Travel Insurance | Holiday Insurance (2024)

A choice of travel insurance to suit you

We have different types of cover for whatever you have planned. And we consider all medical conditions.

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  Single-trip cover

  Offering cover for anything from a short UK break to a year of travelling around the world

  • Covers you for a one-off trip up to 365 days (2)
  • Perfect for short or long trips for anywhere in the UK or abroad
  • No age limit

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  Annual multi-trip cover

  Travelling more than once this year? An annual multi-trip policy could save you time and money

  • Cover for multiple-trips for a 12-month period
  • 31-day trip limit, with extensions available up to 45 and 60 days
  • Available for everyone aged up to 75 years

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  Backpacker cover

  Looking for a gap year, career break or to travel the world? We could have the cover you're after

  • Cover for a one-off trip up to 18 months
  • Option to return home for up to 7 days on 3 occasions
  • Available for those aged 18 – 60

Medical Assistance Plus: 24/7 holiday health support

Have peace of mind when you travel knowing that health professionals are just one click away.

Medical Assistance Plus (3), powered by Air Doctor, comes free with all our travel insurance policies. It gives you access to outpatient medical support while you’re abroad.

Through the service you can book an in-person or video consultation with a doctor. You can also get prescriptions delivered to your nearest pharmacy.

We’ll send you an SMS reminder about the service the day before you travel (for single-trip and backpacker cover) or the day before your policy begins (for annual multi-trip cover).

All medical conditions considered

Living with a medical condition shouldn’t stop you seeing the world. And, with the right travel insurance in place, you can enjoy peace of mind on your adventures – just in case something unfortunate happens.

At Post Office, we cover most pre-existing conditions. Contact us for a quote to see if we can cover you. It’s important to declare upfront all your medical conditions and any medication you're taking.

If we can’t help and yours is a serious pre-existing medical condition, check the Money and Pensions Scheme (MaPS) directory. It lists companies that may be able to help you. Or call 0800 138 7777.

Upgrade your cover with ease

Need cover for your policy that's not included as standard? Just pay a little more to add these upgrades – optional or mandatory depending on the trip type.

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  Trip disruption cover

  This optional extra helps protect you from the impact of airspace disruption, natural catastrophes, terrorist acts or Covid-19 (5)

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  Excess waiver

  If you’re happy with the cover offered, but worried about excess fees, you can opt for an excess waiver. For an additional premium, you can add it to any Post Office level of cover for zero excess fees (5)

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  Gadget cover

  Insure all your devices with our easy-to-add gadget cover. It’s perfect to protect all your smartphones, tablets, laptops and consoles (5)

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  Winter sports cover

  Specialist cover is mandatory for winter sports like skiing and snowboarding. There’s greater risk of emergency costs. Make sure you’re protected on the pistes (5)

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  Cruise cover

  If you're going on a cruise, specialist cover is both important and mandatory. It covers missed departure due to breakdown, falling ill on board, being confined to your cabin, lost baggage and more (5)

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  Trip extensions

  Trip extensions are available up to 45 or 60 days, increasing from the standard 31 days (5)

What is travel insurance?

Travel insurance may be able to protect you against a range of unexpected events. From losing valuables to medical emergencies, and anything else that could spoil your holiday. Take a look at our policy documents to make sure that you’re getting the cover that meets your needs.

• Cancellation and cutting short your trip
• Emergency medical expenses
• Missed departure
• Delayed departure
• Baggage
• Personal liability and legal costs

An award-winning provider

• Post Office Travel Insurance can cover you for a single trip of up to 365 days(2), or multiple trips in a single year. This applies to trips taken anywhere in the UK and abroad too. We also offer backpacker cover(7) for a single trip of up to 18 months.

  The type and level of cover provided depends on the insurance policy type and options you choose. It can include cover for:

  • Cancellation
  • Cutting your trip short and abandonment of your trip
  • Emergency medical expenses
  • Lost, stolen or damaged baggage
  • Lost, stolen or damaged passports
  • Lost, stolen or damaged personal money
  • Personal accidents and liability
  • Legal protection

  You can add additional cover to your policy. Options include:

  • Gadget cover
  • Excess waiver
  • Trip disruption
  • 45- or 60-day trip extensions (on annual multi-trip only)

  Winter sports cover is compulsory for winter sports trips and cruise cover is mandatory if you’re going on a cruise. It’s important to check the different travel insurances available, and their various options and add-ons you can buy. This way, you’re sure to be fully covered for your trip and all you’ll do on it.

• Having travel insurance is a worthwhile purchase for anyone going abroad for their holidays. Even in relatively safe locations such as central Europe, a number of things can go wrong.

  Flights can be delayed. Airlines can lose your luggage. Tourist areas may be prone to opportunist thieves who may target your belongings. And you could fall ill anywhere in the world, to the detriment of your holiday plans.

  We hope that none of these events happen to you. But, if they do, you could be out of pocket. And with emergency medical problems it could be by tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds.

  Holiday insurance may be able to help avoid some of this risk. It’s a way to insure for travel you, those travelling with you and your belongings.

  If your luggage is lost, holiday insurance may not be able to replace it, but the payout from a claim can help recover any costs that you have had to pay to get replacements.

  In particular, the medical cover outside of the EU offered by insurance is a necessity.

  Within the EU, you may think that an European Health Insurance Card (Ehic) or its replacement, the UK Global Health Insurance Card (Ghic), can cover all your medical needs. This isn’t true. Some of the most expensive medical services, such as repatriation, aren’t covered by the Ehic or Ghic. They're limited to health cover and won’t help at all with things like cancellation, loss or theft. And the Ehic no longer provides access to healthcare for UK nationals travelling to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

  Even if you’re staying in the UK for your break, having holiday insurance will provide cover for lost, damaged or stolen possessions such as baggage, and cancellation, cutting your trip short or delay to your trip in some circ*mstances.

  To qualify for cover on our annual multi-trip policies, UK trips must consist of:

  • At least onenight's pre-booked and paid-for accommodation, or
  • A stay at least 100 miles from your home, or
  • At least onesea crossing

• You’re in safe hands with Post Office. We won Best Travel Insurance Provider at the Your Money Awards in 2021, 2022 and 2023. We also won bronze for Best Travel Insurance Provider at the British Travel Awards 2023, voted for by the UK public.

  Our premier cover is 5 Star Defaqto Rated. Defaqto is a financial information business, helping financial institutions and consumers make better informed decisions.

  We have a range of cover options available to suit lots of different holidays, so you can choose the cover that suits you best. We’re there for our customers when they need us the most; since we launched travel insurance in 2007, we’ve paid out over £177 million in claims.

• Policies purchased from the 31 March 2022 onwards provide cover if:

  • you test positive for Covid-19 within 14 days of your trip and are required to self-isolate by a medical practitioner, the NHS or any UK government body
  • a medical practitioner certifies you as too ill to travel due to Covid-19
  • you, someone you’re travelling with, or someone you’re staying with is required to self-isolate by a medical practitioner, UK government body or health authority
  • you, an immediate relative (8)or someone you plan to travel or stay with dies or is hospitalised due to Covid-19

  If an insured trip has to be cut short, the unused portion of it can be claimed for if:

  • you test positive for Covid-19 after you’ve left the UK and have to self-isolate
  • you test positive on arrival in your destination and are not allowed to continue your trip
  • you, an immediate relative (8)or someone you’re travelling or staying with dies or is hospitalised due to Covid-19

  There’s also cover for medical and repatriation costs if you fall ill with Covid-19 while away. Call our emergency assistance line and we’ll help you seek treatment or, if needed, arrange to bring you back to the UK.

  There’s no other coronavirus cover on our policies, but for extra reassurance you can add our trip disruption cover upgrade option. This gives you added protection against missed departures and expenses incurred due to change of testing or quarantine requirements. Add it to your preferred policy for an extra premium.

  For policies sold on or after the 31 March 2022

  Should the FCDO advise against all travel to your destination, there's no cover under any section of the policy if you decide to travel. 

  If the FCDO have advised to only undertake essential travel to a destination and your trip's not essential and you choose to travel, we'll only cover a claim if the cause is not linked to the reason for the FCDO advice. This limitation applies even if you've purchased an optional trip disruption cover upgrade. You may be able to travel with full cover if we authorise in writing that your trip's essential before you depart. Should you like to request this, please email travelinsurancefeedback@postoffice.co.uk

  Please make sure you’re clear what’s covered and what’s not. Check the answers to common questions about coronavirus cover and the full policy wording for more details.

• Yes, our travel insurance covers you for unexpected medical expenses. This includes emergency treatment and hospitalisation, plus repatriation if you need it. Cover's provided up to the limit specified in the policy wording for the specific cover level you choose.

  Emergency medical assistance

  If you need emergency medical assistance, you can call our dedicated team. They're here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to get you the help you need. Check the correct contact details for your policy on our travel insurance help and support page.

  Non-emergency medical support

  If it’s not an emergency but you still need to see a medical professional, you can use our Medical Assistance Plus (3) service. This outpatient service is included free with all new Post Office Travel Insurance policies.

  Get easy access to medical experts such as doctors, dentists and gastroenterologists. The single online platform can be used wherever you are abroad.

  Choose whether you’re seen at a clinic, in your hotel or via an online video consultation. All sessions are in your own language. They even have prescriptions delivered to your nearest pharmacy.

  This takes away the stress of finding medical help, so you can kick back and enjoy your holiday to the full.

• We provide cover whether you’re taking a break in the UK or going on holiday overseas. You’re covered if your luggage or personal belongings are lost, stolen or damaged while you’re staying away from home in Britain. And if you have to cancel or cut short your trip in some circ*mstances, we can cover that too. As long as it matches the reasons set out in your policy.

  Our annual multi-trip travel insurance can cover you for UK trips too. The minimum requirements are one night’s pre-booked and paid accommodation. Or your stay must be at least 100 miles from your home. Or you must have at least one sea crossing.

• The UK Government provides guidance on travel 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Visit the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website for the latest travel information. It lists if it's safe to visit your chosen country. This information can change at short notice. So it's a good idea to check the FCDO page regularly.

  Remember, your cover won’t be valid if you travel against the FDCO advice of all travel, and local government advice. Check the latest on the FCDO site or read our where can I go on holiday guide.

• Our standard travel insurance policies will only provide limited cover for electronic items such as mobile/smart phones, camcorders and their accessories, all photographic/ digital/ optical/ audio/ video media and equipment, iPods, MP3/4 players or similar and/or accessories, E-book readers, and satellite navigation systems up to the single article limit. The single article limit depends on the cover you’ve taken out. For economy it’s £150, for standard it’s £250, and for premier it’s £400.

  Gadget cover is an optional add on you can buy at any time to add protection for your devices. Check the policy wording for full terms.

• Yes, we do. We’ve partnered with Student Beans to offer a discount to students. To claim it, you’ll need to either register for a Student Beans account (to verify your student status) or log in with your existing account. You’ll be given a unique code, which you’ll need to enter in the promotion code box that appears when getting your travel insurance quote. The discount will be taken off your quote total.

• Yes, we do. We’ve partnered with Grad Beans to offer a discount to graduates. To claim it, you’ll need to either register for a Grad Beans account (to verify your graduate status) or log in with your existing account. You’ll be given a unique code, which you’ll need to enter in the promotion code box that appears when getting your travel insurance quote. The discount will be taken off your quote total.

• Read more travel insurance FAQs

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