Do I Need Travel Insurance?
Travel insurance isn’t usually compulsory for a holiday, but travelling without it can leave you responsible for potentially significant costs if something goes wrong. Depending on the policy, travel insurance can cover medical emergencies, cancellation, lost or stolen belongings and certain types of travel disruption.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advises people travelling abroad to take out appropriate travel insurance before they go.
It’s also important not to confuse travel insurance with a GHIC or ATOL protection. A GHIC can help with access to state healthcare in eligible destinations, while ATOL provides financial protection for qualifying flight inclusive package holidays if the ATOL holder stops trading. Neither provides the same protection as travel insurance.
Is Travel Insurance Necessary?
Travel insurance isn’t usually a legal requirement for a typical holiday, but going without it means accepting the financial risk yourself if something happens that an appropriate policy could have covered.
One of the biggest considerations is medical treatment abroad. The FCDO warns that travellers without appropriate insurance could face emergency expenses running into thousands of pounds.
Examples given by the FCDO include costs of more than £25,000 following a fall and broken leg in Spain requiring hospital treatment and possible repatriation and more than £80,000 following a quad bike accident in Greece requiring surgery and possible repatriation.
Travel insurance can also provide protection for other problems such as cancellation, lost belongings and travel disruption, depending on the policy.
Whether you need a particular policy will depend on your destination, the type of holiday you’re taking, your circumstances and the risks you want covered.
What Happens If I Don't Have Travel Insurance?
If you travel without insurance, you may have to pay yourself for costs that could otherwise have been covered by an appropriate policy.
This could include medical treatment, emergency transport, replacing lost possessions or losing money if you have to cancel a non refundable holiday for a reason that would otherwise have been insured.
The potential financial consequences depend on what happens and where you’re travelling. Medical treatment and repatriation can be particularly expensive.
What happens if I have a medical emergency abroad without insurance?
If you become ill or injured abroad without appropriate insurance, you may have to pay for medical treatment yourself.
If you need to be medically evacuated or brought back to the UK and don’t have insurance covering repatriation, you could also be responsible for arranging and paying for this.
The UK government advises that British embassies and consulates cannot pay for medical treatment or arrange and pay for medical repatriation.
Healthcare arrangements vary considerably between countries, so check the latest travel and healthcare guidance for your destination before travelling.
What Does Travel Insurance Cover?
Travel insurance can cover medical emergencies, cancellation, lost belongings and other unexpected problems, but the exact protection depends on the individual policy.
Common areas of cover can include:
- emergency medical treatment and expenses
- medical repatriation
- cancellation or cutting a holiday short
- lost or stolen baggage and possessions
- certain missed departures, delays or disruption
- personal liability.
Policies have different limits, excesses and exclusions and additional cover may be required for certain activities or types of holiday.
Our What Does Travel Insurance Cover? guide explains the main types of cover and common exclusions in more detail.
Do I Need Travel Insurance for Europe?
Travel insurance can still be important when travelling in Europe, even if you have a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).
A valid GHIC gives eligible UK residents access to medically necessary state healthcare in the European Economic Area and certain other countries on the same basis as a resident of the country. Depending on the local healthcare system, treatment may be free or you may have to pay the same charges as local residents.
However, a GHIC doesn’t provide the same protection as travel insurance.
For example, it doesn’t cover private medical treatment or the cost of medical repatriation to the UK. It also doesn’t provide cover for things such as holiday cancellation or lost baggage.
So if you’re travelling to destinations such as Spain, Portugal or Greece, don’t assume having a GHIC means you have all the protection you might need.
Do I Need Travel Insurance If I Have a GHIC?
Having a GHIC doesn’t remove the potential need for travel insurance because the two provide different types of protection.
A GHIC is primarily concerned with access to medically necessary state healthcare in eligible destinations. Travel insurance can provide much broader protection, depending on the policy.
| GHIC | Travel Insurance | |
|---|---|---|
| Medically necessary state healthcare | Where eligible | Policy dependent |
| Private medical treatment | No | May be covered |
| Medical repatriation to the UK | No | May be covered |
| Holiday cancellation | No | May be covered |
| Lost or stolen baggage | No | May be covered |
| Travel disruption | No | May be covered |
| Personal liability | No | May be covered |
The NHS advises travellers that a GHIC or EHIC isn’t a replacement for travel and medical insurance.
For a more detailed comparison, see our GHIC vs Travel Insurance: What’s the Difference? guide.
Do I Need Travel Insurance for a Package Holiday?
Booking a package holiday doesn’t remove the potential need for travel insurance, even when your holiday is ATOL protected.
ATOL and travel insurance have different purposes.
ATOL is primarily a financial protection scheme for qualifying flight inclusive package holidays. If the ATOL holder responsible for your protected booking stops trading, ATOL can protect the money you’ve paid and, depending on the circumstances, help if you’re already abroad.
Travel insurance deals with different risks.
For example, becoming ill before your holiday and needing to cancel isn’t the same as your travel company going out of business. Neither is requiring emergency medical treatment while you’re away.
The Civil Aviation Authority recommends arranging travel insurance as soon as you book your flight or holiday, even when the holiday is ATOL protected.
You can find out more in our What Is ATOL Protection and How Does It Work? guide.
When Should I Buy Travel Insurance?
It’s generally a good idea to arrange appropriate travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday rather than waiting until you’re about to travel.
This is because some travel insurance protection can be relevant before your departure date.
If your policy includes cancellation cover, for example, you may be protected if you subsequently have to cancel your holiday for a reason covered by the policy.
MoneyHelper recommends buying insurance as soon as you book your trip so you’re covered if something happens before you leave.
Do I need travel insurance before I book flights?
What Travel Insurance Do I Need?
The right travel insurance depends on where you’re going, what you’re doing and the particular risks you need covered.
When comparing policies, consider:
- your destination
- the length of the trip
- medical and repatriation cover
- cancellation cover
- baggage and personal possessions
- policy limits and excesses
- planned activities
- any pre-existing medical conditions.
Some holidays and activities may require additional or specialist cover, such as cruises, winter sports or certain adventure activities.
Don’t assume that two travel insurance policies provide the same protection simply because they’re both described as travel insurance. Check the policy wording, limits and exclusions carefully.
If you have existing medical conditions or ongoing investigations, make sure you provide the information requested by the insurer accurately.
Travel Insurance FAQs
Before You Travel
Travel insurance isn’t simply about delayed flights or lost luggage. One of its most important purposes can be protecting against unexpected costs such as emergency medical treatment and getting you home if you’re seriously ill or injured abroad.
If you’re travelling somewhere your GHIC is valid, take it with you, but remember that it doesn’t replace travel insurance. Similarly, if you’ve booked an ATOL protected package holiday, ATOL and travel insurance protect against different risks.
Before travelling, check the latest advice for your destination and make sure any insurance you choose is suitable for your circumstances, planned activities and trip.
Useful official information: FCDO foreign travel insurance guidance, NHS GHIC guidance and Civil Aviation Authority information on ATOL and travel protection.
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Peter, based in Belfast, is our content creator and deal finder. With years of experience in the travel industry, Peter is able to spot a top deal quickly. His favourite destination is the Algarve in Portugal because of the beautiful sandy beaches and pleasant all year around weather.
