Do the insurance requirements differ at a consulate and at a visa application center?

The requirements for the policy are the same: at least EUR 30,000, an insurer on the list approved by MSZ, and a program that meets the visa requirements. They come from the EU Visa Code and the Act on Foreigners, so they do not depend on where exactly you submit your documents.

How do I know if my application goes through a visa center or directly to a consulate?

The submission channel depends on your visa category, your location, and the specific consulate, so the most reliable way is to confirm it on the consulate's site or with the consulate directly. You do not need to change your insurance for this: the visa program from our site suits both options.

Will a policy bought for a visa application center also suit the consulate?

A policy that meets the EUR 30,000 minimum, comes from an insurer on the MSZ-approved list, and is a visa program from our site meets the requirements applied by both the consulate and the visa application center, so you can use it in either case.

What if the consulate asks for documents beyond the insurance certificate?

Depending on your visa category, the consulate may ask for additional documents: an invitation letter, proof of funds, or accommodation confirmation. They relate to other visa requirements and are separate from the insurance minimum. Your insurance certificate should show the EUR 30,000 sum insured, the insurer's name, and validity dates covering your whole stay; check the full list of documents on the site of the consulate you are applying to.

Insurance for the Polish Consulate

Insurance for the Polish Consulate: Policy Requirements and a Program That Meets the Visa Requirements

The requirements for the insurance policy for a Polish visa are set by Polish and EU law, and Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MSZ) approves the list of insurers. Visa documents are submitted either directly at a Polish consulate or embassy or through a visa application center acting on the consulate's behalf; depending on your visa category and situation, the submission channel may differ. The requirements for the policy are the same either way: at least EUR 30,000, an insurer on the approved list, and a program that meets the visa requirements. This page explains what the consulate takes into account when it reviews a policy and how to make sure in advance that your insurance program meets the visa requirements: the programs presented on our site do.

Updated: October 1, 2026

The Policy Requirements Are Set by Polish and EU Law

For a Schengen visa (type C), the EUR 30,000 minimum is set by Article 15 of the EU Visa Code (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009), which applies at the consulates of the Schengen states. For a national visa (type D), the minimum is set by Poland's Act on Foreigners (Ustawa o cudzoziemcach), since D visas fall outside Schengen harmonization and Poland sets its own national rule. These provisions apply equally whether documents are submitted directly at a consulate or through a visa application center acting on its behalf.

The list of insurers approved for visa purposes is maintained by Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MSZ). It is the common reference point for both the consulate and the visa application center, so you only need to choose an insurance program that meets these requirements. All the visa programs presented on our site do.

How the MSZ requirements reach your policy

Poland's MSZ Sets the policy requirements: a sum insured of at least EUR 30,000 and an insurer from the approved list
Visa center or consulate Works to these requirements when accepting documents
Your policy The programs on our site meet these requirements

What the Consulate Takes Into Account and How to Prepare Your Documents in Advance

When it reviews an application, the consulate takes several points into account: the policy provides at least EUR 30,000 in coverage; the insurer is on the list approved by MSZ; the policy stays valid for the entire planned stay, up to a year for a national D visa; and the insurance program meets the visa requirements, that is, it is designed for a visa application. All of these points are built into the programs presented on our site: the offers from Universalna, PZU Ukraina, Kniazha, and ETS are created specifically for visa submission rather than adapted from a general travel product.

Each of these companies has dozens of other programs designed for other purposes, so for a visa the calculator shows only programs that meet the visa requirements, which helps avoid a mistake when choosing. Before you visit the consulate, it is also worth checking on that specific mission's site the appointment procedure and the list of accompanying documents, since they can vary and be updated.

Submitting through a visa application center, or want to understand the requirement itself?

If your application goes through a visa application center like TLS Contact rather than directly to a consulate, see our dedicated page on exactly how the policy gets checked there. And if you want to understand the EUR 30,000 requirement itself and where it comes from, read our full breakdown:

Insurance for the Visa Application Center: MSZ Requirements for Your Policy
Medical Insurance for a Polish Visa: Which Program to Choose for Your Task

Get a Policy That Meets the Visa Requirements for the Consulate and the Visa Center

The visa program from our site suits both a submission at the consulate and a submission through a visa application center: set your travel dates and destination once in the calculator and pick the Universalna, PZU Ukraina, Kniazha, or ETS program. The EUR 30,000 minimum set by Polish and EU law is already built in, and the program meets the visa requirements.

Get your consulate-ready policy

Answers to customers’ questions

The requirements for the policy are the same: at least EUR 30,000, an insurer on the list approved by MSZ, and a program that meets the visa requirements. They come from the EU Visa Code and the Act on Foreigners, so they do not depend on where exactly you submit your documents.
The submission channel depends on your visa category, your location, and the specific consulate, so the most reliable way is to confirm it on the consulate's site or with the consulate directly. You do not need to change your insurance for this: the visa program from our site suits both options.
A policy that meets the EUR 30,000 minimum, comes from an insurer on the MSZ-approved list, and is a visa program from our site meets the requirements applied by both the consulate and the visa application center, so you can use it in either case.
Depending on your visa category, the consulate may ask for additional documents: an invitation letter, proof of funds, or accommodation confirmation. They relate to other visa requirements and are separate from the insurance minimum. Your insurance certificate should show the EUR 30,000 sum insured, the insurer's name, and validity dates covering your whole stay; check the full list of documents on the site of the consulate you are applying to.