often the source of problems. The reason: there are three separate insurance needs, and most students assume one substitutes for another.
Three separate needs
1. Insurance for the visa. The travel health policy required for a Schengen application, usually with a minimum of €30,000 cover. It has to span the whole Erasmus period.
2. Insurance legally required in the country. Some countries require local health insurance for university enrolment — Germany is the strictest example.
3. Cover that is actually useful day to day. The part that lets you see a doctor without paying up front.
These three may or may not be the same policy. The common mistake is treating a cheap travel policy bought for the visa as all three.
Travel insurance or health insurance — which one does Erasmus need?
Both, and they are not the same product. Health insurance pays for treatment: the consultation, the hospital stay, the medication. Travel cover deals with the risks around the journey — cancellation, delay, lost baggage and medical repatriation.
For a Schengen visa you need travel health insurance with at least €30,000 of cover, valid across the Schengen area for the whole mobility period. That requirement is what makes travel health insurance effectively compulsory for any Erasmus student who needs a visa.
The two are often sold as a single policy, but not automatically: a policy labelled "travel health" does not necessarily include baggage or cancellation cover, so read the benefits table rather than the product name. There is also a third heading — liability insurance (Haftpflichtversicherung in Germany), which covers damage you cause to someone else's property. It is not an Erasmus requirement, but some halls of residence and traineeship contracts ask for it.
Is the EHIC enough?
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), or the equivalent social security document from your home country, covers emergency and necessary treatment in the public system. That is meaningful protection, but it has three gaps:
- It is usually not enough for the visa on its own. Consulates may still require a private policy.
- It does not cover private providers. In many cities a private clinic is the fast way to get an appointment.
- It excludes repatriation and travel cover such as baggage or cancellation.
Treat the EHIC as complementary, not as the whole solution.
What to check before buying
- Start and end dates. The policy must begin before you travel and end after your return date. The most common mistake is using the end of term and leaving the journey home uncovered.
- Cover amount. The general Schengen threshold is €30,000.
- Geographic scope. It must say "Schengen states"; covering only your destination is not enough, because the cover drops the moment you cross a border.
- Repatriation. Transport home in serious cases — most consulates look for this.
- Deductible. On cheap policies the first €100–200 may be yours to pay.
- Pre-existing conditions. Chronic conditions are usually excluded; if you take medication, ask explicitly.
- Sports and activities. Skiing or climbing may need a separate add-on.
What to watch by country
Germany. German health insurance (public or a recognised private equivalent) is required at enrolment. The travel policy bought for the visa does not substitute for it. This is a separate task handled during registration week. Germany guide
Netherlands. For non-EU students insurance is mandatory and, like most processes, depends on the BSN — which itself follows municipal registration. Factor that delay into your first weeks. Netherlands guide
Poland. A Schengen-valid policy is a compulsory part of the visa file. Poland guide
After you buy the policy
- Save the policy number and emergency line to your phone offline.
- Carry a printed copy; it can be requested at first registrations.
- Read the exclusions once — the moment you need cover is a bad time to read them.
- If your stay is extended, extend the policy; set a reminder for the end date.
Common mistakes
- The policy not covering the journey home.
- Assuming the EHIC is sufficient for the visa.
- Not treating German enrolment insurance as a separate task.
- Buying the cheapest policy without noticing the deductible.
- Forgetting to extend the policy when the period is extended.
For the full visa file see the visa and residence guide, and for total cost the budget guide.
The current requirements of your institution and destination country are binding; this article gives the general framework.