Pregnancy travel insurance

Do I need specialist pregnancy travel insurance?

No - a standard travel insurance policy should cover you if you're pregnant.

But, you should let your insurer know if you have any pregnancy-related complications or conditions. For example, gestational diabetes or high blood pressure. This can lead to higher insurance costs, but it'll mean you're getting the right level of cover.

If you have any doubts or questions, you can speak to your travel insurance provider directly to make sure you've got an appropriate level of cover.

What won't pregnancy travel insurance cover?

It's important to fully understand any exclusions on your travel insurance policy so you don't get caught out. Let's take a look at what travel insurance is unlikely to cover while you're pregnant:

• Travelling against medical advice. If your doctor or midwife has advised against travel and you go anyway, you're unlikely to be covered.
• Not following airline or cruise operator guidelines. Airlines might not let you fly after around 28 weeks unless you have a fit-to-fly letter from your doctor. Cruise operators are often stricter than this, and can refuse boarding past 24 weeks. If you're refused boarding while travelling after this point in pregnancy, your insurance might not cover you.
• Planned labour and delivery abroad. If you've planned to give birth abroad, your travel insurance won't cover your medical costs.
• Routine maternity care. It's unlikely that you'll be covered for routine, non-emergency maternity care while travelling abroad.
• Undisclosed medical conditions. If you have any medical conditions or complications relating to pregnancy that you fail to disclose, you can void your travel insurance. This can leave you unprotected if you need medical care during your holiday.

What happens if I go into labour abroad?

Depending on how far along in your pregnancy you are, your travel insurance might cover medical costs related to the birth. But, it's worth checking with your insurer before you travel as they might not cover birth after a certain point. For example, after 37 weeks with a single birth, or 33 weeks with twins.

But, while some policies offer coverage for unexpected or premature births, most won't cover a planned birth abroad.

Keep in mind that most airlines require newborns to be at least 2 weeks old to fly. And that wait might be longer if your baby arrives early. This might mean you need to delay your return home. If this is the case, your travel insurance might cover the costs of extending your trip.

Travel insurance for medical conditions

If you have a medical condition, it can increase the price of travel insurance. For more serious conditions, it can also make it harder to find a policy that'll cover you.

If you're struggling to find an appropriate policy, the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) might be able to help. They have a directory of insurers who specialise in travel insurance for medical conditions and may be able to offer you a quote. You can contact them on 0800 138 7777.