The European Commission has confirmed for SchengenVisaInfo.com that the updated visa code which came into effect on February 2, 2020, obliges all Tunisian applicants to submit travel insurance according to their intended travel dates to the Schengen Area, otherwise, their applications will be rejected automatically.

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“Embassies will reject all applications without insurance. Applicants for a uniform visa for one or two entries shall prove they are in possession of adequate and valid travel medical insurance that covers any expenses which might arise due to medical emergencies, or even repatriation in case of death during the whole stay in the Schengen Area,” the EU Commission confirmed.

As per multiple-entry visa applicants from Tunisia, the updated code states that they will have to prove they are in possession of adequate and valid travel medical insurance covering only the period of their first intended visit.

The absence of adequate travel insurance as a reason strong enough to reject a visa application filed by Tunisian nationals to any of the missions of Schengen member countries located in Tunisia is listed in the standard form for notifying reasons for refusal, annulment or revocation of a visa, among 18 total reasons for not granting a visa.
“This decision is based on the following reason(s): You have not provided proof of possession of adequate and valid travel medical insurance,” the standard form indicates.
In this regard, even the new visa application form established by the EU has a declaration at the end that states “I am aware of the need to have an adequate travel medical insurance for my first stay and any subsequent visits to the territory of Member States.”
All Tunisians applying for a Schengen Visa must submit travel insurance with a minimum coverage of €30,000 for all expenses that may arise due to a health complication or accident and repatriation in case of death.
The travel insurance must be valid for the whole territory of the Schengen Area, during the entire planned stay in the Schengen Area.

Statistics show that in 2018, Schengen embassies and consulates in Tunisia processed 234,452 visa applications in total. The rejection rate was as high as 18.2 percent, or 42,639 of applications for a Schengen Visa turned down, with the absence of adequate travel insurance as one of the main reasons for visa denial.

In terms of expenditures, in 2018, Tunisians spent €14,067,120 in visa application fees and another minimal amount of €4,689,040‬‬ for Schengen Insurance.