Do I need travel insurance for France on an Airport Transit Schengen Visa?

The travel insurance requirement derives from article 15 of the Schengen visa code, which reads:

1. Applicants for a uniform visa for one or two entries shall prove that they are in possession of adequate and valid travel medical insurance to cover any expenses which might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment or death, during their stay(s) on the territory of the Member States.

2. Applicants for a uniform visa for more than two entries (multiple entries) shall prove that they are in possession of adequate and valid travel medical insurance covering the period of their first intended visit.

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It's a subtle cue but a “uniform visa” is a visa allowing you to enter the Schengen area (see e.g. article 2 and article 24). This requirement therefore does not apply to airport transit visas (issued under article 26 and defined separately in article 2). Incidentally, references to “travel medical insurance” in other articles are qualified with the phrase “where applicable” (implicitly: because it does not apply to transit visas, diplomats, sea farers, etc.).

In any case, the insurance requirement only applies to visa holders and is part of the visa requirements (i.e. it's not directly an entry requirement). So, unless the consulate made a serious mistake, if you already have a visa and did not need to submit evidence of travel insurance, it means it wasn't required in your situation (with a small caveat: multiple-entry visa applications only require proof of insurance for the first trip but it's still required to have it for any subsequent trip). See also Is medical insurance mandatory for entering the Schengen area if you are not required to have a visa? for more details on this.

You don't need a travel insurance if you have air transit visa for France and if you are Indian (not sure about other countries). But its always good to have a travel insurance, you never know when you will need it.

I did have a travel insurance but it was invalid as I had postponed my flight and the departure dates were of the previous flights.

When I reached France they only checked my air transit visa and the Chile visa and didn't ask for a travel insurance or the euros I had.

Update :

Sorry for not mentioning this.

I had spoken with VFS Global, an company authorized to collect visa documents and collecting biometric scans on whether I need a travel insurance and they said it was not necessary. Again its advisable to ask the consulate or the visa issuing authority before taking any decision.

Airport Transit: applies in case you have to change flights without leaving the airport or going through immigration control.

Mandatory Documents:

• Original passport valid for a minimum period of three months after the expiry date of the visa (passports issued more than ten years ago are no longer accepted)* and 1 old passport if applicable plus one copy of the first and last page of the current passport. The passport should have 2 blank pages.

• One application form with all columns filled in and 2 recent photographs not older than 6 months. The photograph must measure 35 mm in width by 45 mm in length. The length of face must be 32 to 36 mm from bottom of chin to the top of the skull (Besides hair), that is, the face coverage has to be 60-70 % of the photo./

• Original covering letter

• Copy of visa of final destination

• Copy of air ticket

Source : VFS Global