Travel insurance might be the last thing on your mind when organising your epic trip. But when you’re carrying all your belongings in a backpack and intend to be away for a while, having the right cover in place should be a vital part of your plans.
Covid-19 - what our travel insurance covers
Our travel insurance now covers you for certain events related to Coronavirus (COVID-19), provided you have proof of a positive Covid-19 test and your cover is active at the time of the event.
What we cover
- Emergency medical and repatriation costs if you become ill with COVID-19 while abroad and must self-isolate
- Trip cancellation if you are diagnosed with COVID-19 within 14 days of your trip departure
- Cutting short your trip because you're denied boarding on your pre-booked outbound travel due to symptoms of COVID-19
- Trip cancellation because of the hospitalisation or death of a close relative due to Covid-19 within the 14 days prior to your trip departure
- You can't continue with a pre-booked because you contracted Covid-19 while on your trip
- Cutting short your trip due to your death or the death of a close relative from Covid-19
What we don’t cover
- If you had reason to believe your trip may be cancelled, postponed or cut short when you booked it, purchased your policy or started your trip.
- Cancelling, cutting short your trip or being unable to continue with a trip or pre-booked excursion because you're required to self-isolate due to the potential exposure to Covid-19 except for reasons specified
- If you travel against Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advice. You will need to check the travel advice for all countries you visit or will transit through
- Cancelling or cutting short your trip due to the FCDO changing its advice regarding your destination or countries you will transit through due to COVID-19
- Costs incurred as a result of a local outbreak of COVID-19 that meant you couldn't stay in your pre-booked accommodation or vessel
- Due to travel restrictions or quarantine imposed by any government or public authority, including local lockdowns, being denied entry and compulsory entry requirements
For more information about how Coronavirus (COVID-19) affects your travel cover, see our FAQ page. And remember to check the policy booklet carefully before you buy to make sure our cover meets your needs.
What kind of student travel insurance will I need?
The policy you need depends on how long you'll be travelling for. If you're lucky enough to be taking a few months – or even a year – to travel, then you'll need a policy that covers you for the full duration.
Unlike many single trip policies that cover you for up to 31 days away, our single trip policy covers you for 365 days, as long as you don't come back to the UK at all during that period.
If you're breaking up your travels over the course of a year, or studying abroad as part of your university course and planning to return to the UK after each term, then an annual policy – which allows multiple trips abroad, up to 31 days per trip as standard – could be right for you.
Admiral Student Travel Insurance comes with three tiers to choose from – Admiral, Admiral Gold and Admiral Platinum – with increasing coverage and product benefits.
Admiral |
Admiral |
Admiral |
|
---|---|---|---|
Excess |
£100 | £75 | £50 |
Emergency medical treatment repatriation (Limits up to) |
£10M | £15M | £20M |
Cancellation or cutting short your trip (Limits up to) |
£1.5K | £3K | £5K |
Personal belongings (Limits up to) |
£1K | £2K | £2.5K |
Money & documents (Limits up to) |
£300 | £400 | £500 |
Read the full list of benefits in the policy summary booklet.

Which countries does student travel insurance cover?
Your student travel insurance needs to cover you in all the countries you're visiting, as well as every stop you make on the way (even if you're only passing through the country on an interrailing trip).
If you're heading to Europe, a European travel policy should meet your needs. We also include the following countries in our European travel insurance:
- Egypt
- Morocco
- Tunisia
- Turkey
If your student travels are taking you further afield – to America, Australia or the Caribbean for instance – you'll need to look at a worldwide insurance policy instead.
We offer two options:
- Worldwide
- Worldwide excluding USA, Canada, Caribbean and Mexico
What's the difference between standard and student travel insurance?
Most travel insurance policies will cover you for things like:
- Accidents
- Illness
- Loss or theft of personal belongings
- Travel delay
But if your student trip is going to last longer than the average holiday and you'll be trying out some extreme sports along the way, then you may need to look at some additional or specialist cover. Check the policy booklet or contact us to find out if the activity you want to do is covered.
Volunteering or working abroad
Whether providing childcare in a developing country's orphanages, helping on sustainability projects in a rainforest in Peru or feeding pandas at a conservation project in China, volunteering for a great cause abroad is a fantastic thing to do when you're a student.
It's a feel-good and do-good experience you'll treasure forever.
Maybe you're planning on working your way through your travels, taking on temporary jobs to help cover the cost of your adventures.
Our travel policies will cover you for your trip as long as you're not doing manual work. We define this as ‘paid or unpaid manual work or physical labour of any kind’.
For example, we won’t cover activities that require any heavy lifting or risk physical injury. If you’re unsure if what you plan to do is considered manual work, call our team to double check.
Student ski travel insurance for skiing and adventure holidays
We know relaxing on a beach isn't everyone's idea of fun. If you're planning to try new experiences and activities on your travels, make sure you check your travel insurance policy booklet first.
While our standard travel insurance covers you for active pursuits such as sail-boarding and surfing, anything riskier like diving with sharks or canyon swinging (yes, it's a thing!) will require a ‘hazardous activity' upgrade to your policy.
And if you're hitting the slopes, you'll need our winter sports insurance upgrade to cover your ski equipment and activities from skiing to snowmobiling. Without this upgrade, your trip won’t be covered at all.
Accidents and illness can happen, of course, so don't forget your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if it’s still in date. Otherwise you should apply for a new Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). These cards aren’t a substitute for travel insurance, though.
They entitle you to emergency care but treatment may not be free, and the cards won't cover extra costs such as those of getting you back to the UK in a medical emergency.
What about gadget travel insurance?
We know you won't want to be parted from your tech on your travels – how else will you Skype your family or Instagram your latest location?
But accidents happen, and expensive gadgets can get lost or stolen, so check your policy covers things such as smartphones, cameras or tablets.
If the value of your tech adds up to more than the valuables limit under your personal belongings cover in your travel insurance, you can add on gadget cover.
Admiral's gadget travel insurance pays up to £1,500 for gadgets that are lost, stolen or damaged on your trip.
What if I have a pre-existing medical condition?
A pre-existing medical condition is a short or long term illness or injury you have or have had before you buy travel insurance. This includes having symptoms, tests, diagnosis or medical treatment for a condition.
You can declare your pre-existing medical conditions during the quote process to see if we can offer cover. If you’re unsure what needs to be declared or if you're unable to find your condition on the medical conditions list, please contact us on 0333 234 9913.
Your pre-existing medical conditions won’t be covered unless you’ve:
- Declared them all on your policy
- Received written confirmation that we’ll cover your medical condition
- Paid any additional premium in full
Policy terms and conditions apply. Please note, if you’ve had a positive diagnosis of Covid-19 and been prescribed medication, received treatment, or had a consultation with a doctor or hospital specialist for any medical condition in the past two years, this needs to be declared on your policy.
If you don’t tell us about your pre-existing medical conditions or give us incorrect information, your policy may be invalid, and we may refuse all or part of any claim you submit.
For a quote with us, click the green button above.
The MoneyHelper directory
If you require cover for more serious medical conditions, MoneyHelper may be able to help you find specialist travel insurance through their medical directory.
If you wish to get in touch with them you can call them on 0800 138 7777 or find them online. (Monday to Friday 8:00-18:00, closed on Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays.)
Getting the most out of your trip
Going anywhere nice?
Off to one of the destinations below? Take a look at our guides for some hints and tips on what you need to remember.
Travel insurance that suits you
Whether you're travelling solo, with your family, or with a little one on the way, read our guides to make sure our cover is right for you.
Travel Insurance upgrades
Whether you want the adrenaline rush of a skiing holiday, or fancy taking to the seas on a cruise, you'll need to add extra cover to your policy.