Photo: Rupumped, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0Travel insurance in Kenya 2026
What a Schengen or UK visa requires, and the 29 insurers the EU Delegation accepts
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What the Schengen visa rules require
Article 15 of the EU Visa Code makes travel medical insurance a condition of a short-stay Schengen visa. The EU Delegation in Nairobi turns it into a checklist that insurers must accept to be approved (MTI requirements form):
- Minimum cover of EUR 30,000.
- All claims recoverable in a Schengen member state.
- Repatriation to your home country for medical reasons, urgent medical attention, emergency hospital treatment and the costs linked to death abroad.
- Refund without fee if the visa is refused.
- A grace period of at least 15 days.
- Cover for the entire stay in the Schengen Area.
Embassies ask for the policy with the visa application, so the dates must match your planned trip.
UK visitor visa: insurance is not required, medical cover still matters
United Kingdom: no travel insurance is required for the visa. The Home Office's guide to supporting documents for a UK visit lists travel insurance among the documents that are "less useful as evidence" for a visit application; what you must show is that you are a genuine visitor who can pay for your trip and will leave. A Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to 6 months (GOV.UK). Medical cover still matters: people on a visitor visa pay for NHS hospital care at the point of use unless exempt, and overseas visitors are charged 150% of the cost of NHS treatment (NHS entitlements guide). A&E and some other services stay free for everyone.
The 29 Kenyan insurers on the EU Delegation's 2025 list
The EU Delegation's 2025 list of approved insurance companies for Schengen medical travel insurance, reproduced in alphabetical order with the names as the list prints them. Where we have a profile of the insurer, the name links to it:
| Insurer (as on the EU Delegation's list) |
|---|
| AAR Insurance — profile |
| Africa Merchant Assurance Company Ltd (AMACO) |
| APA Insurance Ltd — profile |
| Britam General Insurance Company Ltd — profile |
| Cannon Assurance — profile |
| CIC General Insurance Ltd — profile |
| Corporate Insurance Company Ltd |
| Fidelity Shield Insurance Company Limited — profile |
| First Assurance Company Ltd — profile |
| GA Insurance Ltd — profile |
| Geminia Insurance Company Ltd — profile |
| Heritage Insurance Company Ltd — profile |
| ICEA LION General Insurance Co. Ltd — profile |
| Intra Africa Assurance Company — profile |
| Jubilee Allianz General Insurance (K) Ltd |
| Kenindia Assurance Company Ltd — profile |
| Madison General Insurance Kenya — profile |
| Mayfair Kenya Insurance Company Ltd — profile |
| Mondassur |
| MUA Insurance Kenya Ltd — profile |
| NCBA Insurance Company Ltd — profile |
| Occidental Insurance Company Ltd — profile |
| Old Mutual General Insurance Ltd — profile |
| Pacis Insurance Company Ltd — profile |
| Pioneer General Insurance Ltd — profile |
| Sanlam General Assurance Ltd |
| Star Discover Insurance Ltd — profile |
| Tausi Assurance Company Ltd |
| The Kenyan Alliance Insurance Company Ltd — profile |
The list is a list of approved providers, not a ranking: it says nothing about price or service. The Delegation opened a new call to insurers on 8 August 2025 and said that companies already on the list did not need to reapply (EU Delegation). Names change after mergers: ask the embassy or visa centre that handles your application whether your insurer is still accepted.
Before you pay: check the policy, not only the insurer
- Check the insurer is licensed in Kenya on the list of licensed insurance companies — only a licensed insurer may sell you a policy here.
- Read the medical limit: at least EUR 30,000 (or its equivalent) for medical care, hospital and repatriation.
- Check the territory: all Schengen states, not only the country of your visa.
- Check the dates: the whole stay, entry and exit days included.
- Ask about refusal: the EU Delegation's form requires a refund without fee if the visa is refused.
- Keep the insurer's emergency number with your passport: abroad, you or the hospital call it before treatment when possible.
Travelling by road in Africa instead? Third-party cover for your car in COMESA countries is the yellow card, explained in driving abroad from Kenya.
Other trips: what travel insurance usually adds
Outside Schengen, no single rule applies: each country sets its own entry conditions, and many do not ask for insurance at all. A travel policy from a licensed Kenyan insurer is then a choice, not an obligation — read what it pays for medical care abroad, evacuation, trip cancellation and lost luggage, and the exclusions (pre-existing conditions, sports, age limits).
To compare travel cover from several licensed insurers, ask for quotes.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need travel insurance for a UK visitor visa from Kenya?
No. The Home Office does not ask for it: its guide to supporting documents lists travel insurance among the documents less useful as evidence. But visitors pay for NHS hospital treatment, at 150% of its cost unless exempt, so medical travel cover is worth having.
Which insurance companies are approved for a Schengen visa in Kenya?
The EU Delegation to Kenya's 2025 list names 29 companies, among them AAR, APA, Britam General, CIC General, GA, Geminia, Heritage, ICEA LION General, Jubilee Allianz General, Kenindia, Madison, MUA, Old Mutual General and Pacis. Check the current list with your embassy or visa centre.
How much travel insurance cover do I need for a Schengen visa?
At least EUR 30,000, valid in all Schengen states for the whole stay, covering urgent medical care, emergency hospital treatment, repatriation for medical reasons and death abroad (Visa Code, Article 15).
Is travel insurance refunded if my Schengen visa is refused?
The EU Delegation to Kenya's requirements form asks approved insurers to refund the insurance without fee if the visa is rejected or refused. Ask for that clause in writing before you pay.
Do I need travel insurance to drive to Uganda or Tanzania?
For the car, you need third-party cover valid in the country: the COMESA yellow card extends Kenyan motor insurance to member states. Medical travel insurance is a separate choice.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code), Article 15 — EUR-Lex, consolidated text
- EU Delegation to Kenya — International medical travel insurance (MTI) requirements form
- EU Delegation to Kenya — Updated list of approved insurance companies, medical travel insurance, Schengen region, year 2025
- EU Delegation to Kenya — Call for expression of interest 2025: empanelment of approved insurance companies (8 August 2025)
- GOV.UK (Home Office) — Visiting the UK: guide to supporting documents, section 13 "Documents you should not use as evidence" (updated 8 October 2026)
- GOV.UK — Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor: apply for a Standard Visitor visa (fees and length of stay) (seen 31 October 2026)
- GOV.UK (Office for Health Improvement and Disparities) — NHS entitlements: migrant health guide (visitors pay at the point of use; 150% of the cost of NHS treatment) (seen 31 October 2026)