Travel insurance

Since the UK left the EU on 31^st December, you’ll now need to have a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to ensure you’ve got the right amount of medical cover for your holiday. The EHIC is being replaced by the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) and gives you access to low-cost or free state healthcare in the EU. The new GHIC will also cover pre-existing medical conditions.

The EHIC or GHIC aren’t replacements for travel insurance, you’ll need a valid policy to cover you for things including replacing stolen property or if you need emergency services such as mountain rescue.

We recommend you checking your policy documents or with your insurer before you travel.

Other things you need to consider include:

• Having at least 6 months left on your passport before its expiry date
• Checking if you need an international driving permit to drive in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein. These are referred to as green cards, and you can find more information on the FCA website.
• Making sure you have everything you need to travel over the border of the country that you’re visiting. If you can’t show that you meet all immigration rules, you may be refused entry. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/brexit

It depends on the type of policy you are going for. If you need a single-trip policy, you can get a quote for as cheap as £2.10*, or from £12 for a multi-trip policy.

*The cheapest Europe policy is £2.10 (based on 1 adult aged 31, with no previous medical conditions travelling in Europe for up to 3 nights). Prices correct on the 20/07/2021.

Excess is the amount you’ll have to pay towards any claim you make on your travel insurance policy. The amount of excess you pay depends on your policy and the type of claim you’re making.

For example, if you have an excess of £250 and claim £1,000 for a cancelled flight, then your insurer would pay the remaining £750.

If you’re planning on travelling only once in the year, then a single-trip travel insurance policy will suit you. It could be cheaper and should give you the level of cover you need.

If you plan on travelling multiple times a year and want the same cover for all your trips, then an annual travel insurance policy is probably best and could work out cheaper. With an annual policy, you’ll need to let the insurer know where you’re travelling. You can either do this by telling us each individual country or by choosing a specific area from the following list:

United Kingdom, Europe, Worldwide, (including USA, Caribbean, Canada and Mexico), Worldwide (excluding USA, Caribbean, Canada and Mexico) and Australia & New Zealand.

Unfortunately, if you’re already on holiday and are outside the UK, we can’t help you get a new policy or extend it if you already have one.

If you’re looking for travel insurance that provides cruise cover, please make sure you select the cruise option in the extras when getting a quote.

With cruise cover included, you should be covered against everything you’ll need while you’re on your trip including cabin confinement, missed port, emergency transport to hospital (if needed) and unused excursion. As always, we recommend checking your policy details carefully before buying to ensure you have the right level of cover.

You can easily get a ski travel insurance quote with us. When getting a quote, just select winter sports cover as an extra. Once selected, we’ll only show you offers from insurers that include it in their policies.

Some insurers exclude coronavirus and other similar infections as standard. You may still find others that are offering cover. If it’s something you’re specifically looking for cover against, it’s important that you check your travel insurance policy to make sure it properly covers you.

If you buy your policy at a time the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is advising against all non-essential travel to your destination, 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.

We recommend 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, it’s worth checking the policy details to be sure.
• Luggage - if your luggage goes missing, gets damaged, or is stolen, your policy may cover you. Any valuables you have in your luggage should also be covered.

Check your policy wording. Some insurance companies are changing their policies to specifically exclude coronavirus and other similar infections.

If you need emergency medical attention while you’re abroad, you could be covered. It’s best to check your policy wording. You won’t be covered if you ignore travel 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.

You’ll still be covered for any medical issue that’s not related to the coronavirus.

Early indications suggest that premiums may have gone up, but it’s too soon to say.

After Brexit, the signs are that premiums may have gone up. But right now it’s too soon to say.