Travel insurance

What type of travel insurance covers coronavirus?

It is important that you check any travel insurance policy that you have to make sure it covers you for coronavirus. Some companies exclude coronavirus and other similar infections.

If the destination you are travelling to is currently being advised against all non-essential by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), then you won’t be covered by your policy. If you bought your insurance policy a few weeks or months ago and the advice on travel to the destination changes, you may be covered. As always, please read your policy documents carefully.

Do I need travel insurance for the UK?

It is often recommended that you get a travel insurance policy before you go anywhere, even if your trip is a staycation here in the UK. A UK travel insurance policy will usually cover you for all the things you would be covered for when abroad, including:

• Cancelled accommodation – if you have to change your UK travel plans due to local lockdowns or other circumstances, your UK travel insurance policy may be able to help you recover your accommodation costs. We always recommend checking the details of your policy to be sure. However, if you're in lockdown and plan to travel abroad, then you won't be covered by your policy.

• Cancelled travel – if you’re travelling in the UK and your flight, train or bus gets cancelled, then your travel insurance policy could cover it. As always, we recommend checking the policy details to be sure.

• Luggage - if your luggage goes missing, gets damaged, or is stolen, your policy may cover you for that. This also means that any valuables you have in your luggage should be covered.

Have travel insurance companies changed their policies to exclude cover for coronavirus or other similar infections?
As always, check your policy wording. Some insurance companies are changing their policies to specifically exclude coronavirus and other similar infections.

Will my insurance cover me if I get coronavirus while I’m abroad?
If you need emergency medical attention while you’re abroad, you could be covered. Again, it’s always best to check your policy wording.
You won’t be covered if you go against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), World Health Organisation (WHO), any local government or authority.
At the moment, the FCDO has advised essential travel only to countries abroad.

Where do people stand with cover for hospital treatment that’s not related to the coronavirus?
You will still be covered for any medical issue that’s not related to the coronavirus.

Are people covered if they go to hospital for an illness unrelated to coronavirus, but they contract coronavirus when they’re in hospital?
You should be covered for this if you’re following the advice from the FCDO or other relevant authority. If you’re travelling against their advice, then you won’t be covered.

If I need to be tested for coronavirus at my holiday destination, will my insurance cover it?
Probably not. Most insurance policies don’t cover the cost of testing for coronavirus.

Will my insurance costs go up?
Early indications suggest that premiums may have gone up, but it’s too soon to say.

Do I need travel insurance?

Once you’ve booked your holiday, the last thing you want to think about is what can go wrong. Unfortunately, no matter what type of holiday you’re going on, accidents can happen.

Getting travel insurance before you go away can help cover medical costs if you get injured or ill abroad, so you don’t have to worry about footing the bill. It can also cover delayed flights and lost or stolen items.

How to get cheap travel insurance

Getting a good deal on your travel insurance doesn’t have to be confusing. Shopping around can save you time and money, especially when you can compare lots of providers at the same time.

At Confused.com, we compare up to 52 travel insurance providers to help you find a policy at the right price that suits your needs. We can compare policies in minutes and you could have your documents emailed to you within an hour.

To help you even more, when you get a quote we show ratings from the independent financial researcher, Defaqto, next to each provider. So you could make a better-informed decision, quickly.

To visit Europe after Brexit there may be things you'll need to do before you travel, including:

• Checking your passport is valid for at least 6 months
• Ensuring your travel insurance covers your healthcare
• Checking you have the right driving documents
• Organising pet travel if required

Your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) may become unusable following the UK leaving the European Union so it’s important to have European travel insurance too.

The government has published a range of guidance and notes for Brexit available online from www.gov.uk/brexit. Also, the Financial Conduct Authority has published guidance on financial services, including detail for travellers.

As the name suggests, single trip insurance covers you for a one-off trip. And, depending on when you arrange your cover, protects you against any unexpected cancellations or amendments to your journey. A single trip policy will cover you for the length of your holiday, up to a maximum of 120 days depending on your insurer.

Annual trip insurance, also called multi-trip, covers you for multiple journeys across a 12-month period. This type of cover is usually limited to 31 days per trip within the year, but it can vary for each provider. You should check how many days you’ll be covered for per trip if you’re planning an extended holiday.

Which type of cover is better for me?

This will depend on the number of times you plan to go away throughout the year, and where you travel to. If you’re planning on going away more than once within a year it’s usually cheaper to take out an annual policy.

But there are some exceptions. For example, if you’re planning on a skiing holiday at some point too, it may be more cost-effective for you to take out two separate policies. This is due to the additional expense of winter sports cover.

Also, if you’ve taken out a European annual policy, it wouldn’t cover you if you organise a trip to, say, America. You’d need to get annual Worldwide cover that includes USA, Canada, Caribbean and Mexico instead.

• I’m going skiing, will that affect my cover?

  First you should check whether winter sports or other adventure activities are covered by your policy. As well as cover against injury, you’ll want to check whether your gear is covered against loss or damage. To look for policies that include winter sports cover, simply pick winter sports from the extras section when getting a quote.

• I’m going on a cruise, will this make a difference?

  Cruise holidays may not necessarily be covered by all providers. You can tick the cruise holiday option when getting a quote to find policies that do.

• What is a pre-existing medical condition?

  Any personal illness or medical condition that is known or existing before buying an insurance policy is considered a pre-existing medical condition.

  You are required to tell your insurer about any previous or current medical conditions. Failure to do so could result in the insurer refusing to pay out in the event of a claim, or the policy being invalidated.

• I've already started my holiday, can I get covered now?

  Sadly we’re not able to offer quotations for travellers who start their trip from outside of the UK or offer quotes to extend your current policy if it expires while you are away.

• Do I need European travel insurance if I have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)?

  For more comprehensive cover, it’s best to have European travel insurance as well as your EHIC. This is because the EHIC will only provide state-level treatment for free, or at a reduced cost, depending on the European country you’re in. The EHIC would cover conditions such as maternity care or pre-existing conditions, but it wouldn’t cover repatriation or private hospital care, for example.

  According to Citizens Advice, if the UK leaves the EU without a Brexit deal EHICs won’t be valid for use in the EU and you’ll need to take out relevant insurance for travel.

• Does my travel insurance cover laptops and gadgets?

  Standard travel insurance may cover some of your gadgets but not all of them. That's why it's important to check your policy to see if you need to add additional cover for high value items like laptops or high-spec cameras.

• What is couples travel insurance?

  If you and your partner are going abroad a couples travel insurance policy will cover both of you for the duration of your trip. However, if one of you has a pre-existing medical condition it may be cheaper to buy two individual policies.

  To qualify for couples travel insurance, you must both live at the same address or you could risk invalidating your insurance.

• What is group travel insurance?

  Group cover protects you and the people travelling with you abroad under one policy. Group travel insurance usually has a similar cover as a single policy, so if you’re taking part in any activities make sure you have the right cover.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you can still get a quote through Confused.com. These conditions could include cancer, stroke, serious heart, respiratory and terminal conditions.

Some insurers might not cover you if you already have a serious medical condition, or if you have a number of conditions. Others might only offer insurance at a much higher price. If you're unable to find suitable cover, the Money and Pension Service (MaPS) has also set up a directory of insurers willing to cover customers with pre-existing medical conditions.

You can contact the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) or you can telephone 0800 138 7777.