Why do you need travel insurance?
Travel insurance is important. It provides protection and coverage for unexpected events that can happen on holiday. Travel insurance can cover a range of scenarios, such as:
- Medical emergencies and repatriation
- Lost or stolen baggage
- Trip cancellations or interruptions
- Natural disasters
You must purchase cover that is appropriate for your travel plans. Travelling without the right cover can be very expensive if things do go wrong while you are abroad.
If you buy a basic policy that does not provide enough medical coverage, you may get a big bill if you have an unexpected health issue on holiday.
Or it could be that you buy a policy that does not cover your planned holiday activities – such as water sports or quad biking – or it could be that your policy doesn’t cover cancellations or delays. If you’re injured doing activities, or your trip is disrupted, you may have a big bill to pay.
In addition to making sure you have appropriate insurance, you should also check Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) travel advice and sign up to alerts for your destination. If you travel to a destination where FCDO advises against all but essential travel or all travel, your insurance may be invalidated.
So, before you go on holiday, you can do some small things in only a few minutes which could save you a lot of money:
Declare all of your medical conditions
You must declare all pre-existing medical conditions when buying travel insurance. If you already have cover, you should check that your list of medical conditions is up-to-date before each trip abroad.
Failure to do this could mean your claim is rejected if you have a medical emergency while travelling.
Therefore you must be honest about any medical conditions you have, to avoid risking a big bill.
Check your policy to see what you need to declare. Medical conditions can include, but are not limited to:
- Heart conditions
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Respiratory conditions (such as asthma)
- Mental health conditions
- Any form of cancer
Check your insurance covers all your activities
When buying travel insurance, consider the type of coverage you need. If you intend to engage in adventure activities, like quad-biking or water sports, you may need specific insurance cover. Check your policy before you travel to make sure all your activities are covered.
Check your insurance covers the whole trip
Make sure you buy travel insurance that covers the entire duration of your holiday. Some insurance policies have a limit on the amount of time you can be abroad. If you exceed it, your policy may be invalidated.
Check that medical evacuation is included
You may assume you will not need to be brought home for medical reasons whilst on holiday. But, if you become ill or injured while travelling, you may need to be transported to hospital, or back to the UK, for treatment. Medical evacuations can cost thousands of pounds.
Check your policy covers medical evacuation before travelling. This is especially important if your trip includes adventure activities like climbing, quad-biking or water sports.
Share your policy details with friends and family
Before you go on holiday, share your insurance policy details with travel companions, and friends or family at home. This can be helpful in case they need to contact your insurance company on your behalf, if you get into trouble abroad.
Pack your policy documents
When you travel, take a paper copy of your insurance policy with you. If you lose your phone abroad, this paper copy will provide the information you need, including your policy number and insurer’s emergency 24-hour telephone number.
