Which digital nomad visas require insurance, and how much

Why visas started asking for insurance

Governments do not want to carry the medical bills of foreigners who arrive uninsured. So a growing list of digital nomad and long-stay visas now ask for proof of health cover before they will grant the permit. The catch is that the rules are wildly inconsistent: the amount differs, some countries care who the insurer is, a few accept a sworn declaration, and some of the most popular routes ask for nothing at all. Here is the current picture across the visas we track.

Visas with a specific insurance minimum

These name a figure, and it goes on the checklist:

• Costa Rica (digital nomad visa): at least $50,000 of medical cover for the entire stay, and every family member needs their own policy. An international plan or a Costa Rica-licensed (SUGESE) one both work.
• Thailand (LTR visa): $50,000 of cover with at least ten months validity, or a substitute, a $100,000 deposit held for a year, or qualifying social security.
• Colombia (digital nomad visa): an all-risk international policy valid in Colombia, covering the whole stay including repatriation, minimum $30,000
• Portugal (D8 visa): at least €30,000, valid across the Schengen Area, including repatriation, for the full visa period. Compliant international policies are accepted.
• Italy (digital nomad visa): health insurance valid in Italy with a minimum of €30,000, and inadequate cover is the single most common reason applications are refused.
• South Korea (Workation visa): private medical insurance of more than ₩100,000,000 (about $75,000), including emergency repatriation, for the whole stay, the highest named dollar-equivalent floor here.
• Latvia (digital nomad visa): insurance is mandatory, valid in Latvia and Schengen for the whole stay, with the insurer's minimum liability limit no lower than €42,600 covering treatment, hospitalisation and repatriation; open only to remote workers tied to OECD-registered employers or businesses, with income of 2.5x the average gross wage (currently €4,213/month).
• Romania (digital nomad visa): requires private health insurance covering at least €30,000 for the full stay; an EU and full-Schengen base, but with a high income bar of roughly 3x the national average wage.
• Belize (Work Where You Vacation): the remote-work program names a figure, requiring travel insurance of at least US$50,000; the real concern is medical evacuation, since serious cases leave Belize for the US or Mexico and air ambulance flights run around US$25,000.

Visas that require insurance but set no amount

Insurance is mandatory, but no euro or dollar figure is published, so "required" tells you nothing about how much to buy:

• Greece (digital nomad visa): comprehensive cover valid in Greece with hospitalisation and repatriation, not a short-term travel policy. The €30,000 figure people cite is the separate Schengen short-stay rule, not this visa.
• Brazil (VITEM XIV): valid health insurance covering Brazil for the stay. No official minimum is published, despite figures online.
• Malaysia (DE Rantau pass): a medical policy valid in Malaysia, at least three months long, also covering any dependents. No minimum sum is set.
• Argentina (digital nomad residency): a sworn declaration that you hold health insurance for your medical needs. No specific amount in the rule.
• Panama (remote-worker visa): a policy covering Panama for the stay. No minimum published, and the top hospitals can approach US prices, so do not read "no minimum" as "go cheap".
• Croatia (digital nomad permit): travel or private cover valid in Croatia. A €30,000 level is commonly cited but is not a confirmed official figure.
• United Arab Emirates (remote-work visa): health insurance with valid UAE coverage. Since January 2025, insurance is a nationwide condition for issuing or renewing any UAE residence visa.
• Estonia (digital nomad visa): health insurance valid in Estonia, in practice the Schengen €30,000 standard. (And e-Residency is not a visa, so it doesn't count.)
• Cyprus (digital nomad visa): private cover valid in Cyprus (the standard €30,000), and it matters more than usual, because nomads cannot use the public GESY system.
• South Africa (remote work visa): proof of insurance can be requested, with no published minimum. Private care is world-class but costly, so insure properly anyway.
• Mauritius (Premium Travel Visa): "travel and health insurance for the initial period of stay", no set sum, but evacuation cover matters because complex cases are flown to Réunion or South Africa.
• Malta (Nomad Residence Permit): comprehensive cover for Malta, pre-paid for a year; travel insurance is explicitly not accepted. No fixed minimum sum.
• Hungary (White Card): comprehensive cover for Hungary, or proof of funds. Emergency public care is free, but the private care nomads use is not, so "no minimum" does not mean "no need".
• Barbados (Welcome Stamp): valid medical insurance is a prerequisite, with no set sum; because complex cases fly off-island, evacuation cover is the part that matters.
• Sri Lanka (digital nomad visa): international health insurance valid in Sri Lanka, no confirmed minimum; serious cases fly to India or Singapore, so evacuation cover is the priority.
• Montenegro (digital nomad permit): health insurance valid in Montenegro, no confirmed minimum; complex cases are referred to Belgrade, Croatia or Italy, so evacuation cover matters. Foreign income is tax-free.
• Uruguay (digital nomad permit): the permit asks for a sworn declaration of means, not insurance, but a 2023 decree requires all visitors to carry medical cover, so have it anyway.
• Albania (Unique Permit): private cover for Albania, a €30,000 level widely reported but unconfirmed. Albania has no air ambulances, so evacuation cover is the whole point. (US citizens also get a year visa-free.)
• Kenya (Class N permit): proof of health cover for the stay, no published minimum. As AMREF Flying Doctors country where air evacuation is routine, evacuation cover is the priority.
• Iceland (remote work visa): long-term health insurance valid in Iceland or Schengen is mandatory for the full stay, covering treatment, emergencies and hospitalisation; travel insurance is explicitly not accepted and no official minimum sum is published, so buy generously and confirm evacuation cover.
• Serbia (remote work visa): no formal digital nomad visa, but the temporary residence route (usually via a small Serbian company) requires valid health insurance for your stay; international policies are accepted and no official minimum coverage figure is published.
• Slovenia (digital nomad visa): permit live since November 2025 requires health or travel insurance valid in Slovenia for the full stay, but no official coverage minimum is published (a €30,000 figure is commonly cited online, not confirmed); international policies are accepted.
• Andorra (digital nomad visa): private health insurance valid in Andorra is required (nomads are not enrolled in the public CASS system), but no minimum coverage figure is published; with a single hospital and serious cases referred to Barcelona or Toulouse, prioritise cross-border medical transport cover.
• Antigua and Barbuda (Nomad Digital Residence visa): medical insurance covering the full two-year stay is required, but no minimum sum is published; with one public hospital and serious cases flown off-island, prioritise evacuation cover.
• Curaçao (@HOME remote-work permit): valid international travel and medical insurance including COVID-19 cover is a prerequisite for approval, but no minimum sum is published and no local insurer is required; on this Dutch Caribbean island, where serious cases are flown to Colombia at the patient's expense, prioritise medical evacuation cover.
• Bahamas (digital nomad visa): the BEATS remote-work permit requires proof of medical insurance covering the islands for you and every dependent, but no minimum sum is published; on a 700-island archipelago where serious cases fly to Nassau or Miami, prioritise medical evacuation cover.
• Cayman Islands (digital nomad visa): the Global Citizen Concierge Programme requires proof of health insurance covering your stay plus local Cayman cover within 30 days of arrival, but publishes no minimum sum; with serious cases flown to Florida or Jamaica, evacuation cover is the priority.
• Dominica (Work In Nature visa): health insurance valid in Dominica and covering all family members is required for approval, but no minimum sum is published; on a small island where serious cases are flown to Martinique, Guadeloupe or the US, prioritise medical evacuation cover.
• Anguilla (Work from Anguilla program): insurance is mandatory and must specifically cover air ambulance, but no minimum coverage figure is published; the catch is the single public hospital, so serious cases are flown to St. Maarten, Puerto Rico or Miami and evacuation cover is non-negotiable.
• Grenada (remote-work visa): proof of valid health insurance covering your stay is mandatory, but no minimum sum is published; with one main hospital and serious cases flown to Barbados, Trinidad or the US, make sure the policy includes medical evacuation.
• Montserrat (Remote Workers Stamp): you must hold health insurance with valid Montserrat and COVID-19 coverage, but no minimum sum is published; with one small hospital and serious cases flown to Antigua, medical evacuation cover is the part that matters.
• Saint Lucia (digital nomad visa): the "Live It" extended-stay program requires private health insurance for your stay but publishes no minimum sum; on a single-island health system where serious cases fly off-island, prioritise medical evacuation cover.
• Ecuador (digital nomad visa): insurance is mandatory and must cover Ecuador for the full two-year visa period, but no minimum coverage amount is published; the Galápagos separately require travel medical insurance, where an evacuation to the mainland or US can top $60,000.
• Namibia (digital nomad visa): six-month visa requiring health or travel insurance covering risks in Namibia, but no published minimum sum; with serious cases air-evacuated to South Africa, evacuation cover is the real priority.
• Cabo Verde (Remote Working Program): insurance is mandatory and must cover medical evacuation and repatriation of remains, but no minimum coverage sum is published; on an archipelago where serious cases fly to Europe and two islands have no working airport, evacuation cover is the part that matters.
• Seychelles (Workcation Retreat): insurance is required for the one-year remote-work permit and must cover COVID-19 and hospital care in Seychelles, but no minimum coverage figure is officially published; on a remote archipelago that tops out at intermediate care, prioritise medical evacuation cover.
• Kazakhstan (Neo Nomad Visa): health insurance valid in Kazakhstan for the full visa period is mandatory, but no official minimum coverage amount is published; pair it with $3,000/month foreign income and prioritise evacuation cover, since serious cases leave the country for Dubai, Istanbul, or Europe.

The twist: who the insurer must be

Four countries reject policies on who issued them, not just the cover level, which catches people out:

• Spain (digital nomad visa): comprehensive private cover with no co-payment, from an insurer authorised to operate in Spain. International policies are routinely rejected, even when the cover is objectively stronger.
• Turkey (digital nomad visa): the residence permit requires a Turkish-licensed private health policy. An international-only plan generally will not satisfy it, so you buy a local policy as part of the process.
• Czechia (digital nomad visa): the long-stay visa needs a comprehensive policy of at least €400,000 from an insurer authorised in the Czech Republic, the highest minimum here and a local-insurer rule in one. Home and travel policies are rejected.
• Germany (freelance visa): no nomad visa, but the freelance "Freiberufler" residence permit requires German health insurance (statutory GKV or comparable private PKV); the immigration office states plainly that foreign travel or "nomad" cover is not sufficient.

The visas that do not require it, but you still need it

• Thailand (DTV): no national insurance requirement, though some consulates ask to see roughly $50,000 of cover. Entry includes no medical cover.
• Mexico (temporary resident): not a federal requirement, and there is no dedicated nomad visa, though some consulates ask.
• Philippines (digital nomad visa): a visa was created on paper in 2025 but is not confirmed to be issuing yet, and the practical route, extended tourist stays, enforces nothing. Private hospitals there, though, often want proof of cover or a deposit before they treat you.
• Taiwan (Gold Card): no classic nomad visa and no private-insurance mandate, the Gold Card routes you into National Health Insurance, but self-employed holders wait about six months to enrol, so bridge that gap with private cover.
• Dominican Republic (nomad routes): no dedicated nomad visa, and tourist entry enforces nothing, but private hospitals demand prepayment and serious cases are flown to the US, so evacuation cover matters.
• Norway (nomad routes): no formal digital nomad visa, so most come on the 90-day Schengen clock; the self-employed residence permit (around NOK 341,000/year in business profit) sets no separate insurance condition because holders join the National Insurance Scheme, but short-stay visitors self-pay and Svalbard needs private cover with strong medical evacuation.
• Netherlands (DAFT visa): no visa insurance mandate, the DAFT application does not check cover, but once your residence permit takes effect you must buy Dutch basic health insurance within four months; tourists need no insurance to enter.
• Aruba (nomad routes): no formal digital nomad visa and no insurance needed to enter as a tourist; the "One Happy Workation" is a hotel-deal marketing program, not a permit. Travel insurance with medical and liability cover only becomes mandatory if you extend a stay beyond 30 days, and with one hospital on-island, medical evacuation is the cover that matters.
• Bermuda (remote work visa): no live digital nomad visa since the Work from Bermuda certificate closed on 28 February 2025, so no visa insurance mandate; the longer-stay route, Permission to Reside on an Annual Basis, does require valid health cover. On a one-hospital mid-Atlantic island, prioritise a policy with strong medical and air-ambulance evacuation to the US east coast.
• Armenia (residence permit route): no formal digital nomad visa and no insurance mandate; the one-year permit needs a medical certificate, not cover, and 180 days visa-free needs none either, so insure for serious illness and air evacuation out of a landlocked country.
• Morocco (nomad routes): no digital nomad visa and no insurance mandate to enter; you run on 90-day visa-free tourist stays or a residence card (carte de séjour). Cover is still essential, private clinics demand upfront payment and the US government advises medical evacuation insurance.
• Egypt (digital nomad visa): no formal nomad visa and no insurance mandate to enter; nomads extend 30-day tourist entries, so cover is by choice. Make it strong: the US government calls ambulances unreliable, and Red Sea diving needs hyperbaric and evacuation cover most policies exclude.
• Cambodia (business visa): no digital nomad visa and no insurance mandate, the renewable E-class visa is the real long-stay route; the catch is medical, since serious cases are flown to Bangkok or Singapore, so evacuation cover is essential.

These are among the cheapest and most popular routes, which is exactly why people travel bare on them. The absence of a requirement is not the absence of risk.

What the certificate actually has to prove

Meeting the dollar figure is only half of it. Consulates check the paperwork, and a policy that covers you but cannot prove the right things on paper gets bounced. In practice the certificate needs to show:

• the coverage amount, where one is set (Costa Rica, Thailand LTR, Colombia, Portugal, Italy, South Korea);
• validity dates that cover the full authorized stay;
• repatriation, where it is required (Colombia, Portugal, South Korea) or expected (Greece, Italy, Sri Lanka);
• the insurer's eligibility, where it matters (Spain's authorised insurer, Turkey's local policy, Czechia's Czech-licensed €400,000 cover);
• one policy per person, for families (Costa Rica).

The minimum is not the target

A $30,000 or $50,000 floor is low against what a serious hospital admission actually costs, and none of these mandates covers a medical evacuation, which can run from $20,000 to $200,000. Treat the visa figure, or the absence of one, as the paperwork minimum and insure for the worst case, not the form. You can put real numbers on it with our cost-of-going-uninsured calculator