Money and insurance
What travel insurance really covers (and what it never covers)
The cover all looks alike; the exclusions do not. What to check before you buy and the five pieces of small print that decide it.
Tomás Berruezo 7 min Photo by Match Sùmàyà on Unsplash Every travel policy says roughly the same thing on the front page. Where they differ, and where you find out whether yours is any use, is the long document nobody opens until they need it.
What is usually covered
- Medical and hospital care at the destination, with a limit per person.
- Medical repatriation, which is the genuinely expensive cover and the main reason to buy a policy.
- Lost or delayed luggage, with low limits.
- Delays and missed connections, with minimum-hours conditions.
- Third-party liability.
The five pieces of small print that decide it
- Pre-existing conditions: most basic policies exclude them, and that includes things you would not even call an illness.
- Activities: diving, motorbikes, off-piste skiing or trekking above a certain altitude usually need an add-on.
- Alcohol and drugs: any claim with either involved falls outside the cover.
- Areas advised against: if your country's foreign ministry advises against travel there, the cover can fall away.
- Excesses and per-item limits: a large headline sum with a low limit per broken tooth is still a low limit.
How to use it when the time comes
Call BEFORE you see a doctor, whenever that is possible. Most policies require prior authorisation, and a bill you pay yourself without telling them can end up unreimbursed.
That is why the assistance number goes on paper and into your phone, not buried in a PDF in your inbox.
Insurance is not read when you buy it: it is read when reading it no longer helps.
And for travel within Europe
Inside the Union there is the European Health Insurance Card, which is not insurance and does not cover the same things. It is worth understanding the difference before deciding whether it is enough.
The comparison is in what the European Health Insurance Card covers.
Frequently asked questions
What does travel insurance cover?
Medical care at the destination, repatriation, luggage, delays and third-party liability, always with per-item limits worth checking.
What does it never cover?
Whatever is excluded: pre-existing conditions in basic policies, risky activities without an add-on, claims involving alcohol or drugs, and travel to areas advised against.
Do I have to call before seeing a doctor?
Yes, whenever possible: most policies require prior authorisation, and paying yourself without telling them can leave you unreimbursed.
Is the European Health Insurance Card any use to me?
It is issued to people insured in an EU or European Economic Area country. If your health cover comes from elsewhere it will not be issued to you, and travel insurance remains the only route.
