Travel insurance for over 65s

Some bank or packaged account policies include travel insurance – but they’re not always built for longer trips, changing health needs, or cover that adapts as you travel more often. 

Our Don’t Bank on It report found that 1 in 4 people rely on this type of policy, often without realising it may come with age limits, trip duration caps, or restrictions for pre-existing conditions.

Bank-provided cover doesn’t always ask about your medical history when the policy begins. This can put the responsibility on you to declare any conditions. If something isn’t disclosed, it might not be covered later on. In fact, our research found that claims through bank insurance are rejected more often than those made with specialist providers. 

If you're over 65 and relying on bank travel insurance, it’s worth checking the small print carefully, particularly around medical cover, cancellation protection, and how long you're covered to be away. 

When travel becomes a bigger part of your life, it’s important your policy reflects your health as well as your plans. That means declaring any medical conditions upfront, even if they’re well managed or feel routine. 

We define a pre-existing medical condition as anything you've had treatment, symptoms, medication, tests or appointments for in the last two years. For certain conditions – like heart problems or issues with circulation – we’ll also ask if you’ve ever had them, no matter how long ago. 

You can declare your pre-existing medical condition(s) through our online medical screening process or, if you prefer over the phone. 

Find out more about what to declare on your travel insurance. 

It’s easy to assume that a stable or well-managed condition doesn’t need to be declared – especially if nothing’s changed for years. But if you’ve had medication, treatment, symptoms or check-ups in the last two years, it still counts as a pre-existing medical condition under your policy. 

That includes common long-term conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma or arthritis. Even if they're under control, we need to know about them to make sure your cover can respond if they cause complications or delays while you’re away. 

For some conditions, like heart or circulation issues, we’ll also ask if you’ve ever had them, regardless of when they were diagnosed. 

It only takes a few minutes to add those details, and you can do it online or over the phone. If you’re not sure what counts, just ask, we’re here to help. 

When you get a quote, we’ll ask some simple, clear questions to understand your medical history. This helps us shape your policy around your health – and support you properly if something goes wrong on your trip. 

We’ll ask about: 

• any conditions you’ve had treatment, tests, medication or appointments for in the past two years. 

• any history of heart or circulation problems – including past heart attacks, angina, or stroke. 

• any hospital stays, even if they were planned. 

• whether you’ve been referred for upcoming investigations or check-ups. 

You can go through the medical screening online or over the phone. If you’re unsure about anything, our team is trained to talk you through it, so you can feel confident everything’s been included. 

We offer two types of travel insurance for people over 65, depending on how often you plan to travel: 

• Single trip cover – if you’re only planning one holiday, single-trip cover might be more cost-effective than annual cover. 

• Annual multi-trip cover – if you're taking more than one trip in the next 12 months. You’ll be covered for multiple holidays, up to a set number of days per trip. 

Both options include access to our full range of cover. This can include protection for pre-existing medical conditions, depending on what you tell us during your quote. 

Once you’ve chosen the type of policy, you’ll also be able to do the following: 

Select your destination – this affects what your policy includes and how much it costs.  

Choose your level of cover – all policies come with medical cover, cancellation protection and baggage cover as standard, but you can pick the level that suits your plans: 

• Basic – cover generally suitable for shorter trips with fewer valuables. 

• Comprehensive – a more generous level of protection. 

• Signature – our highest cover, with no excess to pay and the most extensive limits. 

Add optional extras – these help tailor your policy to the type of trip you’re taking. You might want: 

• cruise Plus cover – for itinerary changes and cabin confinement 

• winter sports and ski cover‡ – if you’re skiing or snowboarding 

• golf cover – to protect your equipment and prepaid green fees 

• gadget cover – for phones, tablets and other valuables 

• travel disruption extension – for extra protection if your plans are affected by events like strikes† or bad weather 

The best travel insurance is the one that fits your trip – and gives you the right level of support for how, where and why you’re travelling. Whether you're booking something big, planning a few breaks across the year, or travelling with a medical condition, it's worth looking for cover that works for you. Depending on your plans, that might mean: 

• clear medical cover for long-term conditions, even if they feel routine. 

• support if your trip is cancelled unexpectedly, including before you travel. 

• protection for gadgets, golf clubs or cruise plans — if those are part of your trip. 

• repatriation and 24/7 emergency help if something goes wrong abroad. 

In your 60s, you’re unlikely to come up against strict age limits, but it’s a good time to get familiar with how things can change later on. Some insurers begin limiting cover from age 70 or 75, reducing how long you can travel for or excluding certain destinations and medical conditions. 

That’s why it makes sense to choose a provider that won’t start closing doors as you get older. At Staysure, we don’t set upper age limits on our travel insurance. Whether you're 60, 85 or beyond, you can still get cover shaped around your trip and your health.  

Explore our full range: 

• Over 50s travel insurance 
   

• Over 65s travel insurance 
   

• Over 70s travel insurance 
   

• Over 75s travel insurance 
   

• Over 80s travel insurance 
   

• Over 85s travel insurance 
   

• And beyond 

A GHIC or EHIC can be helpful, but they don’t do the same job as travel insurance – and they were never designed to. 

These cards give you access to state healthcare in some European countries, usually on the same terms as residents. That might mean reduced-cost treatment in a public hospital, or access to emergency care without needing to pay up front. 

But they don’t cover everything. They won’t help with getting you home after a medical emergency or support if you’re travelling with health conditions. And they won’t step in if your trip is cancelled, your luggage is lost, or your passport goes missing. 

That’s why many travellers still choose to have both – using their GHIC or EHIC for basic medical access, and travel insurance for the rest. Together, they give you much more complete protection, especially if your trip doesn’t go to plan. 

If you still have an EHIC, you can continue to use it until the expiry date. After that, you’ll need to apply for a GHIC through the NHS. 

You can find out more about the GHIC and how it has replaced the EHIC in our blog. 

Buying travel insurance soon after booking your trip means you can benefit from cover that starts before you travel. That includes protection for things like cancellations or unexpected changes to your health, depending on your policy and what you’ve told us. 

For single-trip travel insurance, it could be a good idea to buy your policy once your travel dates are confirmed. If you’re booking something further in advance – like a cruise – you can take out cover up to 18 months ahead, and add cruise protection at the same time. 

For annual multi-trip insurance, your cancellation cover starts from the policy start date. So, if you’re planning a few holidays in the year ahead, starting your policy early means you’ll be covered for anything that comes up in the run-up to each trip. 

A few things to keep in mind: 

• Your policy needs to start before you leave the UK. 

• You won’t be able to buy or activate cover once you’ve already departed. 

• If your health changes after booking, you’ll need to tell us before you travel. 

As long as your trip includes at least two consecutive nights in pre-booked, pre-paid accommodation, you can be covered for holidays within the UK. 

While the NHS covers your medical treatment at home, UK travel insurance can still offer useful protection. With our Signature policy, you’ll get up to £10,000 in cancellation cover if you need to cancel or cut your trip short due to illness, injury or other insured reasons. You’ll also be covered for lost or stolen baggage, travel delays, and repatriation – for example, if you need to be moved to a hospital closer to home after a serious incident. 

Even close-to-home holidays can take unexpected turns. Having cover means you don’t have to face them alone. 

If you’re planning a cruise, just let us know when you take out your over 65s travel insurance. And if you’d like extra reassurance for things like itinerary changes or days spent in your cabin, you can add our Cruise Plus option to Comprehensive or Signature policies.  

  
Some cruise lines require medical cover of £2 million or more. With Cruise Plus added to your policy, you’ll have the extra protection you need – and the reassurance to fully enjoy your time on board.  

If you’re fitting in a few rounds on holiday or heading off for a golf-focused break, our golf cover add-on can help. It protects your equipment for up to £5,000, covers hire costs if your clubs go missing, and even reimburses prepaid green fees if illness or bad weather stops play.  

 We’ll also pay £300 if you score a hole in one on a recognised course – just in case this is the trip it happens.