Over 50s travel insurance

Home
Travel insurance
Over 50 travel insurance

Can I get travel insurance that covers COVID-19?

Yes, you can still compare and purchase travel insurance with COVID-19 cover from Confused.com. All of our providers offer emergency medical treatment and repatriation (returning to the UK) for COVID-19 claims.

Many of our providers offer further Covid-19 related cover such as holiday cancellations, accommodation costs and denied boarding. Be sure to check the details of your policy carefully as different providers will offer different policy enhancements.

It's important to note that if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), you won't be covered by any travel insurance policy you buy.

What is over 50s travel insurance?

If you’re in your 50s and you’ve just booked or are looking to book your next holiday, buying the right travel insurance before your trip can help cover you for cancellations or missed departure.

Once you’re on holiday, over 50s travel insurance can help you pay for expensive medical treatment in emergencies or unexpected costs like loss of personal possessions. It can also cover return travel if you get ill or are involved in an accident abroad.

What does over 50s travel insurance cover?

An over 50s travel policy will cover the same as a standard policy. This may include:

Medical treatment and return travel to the UK if you’re unwell or are injured on holiday
Cancellation cover if your holiday is cancelled or you can't go on your trip
Baggage, personal possessions, and money cover if your items are lost or stolen
24-hour helpline to speak to someone in an emergency

An over 50s travel insurance policy might offer slightly enhanced medical benefits or no age limits on the cover.

As with any policy, it’s important to check exactly what is and isn’t covered to get the best value over 50s travel insurance. Terms will vary between different policies and insurance companies.

What doesn't over 50s travel insurance cover?

As with any policy, some things aren't usually covered by over 50s travel insurance. This includes:

Pre-existing medical conditions that you haven't declared to the insurance provider
Activities not covered by your policy -like ski-ing if you don't have winter sports cover
Incidents caused by alcohol or drug intake

Make sure you are familiar with all the exclusions on your policy before you travel.

What optional extras are available?

To get the right level of cover for your trip, you can add optional extras to your policy:

Golf cover insures your equipment. It can be included with over 50s plans, but not always.
Cruise cover covers your cruise for unscheduled stops or missing a port. It also covers you for medical emergencies on board and cabin confinement.
Specialist sports cover includes numerous sporting activities, from water and winter sports to other extreme sports.
Gadget cover can help if the cover limit on a standard policy isn’t high enough for your gadgets.
Single item cover for those travelling with items that exceed the single item price limit, like a watch or jewellery.

What are the main types of over 50s cover?

Single-trip travel insurance is perfect for a one-off holiday where you’re only travelling for a week or two. There isn’t usually a maximum limit for the number of days you’re allowed to travel.

Annual travel insurance may be more cost effective if you know you’re going to be travelling multiple times a year. There is usually a limit of 31 days per trip, but this varies between insurers. It could also be useful if you want to be able to go abroad at short notice.

The type you need depends on where you're going. Travelling to the USA increases the cost of your cover substantially. So if you have a two-week trip to Spain and a weekend in New York coming up, it might save money by comparing the cost of buying two separate single policies or an annual wordwide policy.

Backpacker insurance is another option for long-term travel. You’re normally covered for anything between 3 and 18 months. But this can change depending on your insurer, so check the policy details before buying.

How much does over 50s travel insurance cost?

The cost of your policy can vary depending on:

Where you’re travelling, for example, the USA is likely to cost more than Europe
How long you’re away for, the longer the trip, the more you're likely to pay
If you have a pre-existing medical condition
If you want to add any extras to your policy, like golf or cruise cover

Here are the average costs of 1-week policies for the UK and some of the most popular destinations around the world¹:

Destination	Average premium for 1 week¹
Cyprus	£28.92
Germany	£24.83
Spain	£27.61
France	£23.51
UK	£22.31
Greece	£24.56
Croatia	£23.71
Italy	£22.45
Portugal	£19.92
Turkey	£28.18

1. Confused.com travel insurance data - Average price of all over 50 premiums - 2nd May 2022 to 2nd November 2022

What should I consider when buying over 50s travel insurance?

Make sure you have the right cover in place before you travel. Here's some things to think about before buying your over 50s travel insurance policy:

What policy type you need
The length of your trip
Where you're travelling
The level of cover you need
How many people you want to cover

The policy type you need depends on the type of holiday and if you’re going on more than one trip in a year. Options include single-trip, annual multi-trip or if you’re more adventurous, a backpacker policy.

The length of your trip can determine the type of policy you need. For example, a standard over 50s travel insurance policy may be suited for a week or month’s holiday. If you’re travelling for longer, a backpacker policy might be better.

Backpacker policies aren’t just for young travellers. They offer cover for trips of up to 18 months, whether you’re aged 18 or 50.

Where you’re travelling affects the cost of your policy and the cover you need. For example, for a shopping trip to New York, you’ll want to cover your purchases. Always include all the countries and regions you’re travelling to, to be sure you’re fully covered.

The level of cover you need, including cover for a pre-existing medical condition. Depending on the type of holiday you might need extras such as winter sports, business travel or cruise cover.

How many people you want to cover, particularly if you’re planning a romantic getaway or family holiday. Family policies can include up to 2 adults and 8 children under the age of 18.

Compare over 50s travel insurance quotes

Get a quote

What information do I need for an over 50s travel insurance quote?

To get an over 50s travel insurance quote you’ll need information about:

The dates you’re travelling
The country or countries you’ll be visiting
Any pre-existing medical conditions

We may ask if you’ve seen a doctor in the last two years and whether you’re currently waiting for any tests or investigations.

For annual trips, you don’t need to include specific travel dates or holiday details as you may not have booked them all. But you would need to specify the parts of the world you want to include.

Where can I go with over 50s travel insurance?

You can travel all around the world with an over 50s travel insurance policy.

With single-trip cover, you'll have to tell your insurance company exactly where you're going. With annual multi-trip cover, you'll have to select the right level of cover for you, depending on where you're likely to go.

You can usually buy the following types of cover:

UK only
European travel insurance
Worldwide travel insurance
Worldwide travel insurance excluding the USA, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean

Insurance for some destinations is more expensive than for others. For example, in North America where the cost of medical treatment is high.

So it's important not to buy worldwide travel insurance if you're not likely to travel beyond Europe.

Can I get a quote with a serious pre-existing medical condition?

Yes, you can still get a quote with us over 50s travel insurance if you have a medical condition. We have a range of insurers who offer quotes for many declared serious medical conditions. These conditions could include:

Cancer
Stroke
Serious heart conditions
Respiratory conditions
Terminal conditions

You must tell your insurer about the health history of each traveller, so they can confirm if any claims relating to them will be covered. Cover for some conditions could make your policy more expensive. If you don’t tell your insurer about a medical condition, this could invalidate a claim and you could be left with a very hefty bill.

Not all insurers offer cover for pre-existing medical conditions. 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 phone them on 0800 138 7777 for free impartial advice.

Compare over 50s travel insurance quotes

Get a quote

What our travel insurance expert says

Believe it or not, but there aren’t many differences between a standard travel policy and an over 50s policy. The only real difference is the cost of your policy, as the risk of getting injured or becoming ill when abroad increases as you get older. That doesn’t mean to say, you can’t make a saving on a policy. The easiest way to do that is to get a quote and compare your options. It really is that simple.

Jac Morris

Travel insurance product executive

Need more help

Are there age limits for an over 50s travel insurance policy?

The only criteria for this type of policy is that you have to be over the age of 50 when you buy the policy. There aren’t any upper age limits, so you should be able to get a quote if you’re 60, 70 or 80.

Why does over 50s travel insurance cost more than standard travel insurance?

The cost of a policy goes up for over 50s because you generally have a higher chance of getting ill or having an accident while abroad. Medical treatment and repatriation costs can be very expensive, so your insurer needs to make sure you have enough cover in place in the unlikely event that you need either of these services.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, that could also affect the price of your policy. It’s important that you openly declare any medical conditions when buying your policy to make sure you’ve got the right cover in place. If you go on to become unwell or seriously ill on holiday as a result of a pre-existing condition you’ve not declared, you run the risk of being unable to make a claim for any medical expenses related to it.

Will my EHIC cover me while I'm on holiday?

If your EHIC is still valid, it’ll cover you for state-level healthcare in Europe. If you don’t have an EHIC, you can apply for its replacement, the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). For more information see our guide on EHIC changes or apply for a GHIC card at NHS.UK.