The minimum for a Schengen short-stay visa
Set by Article 15 of the EU Visa Code, and it must include repatriation. It is a visa rule — a Lithuanian residence permit has no sum insured at all.
The €30,000 figure everyone quotes is a Schengen visa rule, not a Lithuanian residence permit rule. For a Schengen short-stay visa you need at least €30,000 of medical cover including repatriation, valid across the Schengen area, and that comes from EU law. For a Lithuanian residence permit, Article 6¹ of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens sets no figure at all — it requires cover for necessary medical assistance and repatriation on health grounds, valid for your entire period of residence.
Table of Contents
Which Insurers Sell to Foreigners
Nothing on this page is paid placement and no provider pays to appear. Where one runs an affiliate programme we may earn a commission if you sign up through our link; where one does not, we link to them anyway. Ordering reflects published terms and how well each option works for someone arriving from abroad — never what it pays.
If you are buying in Lithuania rather than at home, this is the market — and what separates these insurers is not price but whether you can buy at all without a Lithuanian personal code.
All of these are on the Bank of Lithuania register of insurers — Lietuvos draudimas and Compensa as Lithuanian companies, ERGO, BTA, Balcia and If as Lithuanian branches of EEA insurers.
The options, side by side
For a Schengen visa you are choosing a sum insured, so the two insurers with working calculators matter more here than they do for a permit. Ordered by how far you can get in English.
Feather
Best for: buying before a personal code
Key highlights
Key features
- No Lithuanian personal code
- Instant documents
- English throughout, support included
- Written for permit applicants
Policy details
- personal code
- Not needed
- buying
- Fully online
- language
- English
Summary
- No Lithuanian personal code
- Instant documents
- English throughout, support included
- Written for permit applicants
- 31-day waiting period
- You pay clinics and claim back
- New conditions only
- Not a Lithuanian insurer
ERGO
Best for: English with a Lithuanian insurer
Key highlights
Key features
- Full English product page
- Terms published in English
- Repatriation stated explicitly
- Sum insured set to your case
Policy details
- terms
- English, No. 043
- personal code
- Not needed
- price
- Quote only
Summary
- Full English product page
- Terms published in English
- Repatriation stated explicitly
- Sum insured set to your case
- No published price
- Excludes conditions treated within 6 months
- Excludes manual work and extreme sports
- Email reply, not instant cover
Lietuvos draudimas
Best for: a certificate no official queries
Key highlights
Key features
- Purpose-built foreigner product
- Repatriation and remains covered
- Lithuanian company, not a branch
- Phone line for callers abroad
Policy details
- page language
- Lithuanian
- from abroad
- +370 5 266 6612
- price
- Quote only
Summary
- Purpose-built foreigner product
- Repatriation and remains covered
- Lithuanian company, not a branch
- Phone line for callers abroad
- Product page is Lithuanian only
- Not in the English section
- Quote only, by contact form
- No limits published beyond dental
Balcia
Best for: asking for the product by name
Key highlights
Key features
- Named foreigner policy exists
- Terms in both languages
- Full English site
- International line, around the clock
Policy details
- terms
- LT and EN
- support
- 24/7
- price
- Not published
Summary
- Named foreigner policy exists
- Terms in both languages
- Full English site
- International line, around the clock
- No sales page for it
- Link lands on travel cover
- Limits not published
- Easy to be sold wrong product
BTA
Best for: a Schengen visa sum you pick
Key highlights
Key features
- Live English calculator
- Price shown immediately
- Full English page
- Assistance line around the clock
Policy details
- page language
- English
- buying
- Calculator
- assistance
- English and Russian
Summary
- Live English calculator
- Price shown immediately
- Full English page
- Assistance line around the clock
- Not a permit-specific product
- Repatriation not stated on page
- Assistance number is Latvian
- Check wording before relying on it
Compensa
Best for: readers who manage some Lithuanian
Key highlights
Key features
- Calculator loads and quotes
- Lithuanian company on the register
- No phone call needed
Policy details
- page language
- Lithuanian
- buying
- Calculator
- price
- Shown on screen
Summary
- Calculator loads and quotes
- Lithuanian company on the register
- No phone call needed
- No working English path
- Main product page broken
- Travel cover, not permit product
- Over-75s treated as a special case
What the cards leave out. Feather breaks the loop the Lithuanian market creates — you need insurance to get the permit, and the permit to get the code. Sign-up is fully online, in English, and the documents come back in about two minutes; you pay the clinic and claim the money back, and it is an EEA insurer passported in rather than a Lithuanian one. ERGO is the only Lithuanian insurer here with an English product page, English terms and an English quote form that never asks for a personal code. No price is published — you get a quote — and the response comes by email.
Lietuvos draudimas sells a product built for foreigners rather than adapted from holiday cover, from the country's largest insurer, with a phone line published for callers from abroad on +370 5 266 6612. Its product page is Lithuanian only, no price is published, and the dental limit is €50. Balcia has a dedicated Foreigner Medical Expenses policy with bilingual terms and 24/7 support — but no sales page for it is published anywhere, so the link lands on general travel cover and no price is published either. Ask for the policy by name.
BTA is one of only two here that shows a price without a phone call, but it is standard travel cover and the page never mentions permits. You buy through the English calculator, the assistance line is published in English and Russian, and repatriation is not stated on the product page. Compensa's calculator works and reaches a price on screen, in Lithuanian, while the main product page it belongs to currently returns a redirect loop, so our link goes straight past it. Over-75s are treated as a special case.
Nothing on this page is paid placement — see our editorial guidelines.
Names that come up and are not answers
| Name | What it actually is | What that means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Seesam | Not an independent insurer. Merged into Compensa on 1 July 2020 and survives as a Compensa product brand | Stop looking for a Seesam quote. Ask Compensa |
| Lamantinas | Does not sell this class of insurance at all — its only line is customs-procedure liability, sold to businesses | Nothing here for a traveller or a permit applicant |
| Gjensidige | Mid-merger into ERGO. Its travel page now redirects to ergo.lt | Advice naming it predates the merger. Ask ERGO |
| Allianz Lietuva | Life insurance only. No health, no travel | Not a route to visa or permit cover |
Nobody publishes a price. Every insurer here ends the journey in a contact form, because premiums are set individually on your age, your dates and where you are going — so the number does not exist until you ask for it.
The €30,000 works the same way. It is a sum you ask for when you buy, not a feature baked into a named product, and it lives in the terms document rather than on the product page. So do not shop by product name: say what sum insured you need, and when the certificate comes back, check it names that sum, repatriation, and your dates.
Why You Can Trust This Guide
Two Different Rules — and One of Them Is Invented
This is where people waste money, and it is the single most useful thing on this page.
The €30,000 figure is real, and it is European. It is written into the Visa Code and applies to the Schengen short-stay visa. It is then copied, wrongly, onto every page about Lithuanian residence permits. For a residence permit, Lithuanian law sets no sum insured at all.
| What you are applying for | Sum insured set by law | Where the rule lives | What the policy must do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schengen short-stay visa (type C) | €30,000 | EU law — Visa Code, Regulation 810/2009, Art. 15 | Cover emergency medical care and repatriation, valid across the Schengen area for the whole visit |
| Residence permit (temporary or permanent) | No figure | Lithuanian law — Law on the Legal Status of Aliens, Art. 6¹ | Cover necessary medical assistance and repatriation on health grounds, valid for the entire period of residence |
Article 6¹, the operative sentence, in the consolidated text:
Užsieniečio sveikatos draudimas ... turi garantuoti būtinosios medicinos pagalbos, kaip ji apibrėžiama Lietuvos Respublikos sveikatos sistemos įstatyme, išlaidų ir išlaidų, galinčių atsirasti dėl užsieniečio grąžinimo į užsienio valstybę dėl sveikatos priežasčių (transportavimo, įskaitant asmens sveikatos priežiūros specialisto (specialistų) palydą), apmokėjimą ir galioti visą užsieniečio buvimo ar gyvenimo Lietuvos Respublikoje laikotarpį.
"A foreigner's health insurance ... must guarantee payment of the costs of necessary medical assistance, as defined in the Law on the Health System of the Republic of Lithuania, and of costs that may arise from the foreigner's return to a foreign state on health grounds (transport, including the accompaniment of a healthcare professional or professionals), and must be valid for the entire period of the foreigner's stay or residence in the Republic of Lithuania."
Three requirements and no euro figure: necessary medical assistance, repatriation on health grounds including an escorting healthcare professional where one is needed, and validity for the entire period of your stay or residence.
Two figures in wide circulation that the article does not contain. The first is a €10,000 residence-permit minimum. Article 6¹ sets no euro figure, so ask any source that gives you one which article it comes from. The second is a one-year validity rule. The article requires the entire period of your stay or residence, and nothing more.
Which route applies to you?
- Visiting on a Schengen short-stay visa. €30,000 including repatriation, valid across the whole Schengen area. Not negotiable — it is EU law.
- Applying for a residence permit. No sum insured in the statute. Your certificate has to answer the Article 6¹ test instead, and the dates have to run the full permit period.
- EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members are exempt from the permit insurance requirement entirely — carry a European Health Insurance Card instead.
Statute read in the consolidated text on e-seimas, 11 August 2026.
What Your Policy Must Cover
For a Schengen visa, the coverage amount is necessary but not sufficient. A policy can hit €30,000 and still be rejected.
- Minimum sum insured — €30,000 for a Schengen short-stay visa
- Emergency medical treatment — the core of it
- Repatriation — including medical repatriation and repatriation of remains. Frequently missing from cheap policies, and a common reason for rejection
- Valid across the Schengen area, not just Lithuania — a Schengen visa is a Schengen matter
- Covering your full period of stay, with dates that match your application
- Documentation the consulate accepts — usually a certificate in English or Lithuanian stating the sum insured, the cover, and the dates
For a residence permit, the list is different: necessary medical assistance, repatriation on health grounds, and validity for the entire period of residence. No figure, and the escorting healthcare professional named in the statute is worth asking your insurer about directly.
Check the word "repatriation" appears explicitly
This is the single most common gap, and it is the one requirement that appears in both rules — the EU Visa Code and Article 6¹. A policy can advertise a large sum insured and still omit repatriation of remains. Read the certificate, not the marketing page.
Who Needs This
You need it
- Anyone visiting Lithuania on a Schengen short-stay visa
- Non-EU nationals applying for a national visa
- Non-EU nationals applying for a residence permit — to the Article 6¹ test, not to €30,000
- Non-EU students before their permit is issued
You're exempt
- EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
- Their family members
- Diplomatic staff
- Persons covered by international agreements
If you're exempt, you don't need travel insurance for immigration purposes — though an EHIC plus a modest travel policy is still sensible for anything the state system doesn't cover, like repatriation.
Choosing a Policy
Two questions, and most people only think about the first.
1. Will the consulate accept it?
- Meets the €30,000 minimum, if you are applying for a Schengen short-stay visa
- Explicitly includes repatriation — required by both rules
- Valid throughout the Schengen area
- Dates cover your entire intended stay
- Certificate in English or Lithuanian, clearly stating all of the above
2. Will it actually help if something happens?
- Direct billing with hospitals, so you're not paying up front and reclaiming
- 24-hour emergency assistance in a language you speak
- Exclusions — the part nobody reads. ERGO's Terms No. 043, the only foreigner terms published in English here, exclude chronic illness (a condition that existed or was treated in the last six months), extreme and combat sports, manual-labour occupations, mental-health conditions, and pregnancy other than emergencies
- Reasonable excess, since a low premium with a huge deductible isn't a bargain
- Baggage and cancellation, if you want more than the immigration minimum
Buy at home or in Lithuania? For a visa application you'll usually buy before travelling, from an insurer in your own country or an international provider — the consulate simply needs a compliant certificate, and the Lithuanian market is quote-only anyway. For the residence permit stage, a policy from a Lithuanian insurer is often simpler, because it is written against Article 6¹ and easier to use here. The authoritative list of licensed insurers is the Bank of Lithuania register — draudikai.lt is often cited instead, but it is a voluntary trade association with 11 non-life members, not a complete list.
Why Applications Get Refused
Buying below €30,000 for a Schengen visa
The most common and most avoidable. The Visa Code threshold is €30,000.
No repatriation cover
Required by the Visa Code for a visa and by Article 6¹ for a permit, and routinely omitted by cheap policies. Check the wording.
Buying to a residence-permit "minimum" that does not exist
No euro figure appears in Article 6¹. A policy chosen to hit a €10,000 target that appears nowhere in the statute can still fail the real test if it says nothing about repatriation or stops before your permit does.
Dates that don't match the application
Cover must span your intended stay. A gap at either end is a problem, and Article 6¹ asks for the entire period of residence.
Cover limited to Lithuania
For a Schengen visa it needs to be valid across the Schengen area.
A certificate in the wrong language
English or Lithuanian. A policy document in your home language alone may not be accepted.
Buying after submitting
The certificate is a required document at the point of application, not something to add later — and Lithuanian insurers answer quote requests in days, not minutes.
Assuming an existing policy qualifies
A credit card travel policy or an employer scheme may not meet the sum insured or the repatriation condition. Check the certificate before relying on it.
After You Arrive
Travel insurance is a bridge, not a destination. Once you're here, your position changes:
Your permit-stage policy covers the gap
Non-EU permit holders need cover answering Article 6¹ — medical assistance, repatriation, the whole period — until they are in the state system.
Employment brings you into PSD
Once you're working, 6.98% health contributions come out of your gross pay and you enter Lithuania's compulsory health insurance system.
You may be able to drop the private policy
Confirm your PSD cover is actually active, and check your permit renewal requirements, before cancelling anything. Overlap them rather than leaving a gap.
Full detail in our health insurance guide and healthcare guide. Students should read health insurance for students — non-EU students aren't covered by PSD unless they work.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much travel insurance do I need for a Schengen visa?
A minimum of €30,000, including emergency medical care and repatriation, valid across the Schengen area for your full period of stay. The figure is set by Article 15 of the EU Visa Code, Regulation 810/2009.
Is €30,000 also required for a Lithuanian residence permit?
No. Article 6-1 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens sets no sum insured for a residence permit. It requires cover for necessary medical assistance as defined in the Law on the Health System, repatriation on health grounds including transport and an escorting healthcare professional where needed, and validity for the entire period of stay or residence.
What insurance do I need for a residence permit, then?
One whose certificate answers that three-part test. Read it for the words: necessary medical assistance, repatriation, and dates that run to the end of your permit period. A large sum insured with no mention of repatriation is a weaker answer than a modest policy that names it.
Is there a €10,000 minimum for a residence permit?
No. Article 6-1 of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens sets no euro figure at all. It asks that the policy cover necessary medical assistance and repatriation, and stay valid for your whole period of residence. The €30,000 figure that circulates belongs to the Schengen short-stay visa under the EU Visa Code.
How long must the policy be valid?
For a visa, the dates of your intended stay. For a residence permit, the entire period of your stay or residence. The claim that permit cover must run at least a year appears on relocation portals but not in the law.
What does repatriation mean here?
Getting you home for medical reasons, and repatriation of remains in the event of death. The Lithuanian statute also names the accompaniment of a healthcare professional where your condition needs one. Both rules require repatriation and budget policies commonly omit it.
Can I buy a Lithuanian policy online?
Mostly no. Lietuvos draudimas and ERGO both end in a contact form. Compensa has an online travel calculator. If has a calculator but it asks for a Lithuanian personal code before showing a price, which shuts out anyone applying from abroad.
Which Lithuanian insurers sell to foreigners?
Lietuvos draudimas sells Užsieniečių medicininių išlaidų ir repatriacijos draudimas, with repatriation stated explicitly. ERGO sells Užsieniečių kelionių draudimas Lietuvoje under Terms No. 043, published in English. Balcia has a Foreigner Medical Expenses Insurance with bilingual terms. Compensa, BTA and If sell travel cover.
Why can I not find a price?
Mostly because none is published. Seven insurers were re-tested on 11 August 2026: two reach a price on screen through a working calculator, and the rest end in a contact form. Premiums are individually underwritten on age, dates and destination, so for most products the number does not exist until you request a quote.
Does it cover pre-existing conditions?
Usually not. ERGO, the only insurer publishing its foreigner terms in English, excludes chronic illness and defines it as a condition that existed or was treated in the previous six months. It also excludes extreme and combat sports, manual-labour occupations, mental-health conditions and pregnancy other than emergencies.
Do EU citizens need it?
Not for immigration purposes. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members are exempt. Carry a European Health Insurance Card, and consider a travel policy for repatriation and anything the state system will not cover.
Can I use my credit card's travel insurance?
Possibly, but check the certificate against the requirements — sum insured, repatriation, Schengen validity and dates. Many card policies fall short on at least one.
Can I buy the policy in my own country?
Yes, and for a visa application you usually will. It must meet the requirements and come with a certificate in English or Lithuanian.
Do I still need it once I have a residence permit?
Until you are covered by PSD, yes. Once you are employed and your employer is paying contributions, state cover satisfies the requirement — confirm it is active before cancelling.
Related Guides
General guidance, not insurance advice. Requirements change — confirm the current minimums with the Lithuanian consulate or the Migration Department, and read your policy certificate before relying on it. See the terms.
Ready to Cover Your Trip?
A Schengen visa needs €30,000 of medical cover with repatriation, valid across the zone — check the certificate says so before you buy.