Travel insurance

Think of travel insurance as your safety net. It’s designed to shield you from unexpected costs if your travels don’t go to plan.  

To set up your travel insurance, you’ll need to let an insurer (like us) know what adventures you have in the pipeline. We’ll start with the basics, like your destination, how long you’ll be away, who is tagging along, and whether you have any pre-existing medical conditions. 

You will have a wealth of choices when exploring our cover options. We cover everything from spur-of-the-moment holidays to multiple trips over the course of a year. We also make it easy to tailor your policy with optional add-ons, such as Cruise Plus or winter sports cover, so you can do what you love most, wherever your bucket list takes you. 

From the minute your insurance kicks in, you’ll be covered for all the potential holiday hiccups outlined in your policy documents. 

This means if something unexpected crops up, such as a medical emergency, trip cancellation, missing luggage, or you need to head home earlier than planned because of an insured reason, you should be able to submit a claim. Simply supply the necessary evidence of the event, and we will cover you up to the limits agreed in your policy. 

Holiday insurance for travelling does much more than just cover unexpected bills. A great policy provides hands-on practical support when you need it most. Our 24/7 emergency medical helpline is there to co-ordinate your care abroad or help you locate a pharmacy that stocks the medication you need. Should you become too unwell to fly home on a commercial flight, we can arrange specialist medical transport to bring you and a companion home safely. 

Buying travel insurance before you go on holiday isn’t legally mandated in the UK. However, some countries won’t let you cross their borders without it, like Cuba, Tanzania and Qatar.  

To be safe, go through the entry requirements of the destinations you want to visit on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) website before you book your next adventure, and also before you travel. 

If you’re travelling to Europe, it’s also worth knowing about the new EU 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, border officials may ask about your travel plans, including your travel insurance. Having your policy details close by ensures a smooth and stress-free start to your holiday, allowing you to breeze through the airport and get straight to enjoying your adventure. 

At Staysure, we believe that age shouldn't be a barrier to adventure, which is why we specialise in travel insurance for pre-existing conditions, and all ages. Our policies are designed to provide the tailored protection you need to travel with confidence at any stage of life, whether you’re young or simply young at heart.

You can explore our age-specific travel insurance pages here:

• Over 50s travel insurance  

• Over 60s travel insurance   

• Over 65s travel insurance   

• Over 70s travel insurance  

• Over 75s travel insurance   

• Over 80s travel insurance   

• Over 85s travel insurance   

• And beyond    

Some packaged bank accounts include free or discounted travel insurance, but these policies often have strict age limits. In many cases, cover stops at 70 or 75, meaning people in their late 70s or 80s aren’t eligible at all. Even where higher ages are accepted, the policy might not cover pre-existing medical conditions, cruises, or certain activities without paying extra.  

Our Don’t Bank On It report found that one in four Brits rely on bank-provided travel insurance, yet claims made on these policies are 9% more likely to be rejected than those made to a specialist provider. Age limits are a common reason, alongside undisclosed medical conditions or activities not included in the policy.  

It also showed that most people don’t read the full terms. Three in four skip the small print, which is often where these limits are explained. That leaves many older travellers assuming they’re covered, only to find out they’re not when it comes to making a claim.  

If you’re in your 70s or 80s, it’s worth checking exactly what your bank’s policy includes before relying on it. With Staysure, we cover all ages, and you can get cover that reflects your health, trip type and plans.  

Planning on sailing the seven seas? If you let us know about your sea voyage when buying your policy, we’ll be able to cover your ocean adventures

Just tell us which destinations your cruise will include, and we’ll make sure all the standard benefits you normally get on land follow you out to sea, like cover for cancellations, medical emergencies and lost or stolen baggage.  

For more protection, our Cruise Plus add-on can cover both your ocean and river adventures against: 

• 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 after the first 48 hours, 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.  

Cruise Plus is available with our Comprehensive and Signature policies.

Our policies cover over 100 fun-filled activities as standard, so you can make the most of your next adventure.  

From ziplining and fishing to surfing, banana boat rides, hiking below altitudes of 2,500 metres, cycling, jet skiing, water polo, safari (must be organised in the UK), archery, whale and dolphin watching, Yoga, and waterpark adventures, with some exceptions when it comes to personal accident and liability cover.  

Teeing off while on holiday? Golf is included in all our policies, but we also provide extra golf cover, which can help protect your equipment and non-refundable golfing fees.  

A few activities, like professional or competitive sports and motorised racing, fall outside of what our policies protect. You can find the full list of included activities in our policy documents.  

According to the trade association for UK travel agents (ABTA)’s Holiday Habits 2025 – 2026 report, only 54% of UK travellers think getting travel insurance is essential to feeling protected when going on holiday.  

But plans can change at the drop of a hat, and not having travel insurance means you will have to cover the costs should anything go wrong. By taking out a travel insurance policy as soon as you book, you can rest easy knowing you will have financial support to fall back on if you have to cancel or cut your holiday short because of an insured reason.

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

When you go through our screening process, we’ll ask you to declare any pre-existing medical conditions. For holiday insurance, this includes any health-related ailment over the last two years that led to:

• Symptoms
• Treatment and/or medication
• Investigations and/or surgery
• Medical appointments

To offer you a policy that reflects the cover you might need, you’ll be asked about your current health rather than just the name of your condition.

Based on your answers, we’ll let you know what we can cover, at what level and at what price. Some conditions might affect your premium, but others, like pregnancy (as long as there are no complications) and menopause, won’t add to the cost. We’ll always be transparent about what 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 caters to your unique needs. Here are some key things to consider when comparing your options. 

• Robust medical cover – by getting a policy with cover for pre-existing medical conditions and medical emergencies, you will have financial support when you need it most. 
• Generous cancellation limits – the total amount you are able to claim needs to be high enough to fully cover the cost of all your non-refundable holiday bookings. 
• High-quality customer service – you should be able to speak to a real human when you have questions or need to make a claim. 
• 24/7 emergency medical assistance – travel insurance with round-the-clock medical support is worth its weight in gold when you need urgent care. 

If you are helping to plan a trip for someone else, you will be glad to know you can easily set up travel insurance for them, whether they are your child, a parent, or a dear friend.  

There are just a handful of things to remember when you take the reins. The biggest thing is getting their consent, which just means making sure they know you’re taking out a policy in their name. 

It is equally important to make sure their policy details are accurate. For instance, if you are organising cover for an older family member, you need to know their complete medical history. We will need to be filled in on their current medications, any recent doctor’s appointments, diagnoses or symptoms.  

Even the smallest accidental error with their health details could affect whether their policy fully covers them while they are away.  

To make sure nothing is missed, we always recommend getting together and filling out the application as a team. Our hands-on team is just a phone call away if you need a bit of extra guidance. 

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. 

Who says paradise needs a passport? If you’re planning on rediscovering the UK, our award-winning holiday travel insurance can step in if your staycation doesn’t go to plan.

While the NHS sorts your medical care, Staysure UK travel insurance can cover: 

• trip cancellations or curtailments 
• missing, 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   

Our UK cover only applies if you book and pay for at least two consecutive nights of accommodation in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands. 

Head over to our UK travel insurance page to find out more. 

Yes, Staysure travel insurance can protect you against flight cancellations, provided your trip is cancelled for an insured reason. This could be anything from severe weather conditions and mechanical failures to an unexpected illness or injury. When these unpredictable moments happen, you may be able to claim back the costs of your unused travel and accommodation. 

Other travel hiccups, 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. 

Just remember to allow plenty of time for your journey. Your claim will not be valid if you did not leave enough time to get to your departure point, or if you booked connecting flights with less than a two-hour window between them. 

You can check your policy documents to get the full scope of what’s included.