Travel insurance

Travel insurance is a safety net designed to protect you from the potential pitfalls of travelling abroad.  

To get travel insurance, you’ll need to tell an insurer (like us) what you’ll be looking to protect. We'll need to know the basics, like where you're going, how long for, who'll be travelling with you, and if you have any pre-existing medical conditions. 

You’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to our cover options. We make it easy to protect everything from one trip to multiple holidays across the year, and with our optional add-ons, like winter sports or cruises, you'll be covered for your favourite activities too. 

From the moment you’ve chosen and paid for your cover, you’ll be protected for all of the things outlined in your policy documents (unless you’ve chosen to delay your start date). 

That means if something goes wrong, like a medical emergency, a cancelled flight, lost luggage or a travel delay, you should be able to make a claim. Simply provide evidence of what happened, and we’ll cover up to the limits agreed in your policy. 

Holiday insurance doesn’t just help pay bills either. A good policy can also provide practical help – for example, we offer a 24/7 emergency medical helpline and can co-ordinate your care abroad or locate pharmacies stocking specific medication. If you’re too unwell to travel home on a standard flight, we can also charter specialist medical transport to get you and a companion home safely.  

In the UK, taking out travel insurance before you go isn’t a legal requirement.

That said, there’s a handful of destinations that won't let you into the country without insurance, including Cuba, Qatar and Tanzania. Always check the specific entry requirements for your country using the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) website when you book your holiday and before you travel. 

It’s also worth knowing about the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), a biometric border process for UK travellers entering the Schengen area. As part of the broader checks involved in EES registration, you may be asked about your travel plans, including your travel insurance. This is uncommon and likely won’t affect your entry to the country, but it's worth having your policy details to hand, just in case.

Some travel insurers cut off cover at milestone birthdays like 60 or 70, which can make finding a policy feel frustrating in your golden years. However, at Staysure, we believe that, as your age gets bigger, so should your dreams. That’s why we cover pre-existing medical conditions, and all ages. 

That’s all ages – from those dreaming big in their 80s, 90s and beyond to little ones going on their first holiday. In fact, we offer family and group travel insurance policies, so you and your nearest and dearest can travel boldly.

Some packaged bank accounts and premium credit cards offer holiday insurance as a perk – so you may well already have cover. Our experts recommend double-checking before you buy a separate travel insurance policy in order to avoid doubling up.  

Make sure this check is thorough, as it could be the difference between an accepted and rejected claim. Bank travel insurance tends to come with terms and conditions that most people aren’t aware of. For example, cover might be limited to cardholders who paid for their trip using that specific account. There may be an age limit of 65 or over 70. There could even be restrictions when it comes to pre-existing medical conditions that specialists would otherwise cover as standard. 

Our own research, based on a survey of 2,000 UK adults, found that bank travel insurance claims are 9% more likely to be rejected than claims made to a specialist travel insurer.  

So, take a moment to read the small print and ask the right questions. If there’s any doubt, a dedicated policy is likely to give you more certainty.

Our standard travel insurance covers you for the basics, including emergency medical treatment, cancellation and lost baggage. However, cruises come with a very particular set of sea-(and river)-specific risks. 

Our Cruise Plus add-on could be just the ticket if you're looking to cover: 

• missed port departure – a cruise is the only holiday where your bedroom is always moving, so it’s important you have insurance that covers this. 

• cabin confinement – if you’re advised to stay in your cabin due to illness, we’ll pay up to £75 for every full 24 hours you are confined, up to a total of £1000. 

• unused excursions due to cabin confinement – if you’ve booked and paid for an excursion but can’t attend because you’re confined to your cabin, you won’t lose out. 

• changes to your itinerary – if your cruise schedule changes and you miss planned stops, you can be compensated for the disruption. 

• cruise interruptions – if your trip is disrupted and you need to leave early, we might be able to help with additional costs.  

• emergency evening-wear – if your formalwear doesn’t make it on board, we’ll cover the cost of replacements up to £100. 

Staysure covers more than 80 activities as standard, including jet skiing, horse riding, cycling, camel trekking, golf, canoeing, and glacier walking. So, if you fancy trying something new on holiday, there’s a good chance you’re already covered without needing to do anything extra.  

Winter sports cover (including skiing, snowboarding, outdoor ice skating, snow-shoeing and more) is included as standard on our Comprehensive and Signature annual multi-trip policies. 

A few activities, like professional or competitive sports and motorised racing fall outside of what our policies protect. If you’re planning something adventurous and you’re not sure whether it’s covered, give our team a quick call to double-check.  

For more information on what activities holiday insurance covers, have a look at our policy documents.  

For most people, the cost of a holiday insurance policy is a fraction of what a single claim would amount to. For that fraction, you’ll be protected against some of the most disruptive and expensive things that can happen before or during your trip.

Staysure covers more than 1,300 medical conditions.† In fact, 97% of customers are able to get medical cover with us.  

When you get a quote, we’ll help you complete a medical screening. This is a straightforward set of questions about your health history over the last 2 years. We’ll ask about any: 

• Appointments 

• Symptoms 

• Tests or investigations 

• Treatments 

• Hospitalisations 

• Medication 

We also need to know if you've ever had heart conditions or circulation problems. 

Based on your answers, we’ll tell you what we can cover, at what level and at what price. Some conditions might affect the price you’ll pay, while others, like pregnancy (as long as there are no complications) and menopause won’t add anything. We’ll always be clear about what exactly your policy includes before you commit to anything.  

On the rare occasion we aren’t able to cover you, we’ll either put you in touch with one of our condition-specific partners, or direct you to the BIBA medical directory.  

The best travel insurance is the one that offers the right cover for your personal circumstances. Look for: 

• strong medical cover (especially if you have pre-existing conditions) 

• fair cancellation limits 

• high-quality customer service 

• 24/7 emergency medical assistance 

Staysure travel insurance is Defaqto 5-star rated and trusted by millions of UK travellers for its wide cover and reliable support. 

You can take out holiday insurance on behalf of another person, whether that’s a parent, a child, a companion or someone you care for.  

There are a few things worth keeping in mind when you do this, however, the most important of which is consent. The person being insured needs to know a policy is being taken out in their name. 

The policy also needs to be accurate. For example, if you’re buying on behalf of an elderly parent, it’s important you know their full medical history, their current medications and any recent diagnoses, symptoms, and appointments. Getting those details wrong, even with the best of intentions, could affect the validity of their cover.  

For that reason, the best way to get travel insurance on behalf of someone is to do it with them. Our friendly team will help you through the process.  

Our claims process is designed to be simple and fair – we’re here to support you from start to finish.  

• UK-based claims team – here to help you every step of the way.  

• Quick and fair assessments – with fast payouts on approved claims.  

• Clear guidance – we’ll let you know exactly what information we need.

If you need to make a claim: 

1. Contact Staysure as soon as possible – our UK-based claims team are ready to help. 
    
   Make a claim online 
   Or call us on 0333 305 7209. 

    

   Our opening hours: 
   Monday to Friday: 8:30am – 8pm 
   Saturday: 9am – 5:30pm 
   Sunday: 10am – 4pm 

    

2. Provide all requested documents, such as medical reports, receipts or cancellation evidence. 

3. Your claim will be assessed and, if approved, payment will be made promptly. 

For more information or to start your claim, visit our claims page. 

Even if you’re staying in the UK, travel insurance can still protect you if something unexpected disrupts your trip. While the NHS covers your medical care, Staysure UK travel insurance can cover: 

• cancellations or cutting your trip short 
• lost, stolen or delayed baggage 
• travel delays and missed departures 
• personal liability 
• lost travel documents 
• up to £10,000 for extra transport and accommodation if you can't continue your trip for medical reasons  

You’ll need to be staying for at least two consecutive nights in pre-booked and pre-paid accommodation for UK cover to apply. 

You can find out more on our UK travel insurance page. 

Yes – Staysure travel insurance can cover flight cancellations if your trip is cancelled for an insured reason, such as unexpected illness, injury, severe weather  or mechanical failure. You may be able to claim for unused travel and accommodation costs. 

Some flight disruptions (such as airline strikes, weather delays or breakdowns on the way to the airport) may also be covered under the travel delay, missed departure or missed connection sections of your policy, depending on your level of cover. 

Make sure you allow enough time for your journey, as claims won’t be covered if you haven’t allowed sufficient time to reach your departure point or have less than two hours between connecting flights.

Always check your policy documents for full details of what’s included.