Can I Buy Travel Insurance After Booking Holidays?
Can I buy last-minute travel insurance?
Yes, travel insurers allow you to buy their travel insurance the day before, or at the last minute on the day of departure - provided you have not commenced your Journey
Last-minute travel deals and insurance
One of the reasons people forget to take out cover until the last minute is because they found a great deal on a holiday, and spontaneously booked it without considering insurance.
Should I buy travel insurance as soon as I book my trip?
Yes, you should ideally buy travel insurance straight after booking your trip.
This means from the policy start date, if you need to cancel your trip for any reason covered by the policy, you’ll be able to make a claim.
Buying annual travel insurance every year is a good idea for frequent travellers because you’ll know you’re always covered if you need to cancel ahead of your trip.
Can I book travel insurance before I book my trip?
Although you can buy travel insurance prior to making your booking, if you get your flight tickets first, you’ll know how much coverage you’ll need from your insurance product and be able to choose a suitable one.
Will my bank travel insurance cover my last-minute trip?
Some bank accounts are bundled with travel insurance. However, if you have such an account you should read the small print carefully.
For example, if you have a pre-existing medical condition, are over a certain age, plan to take a year-long trip, or want to undertake certain activities, you may not be covered.
Read the small print
Perhaps you’ve realised you've forgotten to take out insurance shortly before your flight leaves the UK. In such circumstances, it’s important not to rush into buying a policy.
You should ensure it meets your needs by reading the small print carefully.
Benefits to look out for:
- Sufficient Coronavirus coverage
- Sufficient medical coverage
- Sufficient medical evacuation/repatriation coverage
- Trip Interruption
- Trip Cancellation (e.g. should your flight be cancelled after taking out cover)
- Cover for certain adventure activities/sports (if required)
Why is travel insurance important?
Note that in some countries medical care is very expensive - for example the USA.
If you fall ill or are injured in the States and you do not have valid travel insurance, you could be faced with a large medical bill.
As the Citizens Advice Bureau states: “Without insurance medical emergencies abroad can cost thousands of pounds.”
And of course, travel insurance can help with lost or stolen belongings, lost luggage, and many other unwanted events.
What if I'm aware of a potential claim before buying cover?
Travel insurance providers would not be able to cover you for any problem you were aware of before taking out cover - for example, a cancelled flight.
Other such on-the-horizon events include:
- You suspect the airline or holiday firm is about to go bankrupt
- You feel the beginnings of an illness
- Extreme weather has been forecast which may lead to your flight being cancelled
Can I take out last-minute annual cover?
Yes, travel insurance providers let you choose from different policy types - such as single trip, annual and family.
Most, if not all insurers let you take out any policy on the day of travel - so long as you're still in the UK when you do so.
Can I purchase travel insurance AFTER I've left the UK?
Looking for travel insurance and already abroad?
Most insurers who serve UK travellers do not allow their policies to be taken out after the traveller leaves the country. However, a small number of travel insurance providers do offer cover to those who are already abroad.
Common reasons for needing this type of cover is because you forgot, or you didn’t realise how important travel insurance is.
Travel insurance while already abroad: Expensive?
Insurers that offer travel cover to those already abroad may charge more for their services - since it may be considered specialist insurance.
Restrictions on travel cover after departure?
If you do find a provider who offers travel cover after departure, there will likely be some restrictions to be aware of.
There will almost certainly be a "time excess" or "waiting period" (depending on the term used in the policy wording) before the travel insurance takes effect. This is normally 3 days (72 hours).
This condition is to prevent people from claiming for events that have already occurred, or might occur imminently.
Other restrictions might include:
- Having unrestricted entry into the UK
- Being registered with a UK GP
- Having a UK passport
Coronavirus cancellation cover: time excess
Some policies may stipulate time excesses or waiting periods for some coronavirus-related cancelation cover - for example, 48 hours instead of 72.
Be aware of Coronavirus restrictions
Before taking out cover, it's important to check travel alerts and government travel advice in relation to coronavirus - since they may impact cover.
Accidents/injuries: read the small print
Terms and conditions vary between policies, so do make sure you read the policy wording in full so you understand what is - and is not - covered.
For example, if you are injured in an accident, to be covered it must have occurred after the waiting period, and have been witnessed/verified by an independent third party.
If there's any aspect of a travel insurance policy you don’t understand, email or call the provider for assistance.
Can I extend my travel insurance if it runs out?
Yes, some travel insurers allow you to extend cover - notably those that offer cover to travellers after they’ve left the UK.
To ensure cover is uninterrupted, it would need to be renewed before midnight on the last day of the existing cover.
If you are injured or fall seriously ill while abroad, it could cost you thousands to either be treated or evacuated back to the UK - so ensuring travel insurance is uninterrupted is crucial.
Be aware of residency rules
Many travel insurers require you to have been ordinarily resident in the UK for six months prior to travel.
For people who regularly take long trips - such as backpackers or digital nomads - this can be a real pitfall.
If you make a claim and the insurer discovers you were not resident in the UK for the stipulated period before departure, they may not pay out - leaving you to cover any necessary costs (and the knowledge that the money spent on insurance was wasted).
Monthly post-departure nomad insurance
A small number of travel insurers offer monthly 'nomad insurance' or similar, designed for those who may not know how long they will be abroad, but who need cover.
With such policies, you choose your start date, then automatic monthly payments are made until you pick an end date. It works like a Netflix or Amazon Video subscription.
This type of cover might suit those without concrete travel plans, or who do not want to pay out a large sum of money in one go for long-term cover (i.e. they can spread the cost month by month - although this could be more costly in the long run).
Will the UK embassy help me if I forget to take out travel insurance?
The Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office (FCDO) strongly encourages UK residents to take out comprehensive travel insurance before going abroad.
If you encounter a medical or legal problem, the nearest UK embassy may be able to offer advice - but little else.
They will encourage you to have funds transferred to you by friends, family or employers. In extreme situations (for example, destitution), the FCDO may offer an emergency loan which must be repaid within six months.
As gov.uk states: “The FCDO will only usually consider offering an emergency loan in cases of destitution, if you have no assets or support from friends, families and charities.
“Only basic costs can be included in a loan, usually the cheapest one-way ticket to the UK. A loan cannot cover medical or legal bills, or any other pre-existing debt. The FCDO does not fund medical repatriations.”
It’s clear that taking out comprehensive travel insurance is a much better option than having to deal with an emergency overseas alone.
In rare cases, family members have had to sell their homes to pay a relative’s medical repatriation costs.
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