Methodology

Methodology (How this checker works)

This site is an evidence-based compliance checker for visa insurance requirements.

We do not guess. We do not provide legal advice. When information is missing, we show UNKNOWN.

1) What we measure

For each visa route (country + visa type + authority/route), we capture:

• The insurance requirements stated by an official authority (laws, government sites, consulate/BLS checklists, agency FAQs).
• Evidence excerpts and a locator (page/section/article).
• A verification date (last_verified) and a source snapshot hash (SHA256).

For each insurance product, we capture:

• Product facts that can be verified (policy type, payment cadence, deductible, coverage limit, etc.).
• Evidence excerpts and a locator from the product’s official documents or pages.
• A version/date so the record is tied to a specific policy snapshot.

2) How we extract requirements

• Identify the authoritative source for the specific route.
• Capture the requirement key, operator, and value.
• Store a short excerpt and a locator for the exact passage.
• Save the source in sources/ and record its SHA256 hash in the .meta.json file.

3) Data model

We use a 3-layer model:

1. VisaFacts (law/authority facts)
2. ProductFacts (product/policy facts)
3. Mappings (engine output)

The checker result is generated by comparing VisaFacts against ProductFacts.

4) How the rule engine evaluates

• Each requirement is evaluated against a specific product fact.
• If evidence is missing for a required fact, the status becomes UNKNOWN.
• If a requirement is explicitly violated, the status becomes RED.
• If requirements are met but there is an operational risk (example: monthly payments when full-period coverage is required), the status becomes YELLOW.
• If no violations are found and evidence is complete, the status is GREEN.

5) Evidence standard

Every requirement must include:

• source_id (the source document)
• locator (page/section/article)
• excerpt (the relevant text)

Every source is stored as a snapshot and hashed with SHA256 to preserve integrity.

6) SHA256 verification

To verify a source:

• Compute the SHA256 hash of the local file.
• Compare it to the sha256 recorded in the source .meta.json.
• A mismatch means the source file has changed and must be re-verified.

7) Status definitions (Traffic Light)

• GREEN (PASS): No rule violations detected based on available evidence.
• YELLOW (CAUTION): Meets hard requirements, but there is an edge case or operational risk.
• RED (FAIL): Violates at least one explicit requirement.
• UNKNOWN: Insufficient evidence to conclude.
• NOT_REQUIRED: The authority does not require insurance for the route.

8) Scope and limitations

• Requirements can vary by authority, route, and time.
• Policies can change; product records are tied to a specific version/date.
• A GREEN result does not ensure visa approval. Final decisions are made by the authority.

9) Reporting an update

If you believe a source has changed or a requirement is outdated:

• Use “Notify me of changes” (opens a report/issue).
• Provide the updated official link or document if possible.

We will review and update the relevant VisaFacts/ProductFacts record with evidence.

What the authority requires

We only include requirements that appear in official sources for the route.

How we evaluate

See /methodology/ for the step-by-step approach and data model.

Check in the engine

Try the checker: /ui/?visa=ES_DNV_BLS_LONDON_2026&product=SAFETYWING_NOMAD_2026&snapshot=releases/2026-01-15

Disclaimer

Not legal advice. Compliance results are evidence-based snapshots.

Affiliate disclosure

If an affiliate link is present, it appears only after results and does not change the compliance outcome.