Here's our guide on everything you need to know about travelling with a medical condition: what you need to disclose to your insurer, getting the right cover for you and some frequently asked questions.
We define a pre-existing medical condition as an illness or injury that:
Some examples of conditions could be:
No, pregnancy doesn’t count as a pre-existing medical condition.
You don’t have to declare it to us unless you’ve had any complications in your pregnancy so far or you have any medical conditions caused by the pregnancy, such as:
If you’re over 28 weeks pregnant, the airline you’re travelling with might need a letter from your doctor confirming it’s safe for you to fly.
We have more detailed information on pregnancy travel insurance.
Yes, you can get travel insurance with a medical condition.
But you must declare your condition when buying your policy, either online or over the phone.
There are some conditions we can’t cover, but it’s best to speak to us to check if you’re unsure.
If we’re unable to provide cover, you can use the MoneyHelper directory to find specialist travel insurance.
In general, we need to know about any medical condition you’ve had within the last two years.
With some conditions, we need to know if you’ve ever been diagnosed with them – these include:
You need to tell us:
You need to disclose your condition so we can provide the right cover.
If you don’t tell us and need to claim for any medical expenses caused by your condition while you’re away, we won’t cover all or some of the costs.
Claims are denied for people who:
Everything is entirely confidential, it’s simply to protect you financially if anything goes wrong while you’re on holiday.
The cost of your cover will always depend on a few things:
You might have to pay an additional premium for a condition to be covered. This varies between conditions and you’ll need to get a quote to find out.
Being fit for travel means you’re healthy enough to travel without concern.
If you’re unsure, contact your doctor for advice. We won’t cover you if a medical professional advises against travelling.
Airlines also expect you to be ‘fit to fly’ – this means:
Usually, yes, as long as:
When you disclose your new condition, we may charge an additional premium to cover it.
If we can’t cover you or you don’t agree with any changes to the terms and conditions, you can cancel your policy if you haven’t started your trip. You should get a full or partial refund, as long as you haven’t already made a claim or are intending to make a claim.
Ideally, you should make your claim while you’re on holiday when the event happens. Retrospective claims aren’t usually considered, although we will consider medical expenses less than £500 on a pay or claim basis if you’re not going to hospital or cutting your trip short.
As soon as you need medical care abroad, contact your insurer’s emergency service as quickly as possible. Our 24-hour emergency assistance helpline is at +44 (0) 292 010 777.