Brits urged to test their journey insurance coverage coverage earlier than heading for his or her holidays

• New marketing campaign units out easy steps to keep away from invalidating insurance coverage cowl
• Invalid journey insurance coverage may result in important prices.
• Travellers inspired to test Journey Recommendation for his or her vacation spot

As the massive summer season getaway ramps up with many colleges breaking apart, the FCDO is urging Brits travelling overseas to ensure they don’t void their journey insurance coverage and threat an enormous invoice. A new campaign will information British travellers on the steps they should take to ensure their insurance policies cowl them on their summer season holidays.

Travellers with out satisfactory and applicable insurance coverage cowl may face payments working to tens of 1000’s of kilos if issues go improper overseas. However a couple of easy checks will help save travellers pointless stress and expense.

The marketing campaign will encourage Brits to:

• Declare all pre-existing medical situations forward of their journey
• Verify their insurance coverage covers deliberate vacation actions comparable to water sports activities
• Verify that the size of their journey doesn’t exceed any time restrict of their insurance coverage coverage
• Verify their journey insurance coverage consists of medical evacuation cowl
• Take a printed copy of their insurance coverage coverage away with them and save the insurance coverage firm’s 24/7 emergency contact quantity and their coverage quantity on their cellphone
• Share their journey insurance coverage coverage particulars with journey companions and/or household within the UK

Medical payments will be eye-wateringly costly, if somebody is injured or falls ailing overseas with out satisfactory insurance coverage cowl. The worth of surgical procedure for a damaged leg within the Canary Islands will be over £10,000, for instance, and an accident in Greece requiring surgical procedure and flights again to the UK may lead to a invoice of £30,000. The FCDO can present help and help for British people who find themselves hospitalised overseas however can’t pay medical payments or for medical evacuation.

Jennifer Anderson, FCDO Director of Consular Companies stated:

“Arranging applicable journey insurance coverage is a vacation important for all Brits heading abroad this summer season.

“By taking a couple of easy steps, travellers can keep away from invalidating their insurance coverage and save themselves 1000’s of kilos in medical payments ought to issues go improper.

“Having the journey insurance coverage in place that meets your wants could make all of the distinction and can help you loosen up and luxuriate in your vacation.”

Mark Tanzer, ABTA Chief Government stated,

“In case you’re going away on vacation this summer season, it’s actually essential to take out journey insurance coverage and ensure it supplies the best cowl on your journey – together with the actions you’re planning, and any well being situations you might have.

“It’s also possible to insure for cancellation because of unexpected circumstances, however not all insurance coverage covers this, so it’s very important to test the precise phrases of your coverage.”

Louise Clark, Affiliation of British Insurers Coverage Adviser, stated:

“Journey insurance coverage can present very important safety and peace of thoughts when holidaying overseas, particularly in opposition to any prices concerned with needing emergency medical remedy.

It’s essential to reply all questions absolutely and actually when shopping for insurance coverage to make sure you have the best cowl in place, particularly on any pre-existing medical situations.

Insurance policies will fluctuate, so perceive what you’ll or received’t be lined for and purchase the duvet that the majority fits your wants -not simply primarily based on worth.

In case you’re not sure about your cowl or have any questions, please contact your insurer.”

Travellers are reminded that the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or legitimate UK European Well being Insurance coverage Card (EHIC) will get them state healthcare in Europe at a lowered value or generally without spending a dime. Nonetheless, the GHIC and EHIC don’t change journey insurance coverage and doesn’t cowl prices comparable to bringing the affected person again to the UK or further lodging prices in-country. Travellers must also keep in mind that the extent of free public healthcare can fluctuate between nations, so British nationals might not have entry to the identical specialist remedy that they might at house.

Along with checking their journey insurance coverage cowl, the FCDO is encouraging travellers to organize for his or her journey overseas. The FCDO’s foreign travel checklist units out the sensible steps that Brits want to consider earlier than they head off on vacation, from passport validity to well being prescriptions. Holidaymakers are additionally inspired to get all the most recent data on their vacation spot by checking travel advice on GOV.UK and signing up for e-mail alerts. FCDO journey recommendation has all the most recent data on entry necessities, native legal guidelines and customs and well being care provision in over 200 nations and territories.