Do's and Don'ts when buying Travel Insurance (2024)

When buying travel insurance online is it important to ensure that you enter all the required information correctly, if you make a mistake you could find that your policy is invalid and doesn't provide the cover you thought it did.You can avoid making common mistakes by taking some extra time to double check that all details have been filled in correctly, and remember that you have a 14-day cooling off period in which you can change or cancel your policy, provided you haven't travelled or made a claim.To help you along the way we've put together a list of the most common do's and don'ts to remember when buying travel insurance:

DO declare your medical conditions

You may think that by not declaring a medical condition you will save money, however the thing to remember is that if you do not declare a condition you might not be covered for medical expenses if you fall ill when abroad if the illness is linked to a pre existing medical condition. By declaring all pre existing medical conditions, no matter how serious, you can be sure to be covered if you are unfortunate enough to fall ill when on holiday.

DON'T purchase travel insurance at the last minute

The best thing to do is buy your travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday. By doing this you are more likely to be covered if an airline strike is announced, or your holiday provider goes bust, provided you have bought Scheduled Airline Failure. You are unlikely to be covered for these types of situations if you buy travel insurance cover after they have been made public.Travel insurance will also provide cover if you need to cancel your holiday for reasons such as ill health or redundancy, so make sure you buy cover as soon as you book your holiday.

DO get your vaccinations

If you are lucky enough to be travelling to more exotic locations it's important that you are up to date with all of your vaccinations. Your travel agent will be able to inform you of which vaccinations you will need prior to travelling. You may be liable for all medical costs abroad if you fall and did not get the required jabs or medication before you traveled.

DON'T forget the cooling off period

When you purchase a travel insurance policy, you should have 14 days during which time you can cancel, or amend your policy without charge as long as you haven't travelled or made a claim. After this time you might not be able to make any changes, or if you can you may be charged.

DO give the correct travel dates

Enter travel dates correctly on single trip policies-your policy could become invalid if you haven't entered accurate travel dates. You need to make sure that your travel insurance policy covers the entire duration of your trip.

DON'T take part in illegal activities

Something that may seem normal in one country may be frowned upon or may even be illegal in another. Do some research before you travel and make sure you are aware of the law in the places you are visiting, buy yourself a tour book or have a look at the FCO website. Your travel insurance will not provide cover if you are taking part in illegal activities.

DO think about holiday activities

Ensure that your holiday activities are added to your cover. Some people don't realise that certain activities, such as kayaking or high altitude trekking, may need to be added as extra cover to standard policies.

And finally,

DON'T think that travel Insurance is not worth it

A small percentage of travellers do not buy travel insurance as they see it as an unnecessary and expensive extra to their holiday costs. Remember that by not having travel insurance you will not be covered if you have an accident whilst abroad, all the cost associated with this will have to come out of your own pocket. Travel insurance policies can cover you for medical expenses, flight cancellation and loss of personal belongings plus much more.