Do I always need travel insurance?

Key takeaways

• Travel insurance is mandatory in some countries and may be required by a tour operator

• Medical treatment costs can be high - without insurance you’d have to pay out of pocket

• The UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), if valid, provides medical treatment in certain countries for free or at a reduced cost but this does not replace travel insurance

Do I always need travel insurance?

No, you don’t always need travel insurance but it’s a good idea, and some countries insist on it in their entry requirements or as part of a visa application.

Destinations where travel insurance is mandatory include:

• Cuba

• Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands

• Jordan

• Russia

• Saudi Arabia

• Schengen Area (Europe) - if you’re staying longer than 90 days out of 180 days

You can check entry requirements for each country on the UK government website, which links to other government and visa sites as necessary, and is regularly updated.

Can my tour operator insist on travel insurance?

Yes, some tour companies insist you have travel insurance before joining a trip and some will ask to see your policy documents. If your trip involves any physical activities – such as hiking, mountain biking or diving – insurance is likely to be mandatory.

However, you don’t have to buy travel insurance through the tour operator, you can shop aroundfor your own cover.

When might I need travel insurance?

Whether you sustain an injury in an unexpectedly shallow swimming pool or are the victim of an opportunistic bag thief, the right travel insurance can mean you’re not left out of pocket.

Travel insurance covers a wide range of unexpected events, such as:

• Illness and accidents

• Delays or missed departures (that were out of your control)

• Holiday cancellation

• Theft

📣 Did you know? Residents of Great Britain made an estimated 26 million visits outside of the UK between April and June alone in 2025, according to official data from the Office of National Statistics.

Is travel insurance worth the money?

Travel insurance can be worth the money when you consider what it covers and the peace of mind it can give you.

It’s not just the cost of the package holiday you need to think about – it’s everything that might go wrong, such as if all your possessions were stolen or you end up in hospital.

Depending on where you go, state healthcare might be non-existent or not available to foreigners. If you’re ill or have an accident, without insurance you’d have to pay for your own medical expenses – and this can be much more expensive than you’d think.

Some policies include personal liability cover too – this will cover you if your actions injure someone else or damage their property and they sue you.

What does travel insurance cover me for?

Travel insurance is likely to include:

• Lost baggage & belongings: If your baggage or personal belongings are lost, damaged, or stolen

• Cancellation cover: If you need to cancel your holiday for reasons specified in your policy, such as illness or bereavement

• Emergency medical expenses: Protection for medical bills or emergency medical treatments

• Travel disruption: You can claim for delays if bad weather, strikes, or something breaking down affects your flight, ferry or other mode of transportation

• Repatriation: Emergency repatriation can cover the costs to bring you home after an accident or illness

• Personal liability: Protects you if you are involved in an at-fault incident that results in legal costs or damages while you are on holiday

What won’t travel insurance typically cover me for?

• Undeclared pre-existing conditions: You need to tell insurers about medical conditions in advance for them to be covered

• Choosing not to travel: You can’t claim simply because you no longer want to go on holiday or if you split up with a partner you planned to travel with

• Negligence: Such as if you hurt yourself while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or if your belongings are stolen while left unattended

• Extreme sports: Some common sports and activities will be covered but anything considered high-risk, such as bungee jumping or shark diving, may require paying an extra premium

• Recoverable losses: This includes being able to rebook a trip and credit vouchers

Will a GHIC cover my medical costs in Europe?

Yes, a UK Global Health insurance Card (GHIC) (or EHIC if yours is still valid) will cover medical costs in Europe for a free or at a reduced but only for state-provided medical treatment.

A GHIC isn’t a replacement for travel insurance as:

• It won’t cover you for private medical costs

• It doesn’t cover mountain rescue

• It doesn’t cover medical repatriation

• It doesn't offer additional protection for your belongings and possessions, accommodation, or flights

💡 Top tip: Some insurers insist you have a GHIC before they will pay medical costs.

Can I get travel insurance with a pre-existing medical condition?

Yes, you should still be able to get travel insurance if you have a pre-existing medical condition but you must declare it.

That’s because travel insurance companies want to work out the likelihood of a claim on the medical part of your travel insurance policy. To do this, insurers will ask about your pre-existing conditions.

Having a medical condition makes it more likely you’ll make a claim. This could be for cancellation (if your condition worsens before your trip), medical costs abroad (if you get ill on your holiday), or repatriation (if you need special arrangements to get you back to the UK).

What happens if I don’t have travel insurance?

If you don’t have travel insurance, you’ll be personally responsible for any costs incurred due to certain events that might happen on your holiday. This might include:

• Replacing lost or stolen possessions

• The cost of the holiday if you need to cancel due to illness or bereavement

• Medical costs if you are ill or have an accident

• Repatriation or rescue if you need special travel arrangements after an accident

• Legal costs if someone sues you because your actions injured them (i.e. you hit someone while on an e-scooter)

Do I need travel insurance for Europe?

Yes, it’s a good idea to have travel insurance if you’re going to Europe. Although a GHIC will cover state-provided emergency medical treatment, this might not be enough, and it won’t cover any private treatment or repatriation to the UK. If you’re going skiing in Europe, you need winter sports cover. If you’re sailing off on a cruise, you need specialist cruise insurance.

If you’re visiting one of the 29 countries in the Schengen Area for longer than 90 days out of 180 days then travel insurance is mandatory.

Do I need travel insurance for a UK holiday?

It’s not a legal requirement to have travel insurance for a UK holiday but it can be useful as it will cover things like trip cancellations or curtailment, delays (handy if you’re relying on the UK rail network!), and lost or stolen luggage.

How much travel insurance do I need?

When you buy travel insurance, you can normally choose the amount of cover you need for things like:

• Cancellation

• Medical expenses

• Baggage

You’ll have the choice to add extras such as:

• Gadget cover

• Trip disruption

• Cruise cover

• Winter sports

• Passport cover

• Legal expenses

• Golf cover

• Wedding cover

• Airline failure

What is travel insurance excess?

The excess on any type of insurance policy is the amount you need to pay in the event of a claim before the insurance pays out.

For example, if your claim is for £500 and you have a £100 excess, the insurer will pay £400.

Insurers tend to apply the excess to each part of the policy, so you might have to pay it more than once. For example, if your possessions were destroyed in a car crash, and you were also injured, you might have to pay the excess on both the possessions and medical expenses parts of your policy.

What type of travel insurance can I get?

You can buy travel insurance for:

• Individuals

• Couples

• Families

• Groups

• Business travel

• Students

• Backpackers

• Long-stay

• Up to 90 days

Where will my travel insurance cover me?

You can get travel insurance for:

• Europe

• Worldwide excluding the USA, Canada and the Caribbean

• Worldwide

Should I buy an annual travel insurance policy?

Whether you should buy annual travel insurance or not depends on how many trips you’re likely to make.

An annual travel policy can work out cost-effective if you take two or more trips each year.

With an annual policy, you’ll be covered for multiple trips, but each trip can normally only be a maximum of 31 days. You can usually pay an extra premium to cover longer trips.

A single trip policywill cover you for one trip at a time on pre-set dates.

Some packaged bank accounts include annual travel insurance as a perk – so check before you buy cover. Make sure any packaged policy covers everything you need such as winter sports or a cruise.

Can I get travel insurance if I’m an older traveller?

Yes, you can still get travel insurance if you’re an older traveller. While there are individual providers that have age limits on their policies, there is no overall age limit for travel insurance.

But once you get past 65, travel insurance can get more expensive, and this increases the older you get. The main reason for this is that you are more likely to have pre-existing medical conditions when you get older.

When comparing travel insurance for over 75s, you'll likely find prices increase annually or every five years depending on the provider.

Why compare travel insurance with MoneySuperMarket? 

There are lots of reason you should Compare travel insurance policies and premiums with MoneySuperMarket:

• Flexible to suit your plans: Get fully comprehensive cover for as long as you need it, whether that's one day or a few months

• Quick and easy to use: Simply pop in a few details about where you’re off to next, pick the best deal for you and get insured for your next trip.

• Save money: Compare quotes from the UK's leading travel insurance providers and filter through a range of policies that match your needs as well as your budget