Credit card travel cover for a Schengen visa from the UAE

The Visa Code, the EU law on short-stay visas, does not mention credit cards.¹ Each consulate sets its own position, and three in the UAE say no. This applies if you live in the UAE and need a Schengen visa.

Which consulates refuse credit card cover?

Germany, Spain and Switzerland say card insurance is not accepted. The other states in Table 1 say nothing either way, which is neither a yes nor a no.

The three consulates that refuse card cover are the first, third and sixth busiest in the UAE. They handled 96,423 of the 298,064 Schengen applications made in the UAE in 2025, or 32.3%.²

• Germany, Spain, Switzerland
• All other states

Germany, Spain, Switzerland 96,423 applications (32%), All other states 201,641 applications (68%). Total 298,064 applications.

Data and source

Source: European Commission, DG HOME, Visa statistics for consulates 2025. Accessed 4 Nov 2026.

Group	Applications
Germany, Spain, Switzerland	96,423 applications
All other states	201,641 applications

Spain’s line is in the checklist the embassy generated and BLS hosts, not on the embassy’s web page.³⁴ Switzerland’s line is in the embassy checklist listed on 14 April 2026, and the checklist VFS hosts says nothing.⁵⁶ Germany’s line is the consulate’s own statement, not EU law.⁷

No consulate gives a reason, or says what it counts as card insurance: a benefit attached to a card, or a named certificate an insurer issues to a cardholder.

If your consulate says nothing, ask it or its visa centre in writing before you rely on a card.

What do the EU’s guidelines say about card cover?

That it may be accepted if it meets the Visa Code criteria. The Visa Code Handbook reads: “Certain credit card companies include travel insurance as one of the advantages of the credit card. If the coverage offered conforms with the criteria in the Visa Code, such credit cards may be accepted as valid insurance.”⁸ The Handbook says it places no legally binding obligations on Member States and creates no new rights.

The criteria are repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment or death, at least EUR 30,000 of cover, valid in every Schengen state for your whole stay.¹

Can a letter from your bank count as insurance?

No consulate document says it does. HSBC UAE offers Premier Mastercard holders a confirmation letter online for Schengen or other visas.⁹ The German, Spanish and Swiss consulates say card insurance is not accepted.

The Mastercard World cards MENA terms list medical expenses up to USD 500,000 for an eligible cardholder, and a 25% sub-limit for children, parents and a domestic helper. They do not name the underwriter. The policy is issued to Mastercard, defined as Mastercard Asia/Pacific Pte. Ltd, Singapore.¹⁰ That matters for two consulates. Switzerland asks for a policy issued in the UAE or Bahrain, and Germany’s multiple-entry declaration asks for an insurer with an office in a Schengen state, Switzerland or Liechtenstein. The Visa Code also has consulates check that claims would be recoverable in a Schengen state.¹

Ask your card issuer whether it issues a certificate in your name stating EUR 30,000, Schengen validity and your dates, then ask the consulate whether it accepts it. Card terms are in the credit card travel cover guide.

Does your credit card count for anything in a visa application?

Yes, as proof of funds. The EU’s list of supporting documents for the UAE and the Swiss checklist both accept a valid international credit card with bank statements as proof that you can pay for your stay.¹¹⁵ That is a test of your money, not of your insurance.

The small print

• Article references. The insurance criteria are in Article 15 of the Visa Code, and the recoverability check is Art 15(5).¹ The Handbook passage is section 6.9.⁸ The funds entries are item 2(b) of the UAE harmonised list and item 8 of the Swiss checklist.¹¹⁵
• States not listed. 17 other states had UAE application figures in 2025 and are not in Table 1.²
• How consulates see card cover. A 2024 EU study put this statement to consular authorities: “A significant amount of visa applicants have travel medical insurance through a credit card company”. It is not specific to the UAE, and the manuscript dates from 2023.¹²