Travel insurance

Yes – holiday insurance and travel insurance mean the same thing. Both help protect you against unexpected costs if something goes wrong before or during your trip, such as medical emergencies, cancellations, travel delays or lost luggage. 

Staysure travel insurance includes cover for many pre-existing medical conditions, so you can travel with confidence. 

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.  

Without travel insurance, you could face large unexpected bills if something goes wrong – especially with medical emergencies abroad. Travel insurance helps cover costs like emergency treatment, cancellations, lost belongings and repatriation. 

Staysure travel insurance provides reassurance that you're protected financially, so you can focus on enjoying your trip. 

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. From October 2024 to October 2025, our highest single claim payout across Worldwide policies was a staggering £372,284.40!*** 

Typical cover includes: 

• emergency medical treatment and hospital stays 

• trip cancellation or curtailment 

• lost or delayed baggage 

• missed flights and travel delays 

• repatriation (returning you home if needed) 

• lost or stolen passports and personal belongings 

Common exclusions include: 

• travelling against the advice of the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)  

• undeclared pre-existing medical conditions 

• alcohol or drug-related incidents 

• high-risk or extreme sports (unless specifically covered) 

Always check your policy wording for full details. 

Staysure specialises in covering pre-existing medical conditions – even complex ones. During your quote, you'll complete a simple medical screening to declare any conditions. 

Based on your answers, we’ll offer tailored cover that meets your needs, with no upper age limit on many policies. 

Single trip, annual multi-trip and long stay policies are all available with medical cover. 

Yes – you can buy travel insurance after booking your holiday, provided your trip hasn’t started yet. 

If your trip has already started, your policy won’t provide cover unless you are renewing an existing Staysure annual multi-trip policy at the same level of cover before it expires. Always check your policy documents for full details. 

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. 

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. 

However, a GHIC doesn’t replace travel insurance – it won’t cover cancellations, private healthcare costs, repatriation or lost belongings. 

Having both a valid GHIC card and travel insurance can provide broader protection while travelling in the EU. 

For more details on what’s covered by the GHIC card – and where travel insurance covers the gaps –  visit our GHIC blog.  

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.