Travel Insurance Guide for UK Travellers 2026

The cost of an emergency medical repatriation from the USA can exceed £500,000. Hospital treatment in the USA without insurance routinely runs to tens of thousands of pounds for even relatively minor incidents. A broken leg in Bali can easily cost £15,000–£30,000 before you factor in flights home. Yet the average UK travel insurance policy for a two-week beach holiday costs around £25–£40.

Beyond medical emergencies, travel insurance covers:

• Holiday cancellation before departure (illness, bereavement, redundancy)
• Curtailment (cutting your holiday short for a covered reason)
• Delayed or missed flights
• Lost, stolen or damaged luggage and personal belongings
• Lost or stolen passport
• Personal liability (if you accidentally injure someone)
• Legal expenses abroad

The UK's Package Travel Regulations provide significant protection for ATOL-protected package holidays — but they do not cover medical emergencies, your luggage or everything you'd lose from a last-minute illness forcing cancellation of a non-packaged trip. Insurance fills those gaps.

Geographical cover: European cover is significantly cheaper than worldwide cover. If you\'re going to the USA, Canada, Caribbean or any long-haul destination, you need a worldwide policy (some policies exclude the USA/Canada due to high medical costs there — always check).

When comparing policies, focus on these key figures — not just the headline price:

Emergency medical cover is the most important element of any travel insurance policy. Look carefully at:

• The medical limit: £2m minimum for Europe; £5m+ for anywhere that includes the USA. Emergency care in the US can run to $500,000+ for a serious accident.
• 24-hour emergency assistance: Your insurer must have a 24-hour emergency line. If you're admitted to hospital abroad, call this number immediately — they authorise treatment and liaise directly with the hospital, avoiding the need to pay upfront.
• Repatriation cover: This should be included in your medical cover — it covers the cost of flying you home on a medical flight (which can cost £30,000+ for a long-haul destination).
• Excess: Most policies have a medical excess of £50–£150. Pay to remove this if you can — in a serious situation, the excess is the least of your worries, but some cheaper policies have excesses of £500+ which is significant.
• Cruise cover: Standard policies often don't cover cruises adequately — on a ship you may require a helicopter evacuation (very expensive). Buy cruise-specific cover or a policy that explicitly includes cruises.

This is where many travellers come unstuck. A pre-existing condition is any health condition you have been diagnosed with, received treatment for, or been prescribed medication for — this includes common conditions like asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression.

If you fail to declare a pre-existing condition and you later make a claim (even for something entirely unrelated), your insurer may void your entire policy. Always declare everything, even if you think it's minor or unrelated to anything that could go wrong on holiday.

Key points for pre-existing conditions:

• Always declare everything during the quote process, not after buying
• Some conditions can be covered at standard rates; others require a premium loading
• A few serious conditions may be excluded entirely — in which case, you can choose a policy that excludes that specific condition but covers everything else
• The GHIC (see below) provides basic NHS-equivalent cover in EU countries even for pre-existing conditions

The UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) replaced the old EHIC post-Brexit. It entitles UK citizens to state-provided healthcare in EU countries at the same terms as local residents — i.e., free or subsidised treatment that local citizens receive through their health system.

Apply free at nhsbsa.nhs.uk/GHIC. There is no charge for the GHIC — any website charging a fee for it is a scam.

Critical caveats about the GHIC:

• It only covers state healthcare — not private hospitals, which are often the ones closest to tourist areas
• It does not cover repatriation (flying home on a medical flight)
• It does not cover cancellation, luggage, delays or any non-medical losses
• It does not work outside the EU — no cover in USA, Australia, etc.
• Some EU countries have very limited state healthcare in tourist areas — you may still end up in a private facility

Conclusion: The GHIC is useful to have and free to obtain — but it is a supplement to travel insurance, not a replacement for it.

1. In a medical emergency: Call your insurer's 24-hour emergency line immediately. Don't wait until you're home. The insurer can pre-authorise treatment and deal with the hospital directly.
2. Get a police report for theft: For stolen items, you must report to local police within 24 hours and get a written report (a crime reference number). Without this, your insurer will not pay.
3. Keep all receipts: For any expenses you incur abroad that you intend to claim — meals due to delays, replacement medication, emergency purchases — keep every receipt.
4. Get everything in writing: If your flight is delayed, get written confirmation from the airline. If your luggage is lost, get a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) from the airline before leaving the baggage hall.
5. Notify your insurer promptly: Most policies have a time limit for notification — often 31 days after returning home. Don't delay filing your claim.
6. If refused, escalate: If your claim is unfairly refused, escalate to the insurer's complaints department. If still unresolved, the Financial Ombudsman Service handles insurance disputes for free.

• Annual policies beat single-trip costs if you travel more than twice a year — check the maths before buying
• Compare on the key numbers — don't just choose the cheapest policy; compare medical limits, excess, and cancellation limits
• GHIC is free — always have it for EU travel even if you have insurance
• Some credit cards include travel insurance — premium cards (Amex Platinum, Barclays Avios World, etc.) include complimentary travel insurance; check the terms before relying on it
• Declare everything and be accurate — not declaring a pre-existing condition to get a cheaper premium is a false economy that will result in a refused claim when you need it most
• Buy early — purchasing insurance immediately after booking (not just before departure) means you're covered for cancellation from day one, including if you become unwell before travel

See also our Visa Requirements Guide and Health & Vaccinations Guide for complementary trip planning information.