Travelers insurance covers all vital personal documents, however it does not cover petty theft. This implies that most pickpocketed cash, phones, handbags, wallets, and other valuables are not fully covered by your traveler’s insurance coverage. Because cash losses pose such a significant danger of fraud, insurance companies nearly never cover them. Any cash you have in your wallet that is stolen is a loss that you will not be compensated for. As a result, the majority of pickpocketing incidents are not covered by your travel insurance. However, always verify with your insurance company before leaving home, as most policies have different limitations. Some are more comprehensive than others.
Does travel insurance cover stolen items?
When you think of travel insurance, you probably think of a medical emergency.
When accidents or major diseases while traveling abroad are uncommon, a respectable insurance carrier should cover the following:
- Visits to licensed medical professionals (relating to your emergency injury)
- Unless you have a more comprehensive plan from a business like Medjet, medical evacuation is usually limited to a local medical facility. For further information on evacuation, see the section below.)
Accidental or natural disaster-related medical evacuations might cost up to $500,000 USD. Naturally, having a comprehensive insurance plan comes in helpful in this situation. Most insurance policies will transport you to a safe location “In the event of an injury or natural disaster, go to the “nearest appropriate facility.” They don’t have to send you home, contrary to popular assumption.
If your doctor deems it essential, you may be repatriation to your home country, however this is uncommon and normally only occurs when local medical personnel are unable to give the care you require. That is why firms such as Medjet exist; they assure that you go home, not merely to a nearby hospital “acceptable” service
Accidental injury and unexpected pain are covered here, as they are in other medical crises. For instance, chipped teeth or an unexpected infection.
General checkups and extensive dental procedures that isn’t related to an injury or accident occurred while traveling are not covered. You’ll have to pay out of pocket if you merely need your teeth cleaned or a new filling.
When compared to the rest of your medical emergency coverage, most policies provide modest dental coverage (typically under $1,000 USD).
I understand that thinking about something like this happening is never nice, but knowing that you’re protected will offer you and your family piece of mind.
Most insurance plans will cover the costs of a family member collecting your body and transporting it home if the worst happens. Some insurance will also cover cremation or international burial if that is desired.
Death from alcohol or illicit substances, suicide, or pre-existing diseases not covered by the plan are also common exclusions.
Death/dismemberment coverage ranges from $5,000 to $50,000 in most policies. Many firms, on the other hand, do not provide coverage for this. If death and dismemberment coverage is important to you, make sure you get an insurance from a provider that offers it.
You can seek compensation from your travel insurance provider if your flight is delayed or canceled (provided the airline does not cover you). You can claim for reimbursement as long as the cancellation or delay was not your fault. However, sleeping in does not qualify as an acceptable justification for missing your flight!
Keep all emails, receipts, and correspondence from your airline about the delay or cancellation, since you’ll need them to verify your claim and receive reimbursement.
You can claim for reimbursement from your insurance carrier if you need to cancel your trip either before or during your trip due to a certified medical reason, the death of a close relative, or the death of your travel companion.
If you’re canceling due to illness, request a note from your doctor to validate your claim. You’ll need to supply a copy of the death certificate if you’re canceling due to a death (as well as other supporting documentation).
Unless you have a premium plan, coverage is usually restricted to a few thousand dollars. World Nomad’s Explorer Plan, for example, provides up to $10,000 USD in trip cancellation coverage, but their Standard Plan only provides $2,500 USD.
Most travel insurance companies will compensate you for some or all of your belongings if they are stolen while you are abroad (there are usually limits on gear like laptops and cameras unless you buy a comprehensive plan with additional coverage). Make sure you file a police report because you’ll need it to file a claim.
Compensation for delayed baggage or baggage that is damaged in transit is frequently included in the coverage.
Some plans may cover the expense of having a replacement passport or credit card shipped to you if your wallet or passport is stolen (this usually will depend on your residency). You won’t be able to claim the money if your wallet is stolen with cash inside.
Most travel insurance policies cover items like laptops, cameras, and cell phones that are lost or stolen. However, the amount you may get back for these high-ticket things is usually limited (usually under $500 USD per item).
If you’re traveling with pricey equipment, you’ll want to pay for additional coverage to ensure that it’s adequately protected. Make sure you have receipts for everything you bought. Keep copies in your email so that if something goes wrong, you may file a claim without having to look for them.
What Travel Insurance Does NOT Cover
While every plan is different, here is a list of the most typical items that your standard or basic travel insurance plan will not cover:
- Accidents resulting from extreme activities such as hang gliding, paragliding, or bungee jumping (though you can often upgrade to plans that do cover those activities)
- Climbing techniques or alpine hiking (again, some plans can be upgraded to cover these activities)
- Pre-existing conditions are a type of pre-existing condition. For instance, if you have diabetes and require additional insulin, you will not be covered.
- Most insurance companies will not evacuate you if civil upheaval makes your destination unsafe but your government has not ordered an evacuation. (Medjet is the one exception.) They provide the most comprehensive evacuation coverage.)
- Most trip cancellation policies do not cover changing your mind about your trip, unfriending or breaking up with your travel companion, or pre-existing medical conditions.
- If your visa application is denied, you will very certainly not be paid if you decide to cancel your trip.
A Note on COVID-19 (and Other Pandemics)
Most travel insurance coverage do not cover pandemics, as many passengers discovered the hard way. Most travelers haven’t been concerned about this until lately. Prior to last year, I had never given much mind to the “pandemic clause” when reviewing my insurance contracts.
Pandemic coverage, on the other hand, is at the forefront of every traveler’s concern these days (and rightly so).
Fortunately, as insurance companies adjust to our new reality, some are now offering COVID-19 coverage (or other pandemics). Trip cancellation or delay (like with World Nomads, though they also provide some medical coverage) or transportation home are normally covered with this restricted coverage (as is the case with Medjet). Basic COVID coverage is also available through SafetyWing.
Always study the fine print on pandemics and COVID-19 before purchasing a plan. Make sure you know exactly what is and isn’t covered so you can respond appropriately if a problem arises. If you’re unsure, give them a call and chat with a representative. Don’t put your health at risk based on misconceptions!
Suggested Companies
Here’s a list of the best travel insurance companies to help you remain safe on your next trip:
Safety Wing is my preferred travel insurance provider. Safety Wing caters to digital nomads and long-term travelers with convenient and cheap plans. They offer reasonable monthly plans, excellent customer service, and a simple claims process, making them ideal for travelers.
Does travel insurance cover being robbed?
Is my travel insurance going to cover my lost or damaged electronics? That is debatable. If you shatter your phone by dropping it, you will not be compensated for the loss. Your travel insurance should cover the loss up to a specified sum if your devices are lost, stolen, or destroyed by a common carrier, such as an airline or tour operator. For example, the OneTrip Premier Plan covers up to $2,000 in baggage loss or damage coverage.
If you travel for business regularly and rely on your laptop, phone, or camera for work, you might consider purchasing an annual travel insurance package that includes business equipment coverage. The AllTrips Executive Plan, a business travel insurance plan from Allianz Global Assistance, covers up to $1,000 in rental equipment costs if yours is damaged, as well as up to $1,000 in repair or replacement costs. You also get a number of other perks, such up to $50,000 in emergency medical and dental benefits and up to $45,000 in rental car collision/loss damage insurance. Happy travels!
Which circumstance are not covered in travel insurance?
Some causes, such as the death of your companion animal or the separation from your spouse, will not be considered valid. Travel insurance companies will not cover injuries caused by participating in sports such as bungee jumping or paragliding.
What does travel insurance really cover?
Medical crises, trip cancellation, trip interruption, delays, medical evacuation, and lost, damaged, or stolen luggage are all covered by most travel insurance plans.
Does travel insurance cover personal belongings?
Personal items, including ‘valuables,’ are covered by travel insurance policies against loss from secure locations. There is usually a maximum sum payable in total, as well as separate limits for individual commodities and assets.
How do I insure my belongings when traveling?
Personal property insurance comes in a variety of formats with varying levels of coverage. Your homeowner’s insurance, which covers your home and its contents, also insures you while you’re traveling. Your personal property is exactly that: it belongs to you. And it’s covered by your insurance whether you’re at home or on the road.
However, like with any insurance, it’s important to understand the finer nuances. Valuable things, such as pricey jewelry, may necessitate a full coverage policy. Furthermore, many homeowner’s insurance policies are constructed in such a way that premiums increase when a claim is filed. Your homeowner’s insurance premiums will not be affected because you have a separate trip coverage.
Does travel insurance cover death?
When a family member dies, there can be a lot of upheaval and disruption. A death in the family can be very difficult for travelers since they may have to cancel their trip, interrupt it and return home early, or abandon or adjust their travel plans.
Even changing a single plane ticket these days is often prohibitively expensive, and it is up to the airline representative’s judgment whether or not to waive the change price. The same can be said for cruises and trips that have already been paid for.
Many travelers, particularly those who have elderly parents or sick family members, wonder if travel insurance covers death in the family.
How travel insurance helps with family death
- Travel insurance will reimburse you for pre-paid trip fees if you have to cancel a covered vacation due to the sudden death of a family member.
- Travel insurance will repay you for any unused pre-paid charges incurred as a result of your change in travel plans if you have to interrupt your trip and return home due to a family death.
Important exceptions
It’s vital to highlight that there are a few key exclusions that tourists should be aware of. These are some of them:
- The family member must be a ‘covered’ family member, which is defined differently by each plan. A sister or brother-in-law, for example, may not be deemed a covered family member in some instances. In the definitions part of your travel insurance plan documents, you’ll discover a list of covered family members.
- Unless you choose a plan that covers pre-existing medical issues, the death must not have been caused by a pre-existing medical condition (even if you or a family member were unaware of it).
- Suicide and mental illness are not covered by travel insurance, therefore the death could not have been the result of either.
Many people are taken aback when they discover that their travel insurance policy does not cover the loss of best friends, close acquaintances, or even pets. This is because essential people and pets may not be considered family members under the terms of the travel insurance policy.
You’ll need ‘cancel for any reason’ coverage and you’ll have to cancel your trip within the time frame provided by that coverage to be able to make a claim on your travel insurance policy if someone who isn’t a family member as defined by the travel insurance plan paperwork dies (sometimes as early as two days prior to your trip).
Does Allianz travel insurance cover theft?
Your luggage is lost, damaged, or stolen while you’re on the road. Based on the restrictions in your insurance policy’s letter of confirmation, travel insurance can reimburse you for the actual price, actual cash value, repair, or replacement whichever is less. To be eligible for this benefit, you must take reasonable steps to keep your baggage safe and recover it, as well as file a report with the proper authorities that includes all of the information required under your policy.
For example, you arrived early at your hotel and opted to check your bags at the front desk while your room was being prepared. You get a call 30 minutes later saying your room is ready, but when you go to find the same valet who took your bags, he comes back 10 minutes later shrugging his shoulders. Your garment bag has vanished. Even more concerning, a manager claims that you should have been given a valet ticket and that no one would have taken your suitcase without one. It’s your words versus his, and the valet refuses to budge. You submit a police report, seeking a copy for your records, after looking around the lobby and trying to reason with the hotel employees as pleasantly as possible. You may rest easy knowing you have travel insurance and can file a claim if necessary. Then you start writing your review for a hotel you won’t be visiting any more…
Does travel insurance cover camera?
So you’ve made the decision to take no chances and buy insurance? You made the right choice, and I’m glad you did!
The next step is to choose which sort of insurance is most appropriate for you. This is where things may get complicated, so keep it simple…
Most of the time, you’ll require camera insurance that is authorized for international travel.
However, you may be able to save money by include your photography equipment on your travel insurance.
Some travel insurance packages, such as those offered by World Nomads, allow you to add valuables to your policy. This makes it simple to include your camera equipment in your standard insurance policy. Not only will your camera be fully secured while traveling, but you’ll only have to worry about one policy for everything.
However, there is a catch. Many travel insurers limit the number of goods you can insure. For example, World Nomads’ Standard policy has a £400 per item limit, whereas their Explorer policy has a £750 restriction. There is no other option that includes more valuable products.
If, like me, you have a lot of expensive photographic equipment, you’ll need to look for specialized travel camera insurance.
Does travel insurance cover a pandemic?
COVID-19 is currently covered by a limited number of travel insurers. If you test positive for COVID-19, it will most likely only cover medical, quarantine, and cancellation charges. However, if you are unable to travel due to lockdowns at home or at your intended destination, travel insurance is unlikely to cover cancellation.