How we check things

Short version: requirements come from official government sources, every page is dated, and money never moves the facts.

Where the numbers come from

Income thresholds, insurance rules, durations and tax notes are taken from official government and consulate pages, which we link on each guide. Where a government publishes a figure as a multiple (for example, a multiple of the minimum wage), we convert it to a monthly euro amount and say so, because the underlying multiple is what actually governs your application.

Dating and rechecks

Each page shows a "last checked" date. We review the core visa and insurance pages on a recurring schedule and after any known rule change. If you're reading a page with an old date, treat the official source link as the authority.

Every recheck also tests that the official source links still resolve, because government sites reorganise without redirects and a dead "official source" link is worse than none. In our August 2026 pass, three of the six links we were carrying had rotted — Portugal, Italy and Estonia had all moved or retired the page we were citing. All were replaced with live official pages the same day.

When the popular number is wrong

Requirements get copied between sites far more often than they get checked, so a wrong figure can become the consensus answer. When our reading of the official source disagrees with what most guides say, we publish the disagreement rather than quietly matching the crowd: what the official document states, where the common figure appears to have come from, and the date we checked. Those entries live in the change log alongside genuine rule changes.

Where sources genuinely conflict and we cannot resolve it against an official document, we say that on the page instead of picking the tidier number.

How recommendations work

Requirement tables are facts and contain no opinions. Product suggestions (insurance, banking, eSIMs) are separate, clearly labelled, and chosen because they commonly satisfy the requirement in question — not because of commission. We may earn a commission if you buy through those links, at no extra cost to you. A higher payout never earns a better placement, and it never changes a requirement.

What we are not

We are not lawyers, immigration agents, tax advisers or insurance brokers, and nothing here is advice. Consulates make the final decision on every application, including whether a specific insurance policy is accepted. Always confirm the current rules with the official source before you act.

Corrections

If a figure is wrong or out of date, tell us and we'll fix it and re-date the page. Accuracy is the only thing this site has to offer. Contact details →