Many people really regret not taking out travel insurance. They think their credit card accident cover, home insurance, or private health cover is enough to cover them.

The real cost when things go wrong

An emergency abroad can be extremely expensive. If you need to be returned to the UK it could cost you thousands, unless you are properly insured. It can cost, for example,

• £30,000-£35,000 – for an air ambulance from USA’s East coast
• £12,000-£16,000 – for an air ambulance from the Canaries
• £15,000-£20,000 – for a scheduled flight, stretcher and doctor escort from Australia 
Figures supplied by FirstAssist

It is important that you know that the British embassy will not pay for this.

 

What should my travel insurance policy cover?

• medical and health cover for an injury or sudden illness abroad – you’ll find more information in our  medical and health cover page
• 24 hour emergency service and assistance
• personal liability cover in case you’re sued for causing injury or damaging property
• lost and stolen possessions cover
• cancellation and curtailment (cutting short your trip) cover
• extra cover for activities that are often excluded from standard policies, such as jet skiing.

The policy should cover the whole time that you’re away until you arrive back in the UK.

Your policy may also have:

• personal accident cover
• legal expenses cover
• financial protection if your airline goes out of business before or during your trip.

Many insurers will extend cover if you ask them. If not, shop around for a specialist policy.

 

Common travel insurance policy exclusions

Always check the conditions and exclusions of your policy:

• most policies will not cover drink or drug-related incidents
• you must take reasonable care of your possessions or your policy won’t cover you.

 

Travel insurance buying tips

• shop around to find a good price and the right product rather than opting to travel without cover
• cheaper policies will usually have less cover – ask yourself whether it is worth the initial saving
• consider an annual multi-trip insurance if you make several trips a year – you’ll save time and money.

We’ve listed insurers on the  Know Before You Go Partners  page on the FCO website.

 

Cancelling or cutting a trip short

Check carefully to see exactly what you’re covered for. A good insurance policy will cover you for:

• accident
• illness
• pregnancy (as long as you didn’t know you were pregnant when you bought the policy)
• jury service or witness summons
• home emergency, such as fire, storm or flood, burglary
• redundancy
• strikes
• bad weather – affecting the departure of flights and ships.

Make sure your policy:

• will refund the full cost of your holiday
• pay out if you need to cancel or cut short a trip if, for example, you fall ill
• cover pre-paid expenses such as excursions
• cover the extra money it costs you to get home

And try to book through a travel agent registered with Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), Air Travel Organisers' Licencing (ATOL) or other credible financial protection organisations.

 

Personal liability insurance

If you accidentally cause an injury to someone or damage their property they may sue you. Good travel insurance will cover you for personal liability.

Travel insurance can include a payment made for permanent disability or death.

 

Cover for stolen, lost or damaged possessions

You can normally choose the limits in your policy. Limits for single items, such as cameras and jewellery can vary from as low as £250 up to £1000 or more. Check these limits are realistic.

You should report a loss to the police within 24 hours. Insurance companies will need proof that you did notify the police when you make your claim.

All insurance policies say that you must take care of your belongings at all times. If you don’t, the insurer may not pay out.

Tip: take the same care of your property as if it were uninsured.

 

Lost baggage on flights

Do not rely on compensation from an airline if it loses your luggage.

By law, airlines only have to pay a specified minimum value per kilo of lost luggage. This is unlikely to cover the full value of your things.

 

Legal expenses cover

This will help you to pursue compensation or damages following personal injury while you’re abroad. This is very important in countries without a legal aid system.