Countries That Require Travel Insurance in 2026

I get asked the same question every week: “do I need travel insurance for my destination?” The answer has changed faster over the past two years than in the previous decade. Georgia joined the list on 1 January 2026, Argentina followed in mid-2025, and Zanzibar now imposes its own state insurer. Here is the up-to-date list – and, crucially, what other lists never tell you: why travellers get their certificates rejected even when everything appears to be in order.

Two very different systems: visa stage vs. border

Before the list itself, here is a distinction I always explain to clients, because it changes everything in practice.

The visa requirement: the certificate is part of the application file. No certificate, no visa. You have time to correct a rejected document, but an incomplete file holds up the entire trip.

The border check: you can board your flight without anyone asking a thing, and everything happens on arrival. There is no second chance: it is either entry refusal, a fine, or local insurance bought at the arrivals desk – often expensive and poorly protective.

Countries that require insurance at the visa stage

The Schengen area: travellers who need a Schengen visa (non-EU visitors coming to France, for example) must present cover of at least €30,000, including emergency treatment, repatriation and death, valid across the entire Schengen zone. The consulate’s exact requirements are covered in our guide to Schengen visa travel insurance.

Russia: the tourist visa requires cover for medical expenses, medical evacuation and repatriation.

Algeria: the visa file requires cover of around €30,000, including illness, accident and repatriation.

Belarus: minimum cover of around €10,000 is required at the visa stage.

Saudi Arabia: insurance is automatically bundled into the e-tourist visa; the cost is included in the visa fee.

China: there is no blanket formal requirement, but a certificate is in practice expected by many visa centres. Our coverage advice is on the China travel insurance page.

Countries that check insurance at the border

Georgia – the 2026 newcomer: since 1 January, every visitor must hold cover of at least 30,000 GEL (around €9,500) for the full duration of their stay. The certificate must be in English or Georgian, in paper or electronic form. Failure to comply means entry refusal or a fine.

Cuba: the requirement has been in place since 2010, and the check is real. Without a valid policy covering at least USD 10,000 in medical expenses, you can be turned back or forced to take out local insurance (Asistur) at the arrivals counter. A certificate in Spanish is strongly recommended. The island’s specifics are on the Cuba travel insurance page.

Argentina: since immigration decree 366/2025, every foreign visitor must declare their reason for entry and provide proof of health insurance covering their medical needs. Public hospitals now charge non-residents, and a stay in a private clinic in Buenos Aires can quickly run into thousands of euros.

Zanzibar (Tanzania): the trickiest case on the list. Since October 2024, only insurance taken out with the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation, the state-owned company, is accepted: USD 44 per adult (USD 22 per minor), up to USD 50,000 in emergency medical cover, for a maximum of 92 days, with a QR code scanned at immigration. However comprehensive your international policy may be, it does not replace this entry requirement – it sits alongside it for everything the local policy does not cover, starting with a proper medical repatriation. See our Tanzania travel insurance page.

Qatar: Law 22 of 2021 requires visitors to hold medical cover with an insurer registered or approved by the Qatari Ministry of Health (MOPH); a certificate from an unrecognised insurer can be turned away. One important nuance: nationals eligible for a visa on arrival – which includes most European and British passport holders – are exempt for the first 30 days of their stay.

Uruguay: cover for treatment, hospitalisation and evacuation is required on entry.

The edge cases that catch travellers out

Nepal: there is no systematic check at the airport, but French authorities and most reputable trekking agencies strongly advise comprehensive cover for the full stay, treks included. Helicopter rescue cover is the guarantee most commonly absent from standard policies, and a winch rescue in the Annapurna region can cost tens of thousands of euros.

Thailand: insurance remains optional for a standard tourist stay, but is compulsory for certain visas (retirement, long-stay), and the digital arrival card TDAC becomes mandatory in 2026. Details on the Thailand travel insurance page.

Bhutan: health insurance is a condition of visa issuance.

Why certificates get rejected (the part nobody talks about)

This is the section no country list ever covers – and yet it is exactly when my clients call me. Certificates are rejected for five recurring reasons:

1. The cover amount is too low. The policy covers €15,000 in medical expenses when the country requires €30,000. Bank card insurance is the most common culprit.
2. The language. A certificate in French is worthless in Tbilisi, which requires English or Georgian, and creates difficulties in Havana. You need the document in a language the destination country accepts – not a homemade translation.
3. It is not named, or does not cover the right dates. The consulate needs your full name, your exact travel dates and the geographical coverage area, all stated clearly in black and white.
4. A required guarantee is missing. Medical repatriation is the guarantee most frequently absent from budget policies, yet Argentina, Cuba and Russia all require it explicitly. What this guarantee actually covers is explained in our article on repatriation insurance.
5. The insurer is not recognised. Zanzibar only accepts its state company; Qatar only accepts MOPH-approved insurers. No foreign certificate works around these rules.

This is exactly what a broker is for: I verify the destination’s requirements at the time you travel (they change – Georgia proved that in January), and I issue you a named certificate at the right cover levels, in the required language, immediately after you sign up. To understand what the policy behind the certificate actually covers, start with what travel insurance is actually for.

FAQ

Do EU or British citizens need travel insurance in the Schengen area?

Not by law. The Schengen requirement applies to travellers who need a Schengen visa – non-EU visitors coming to France, for example. EU citizens travelling within Europe are covered by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for treatment at public facilities, though it does not cover repatriation or search-and-rescue costs. British travellers can use the GHIC in most EU countries. In both cases, a travel insurance policy is well worth having even without a legal obligation.

What happens if I arrive in Cuba or Georgia without insurance?

Two scenarios: outright entry refusal, or being forced to take out local insurance at the arrivals desk – generally more expensive and far less protective than a policy taken out before departure (no repatriation to your home country, low limits, broad exclusions).

Is my bank card insurance enough for these countries?

Rarely. Standard card cover limits are often below the required minimums, the certificate is not always named with your exact travel dates, and it is rarely available in the required language. For countries with a formal requirement such as Georgia or Argentina, have your certificate checked before you travel.

Does the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation policy actually protect me?

It gets you through the border – that is its primary function. Its limits and guarantees are modest compared with an international policy: for a genuine medical repatriation or significant medical costs, a full travel insurance policy alongside it remains essential.

Does the list of countries change often?

Yes, and increasingly so: Uruguay in 2023, Zanzibar at the end of 2024, Argentina in mid-2025, Georgia on 1 January 2026. Check your destination’s requirements when you book, not when you pack. This article is updated whenever regulations change.