Travel insurance provides comprehensive coverage against things that are likely to spoil your trip. It covers your medical expenses and other risks so that you can enjoy your trip hassle-free. A travel insurance policy is a popular choice among people travelling on vacations, business trips, or for studies.
Buying a comprehensive trip insurance policy will secure you from any loss/damage incurred, which would create a financial burden otherwise. It will essentially secure you and provide coverage under the following circumstances:
Medical Expenses
Personal Accident
Medical Evacuation
Loss of Passport
Loss of Checked-in Baggage
Theft/Loss of Personal Belongings
Trip Cancellation & Curtailment
Trip Delays
While travelling abroad, you surely would want to come back home with a bucket of happy memories. Right from your first flight to the stay and the return journey, you can ensure a safe and hassle-free
While you are planning your next trip, ensure that you buy a comprehensive trip insurance policy, which will provide you with compensation in case of any unfortunate accident/mishap spoils your travel plans. Troubles on foreign soil do not sound exciting. Besides, when it comes to uncertainties there is surely no end to it. Right from any natural calamity, man-made calamity to any malevolent act, a traveller can witness any of it at any point of time. In case you encounter such risky situations, it can drain you financially, physically and emotionally unless you have a trip insurance policy.
A famous saying goes if you cannot afford travel insurance policy then you cannot afford travelling. This is apt as eventualities do not come knocking. While planning your next trip itinerary, buying insurance for your journey needs to be on the priority list.
Remember, insurance is an investment, and when you buy a travel policy online, you are investing for the benefit of yourself and your loved ones.
So, get, set and go. Compare & buy a travel insurance policy online sitting in your comfort zone and customize it based on your requirements.
Do not take off until you are insured.
Key Features of Travel Insurance Policies in India
A travel policy is designed to cater to the needs of every traveller whether flying domestically or internationally and safeguard them against any financial loss in case of unforeseen event/mishap. Today, having so many alternatives available in the market, let us have a look at the key features of a travel insurance policy provided by general insurance companies in India:
Emergency Hospitalization & Medical Treatment - Nobody can rule out the possibility of a medical emergency while travelling. By insuring your journey, you can stay assured as all your hospitalization and treatment expenses will be taken care of by your insurer.
Compensation for Flight-Related Adversities - Facing any adversities related to your flight is very common and chances of facing it increase if you are travelling abroad. Whether there has been a flight delay leading to a missed connecting flight or a delay or loss of baggage by your airline, your insurer will compensate for the losses you have incurred.
Trip-Related Adversities - Nobody knows when an emergency can hinder your travel plans and would force you to delay or cancel your trip. Trip insurance provides coverage for unforeseen trip delays or trip cancellation.
Cashless Hospitalization Facility - If you get hospitalized or are availing medical treatment at an empanelled hospital of your insurer, you can receive cashless service under your international travel insurance plan in which all your medical bills will be settled directly by your insurer. You would not have to pay up the hospital for any covered treatment.
Customized Policies for Senior Citizens - While travelling, the needs of senior citizens are way different from the needs of other kinds of travellers. Taking cognizance of this fact, most insurance companies offer customized trip insurance policies for elderly people who are travelling within India or abroad
Available for Frequent Flyers - Buying an insurance policy for each journey can turn out to be pretty expensive for people who travel frequently or multiple times in a year. To ensure that such frequent flyers enjoy the perks of trip insurance plans on each journey without spending a fortune, insurance providers offer multi-trip policies with a year-long validity.
Types of Travel Insurance Plans in India
While buying a trip insurance policy is important to ensure a hassle-free journey, it is more crucial to understand the various types of insurance policies offerred to travellers in India. They have been designed to cater to the need of its every citizen right from a child, adult, student, to a senior citizen, etc.
Let us take you through the different types of travel insurance plans available in India:
This type of insurance plan is meant for people travelling within the geographical borders of India. It protects individuals as well as families travelling within the Indian states from unforeseen financial emergencies. It provides coverage including medical cover, loss of baggage and personal accident cover amongst others.
This type of insurance plan covers individuals and families travelling overseas. It provides a wide range of coverage including medical expenses, dental expenses, financial cash assistance, flight delays, trip cancellation, loss of passport, personal liability, loss or delay of check-in baggage and hijack distress allowance. Several insurers also offer home insurance to the traveller’s house back in India as a part of this insurance plan.
It is customized overseas travel insurance that covers people travelling to one or more than one Schengen countries. It protects the insured travellers from any unforeseen emergencies that may lead to incurring financial losses. Some of the most common coverage provided under this type of trip insurance includes medical cover, loss of passport, delay in check-in baggage arrival, loss of check-in baggage, personal liability, personal accident cover and accidental death & dismemberment (common carrier).
This type of insurance plan is designed especially for families travelling overseas together. It usually covers the policyholder, his/ her spouse and his dependent children. The sum insured is mostly available in both individual and family floater basis. All insured members of a family can avail covers including medical expenses, loss of passport, personal liability, loss or delay of check-in baggage and many more.
This type of insurance plan has been tailor-made, especially, for elderly people. Most travel insurance companies cover travellers above the ages of 60 under such policies just like health insurance. It protects such travellers from unpredictable financial emergencies, including medical expenses, dental expenses, repatriation of mortal remains, loss or delay of check-in baggage, medical evacuation, etc. just like an international travel insurance plan.
It is a student-friendly insurance plan that has been customized for Indians travelling abroad to study. It comes with an extended validity of up to 2 years. Apart from the basic coverage of overseas travel insurance plan, it also provides the students with covers including sponsor protection, study interruption, medical evacuation, bail bond and two-way compassionate visit for the insured and the family member amongst others.
This type of insurance plan has been designed to cater to the needs of corporates travelling for business purposes. It usually has a validity of up to 1 year that allows the insured traveller to undertake several journeys. It includes covers such as flight delay, medical expenses, loss of baggage, missed connecting flight, etc.
It is a comprehensive insurance plan meant for people travelling together in groups. It is usually opted by people organizing tour groups, industrial training, official tours or pilgrimage tours. Many insurance providers offer such policies to people travelling within India as well as abroad. It usually provides personal accident and baggage cover. However, the exact extent of coverage depends on the insurer.
It refers to the insurance plan that provides extensive medical coverage to insured travellers during their journey. It offers financial assistance in case a medical emergency occurs while travelling international and may lead to hospitalization. Such policies mostly cover hospitalization expenses, daycare expenses, dental expenses, medical evacuation expenses and cost of repatriation of mortal remains amongst others.
This type of insurance plan is meant for people who undertake multiple overseas journeys in a year. It offers the same level of benefits on every trip without the need of buying a new policy before each journey. Thus, a traveller ends up saving large sums of money by buying a multi-trip insurance policy. It is mostly purchased by people who go abroad frequently for business purposes.
This type of insurance plan provides protection to the insured traveller only for one single journey. Its validity begins with the start of the journey and ends with its culmination on returning home. This international travel insurance comes with a host of coverage that consists of medical cover as well as non-medical covers such as delay or loss of check-in baggage, personal liability, etc.
Baggage Insurance comes into picture when you lose your baggage during your journey due to theft or any other mishap. The losses incurred due to such mishaps might put you in some really big troubles and ruin your trip. In order to get compensated for the damage or loss to your luggage while travelling, you can always rely on baggage insurance.
It is a custom-made insurance plan that covers an insured traveller from any unforeseen flight-related emergencies faced while travelling. It protects him from any adversity caused during the flight or due to the fault of the airline or their staff. It provides comprehensive coverage of both health insurance and baggage insurance, which includes flight delay, medical cover, accidental death & dismemberment cover, delay or loss of check-in baggage, flight cancellation, flight hijack and missed connection flight.
Eligibility Criteria for Travel Insurance Plans
With a plethora of alternatives available in the market, it is essential to understand that general insurance companies in India have a criterion for which you need to be eligible before buying domestic or international travel insurance.
In the below grid are the basic eligibility criteria for different types of travel policies offered by insurance companies in India:
Travel Insurance Plan
Eligibility Criteria*
Family Travel Insurance
Self, Spouse and up to 2 dependent children
Adults between the ages of 18 years to 60 years
Children between the ages of 6 months to 21 years
Senior Citizen Travel Insurance
People above 60 years of age
Student Travel Insurance
People between the ages of 16 years to 35 years
Group Travel Insurance
A minimum of 10 members to be covered
*The eligibility criteria may vary from one insurance provider to another.
Why Should You Buy Travel Insurance Policy?
In recent times, there has been a paradigm shift in the perception of travelling. People no longer wait for their summer or winter vacation to go for an outstation journey. They instead try to undertake multiple vacations in a year with an aim to explore new places. For the salaried class, travelling is an escape from their everyday stressful and monotonous life. This makes insuring your journey even more prudent to protect yourself from any unfortunate incident that has the potential of spoiling it or causing losses. If you still weighing your options, take a look at why buying the best travel insurance online is a wonderful idea.
Emergency Medical Expenses - The cost of medical treatment abroad is not the same as in India. In fact, countries like the USA are famous for skyrocketing medical services. But if you have insured your journey, all your medical expenses will be covered up to the sum insured limit in case of hospitalization due to an illness or accident abroad. They will also arrange an emergency medical evacuation to a hospital if required. Moreover, being admitted to a network hospital can help you avail of cashless medical services.
Mandatory Requirement - Several countries around the world have made it mandatory to possess valid trip insurance in order to apply for a visa for that country. For instance, you need to insure your journey if you want to apply for the Schengen visa. So if you want to visit any such country, you will have to buy one of the best travel insurance plans available in India.
Helping Hand in Remote Areas - Insuring your journey can turn out to be useful even if you are travelling to remote parts of India or abroad. In case you need emergency medical services in areas with poor medical facilities, your insurer can evacuate you to the nearest city or country and help you get medical treatment on time.
Stress-Free Trip - An outstation journey can come with its share of uncertainties and cause a lot of stress to the travellers if an unforeseen incident occurs. But if you have your journey insured, all your emergencies can be taken care of by your insurer and you wouldn’t have to worry about a thing.
Dental Expenses - If you have your journey insured, your insurer will cover the expenses incurred on your dental treatment while travelling.
Flight-related Complicacies - A lot of times you get stuck by flight or airline-related issues that shake your trip itinerary. Whether there has been a flight delay, checked in baggage loss/ delay, missed connecting flight or flight hijack, you will be adequately compensated if you have insured your journey.
Protects the Entire Family - A family insurance not only offers protection to you but to each member of your family while travelling. Most insurance companies allow you to choose the sum insured on individual and family floater basis.
Replacement of Lost or Stolen Baggage - In case of loss of baggage or theft of your belongings from your baggage while travelling overseas, your insurer will compensate you for your loss.
Pays for Personal Liability - In case an unfortunate incident abroad result in a legal liability being imposed on you, your insurer will pay off your liabilities and cover any legal court expenses that you may incur.
Emergency Cash Assistance - In case you get robbed of your money during your stay abroad, your insurer will come to your rescue and arrange emergency cash for you.
How to Buy Best Travel Policy Online?
In the case of adversity, insurance is one friend on which you can always rely upon. The challenge is to pick the best trip insurance policy provided by the different travel insurance companies in India. Opt for an insurance policy, which provides you with maximum coverage against the risks that you may encounter while you are travelling. It is better if you buy the insurance policy online as it is a faster, more convenient and a hassle free process.
Best Travel Insurance in India by Top Insurance Companies
Buying an insurance policy for your journey is an investment. Moreover, the peace of mind that you get is worth every dime. Now that you know about the importance of trip insurance, let us take you through a list of insurance providers offering the best travel insurance policies in India:
Emergency medical & dental treatment and evacuation
Covers diagnostic treatment, radiotherapy, X-ray, etc.
Accidental death & disability
Repatriation of mortal remains
Delay or loss of check-in baggage
Personal legal liability benefit
Hijack distress allowance
Loss of passport benefit
Trip cancellation
Treatment of pre-existing diseases
Claims arising out of suicide or other self-inflicted injuries
Claims related to consumption or abuse of alcohol, drugs
Claims related due to participation in illegal and criminal activities
Claims arising out of war or any act of war
Claims arising due to participation in adventure sports such as scuba diving, paragliding, etc.
See More Plans
Disclaimer : *Policybazaar does not endorse, rate or recommend any particular insurer or insurance product offered by an insurer.
What Does Travel Insurance Cover?
A travel insurance policy provides coverage for all primary travel concerns of a person, such as medical emergencies, trip cancellations, loss of checked in baggage, travel delays, passport loss, etc. It mostly provides comprehensive coverage to travellers against any event that may lead to financial loss before or during the trip.
The travel insurance policy provides a safety net from any unwanted expenses that would otherwise ruin your trip.
Take a look below to understand the following benefits of travel insurance policy coverage:
Cover for a Cancelled Trip: A trip cancellation coverage will shield you from any prepaid or non-refundable expenses in case your journey is cancelled due to the following circumstances:
Any major illness/injury or demise within the family or of your journey companion
Bad atmospheric/weather conditions, which act as a barrier for you to reach the destination
A terrorist attack at the destination where you are travelling
Cover for Trip Delay: If in case your flight gets delayed or you miss your connecting flight because of a reason, which is beyond your control, such as a mechanical breakdown of the flight, bad weather condition, and so on then having this cover will secure you for the incurred expenses. Moreover, this cover will also compensate for the meals and accommodation-related expenses as per the delay-period.
Loss of Passport: While travelling abroad, there can be a situation where your bag that had your passport gets stolen. This policy will cover any expenses incurred towards obtaining new or duplicate passport up to the sum insured limit.
Repatriation of Mortal Remains: Envision a scenario, wherein the insured dies in the middle of his trip. Such demise could be heartbreaking for the family and bringing back the mortal remains of the demised person could be a challenging task and financially draining as well. Besides, completing the formalities in regards to the same will also become a task. However, a cover for repatriation of mortal remains will take care of this and the mortal remains will be brought to the country completing all the formalities associated with it and provide a cover for the expenses incurred towards the same.
Cover for Delayed/ Loss of Baggage: This is an international travel insurance coverage, which should be taken by every traveller, as it will protect you in case of loss of any of your items or delayed checked in baggage delivery by the common carrier. Having this benefit will not cover the actual price of the items that are delayed. In case of complete loss/damage of the luggage, you will be reimbursed to replace the items lost. These may vary from insurer to insurer in India.
Cover for any Medical-Related Emergency: There is a possibility that you might get sick or injured while you are enjoying your vacation at a foreign location. Having a medical-related emergency coverage will secure you from any cost incurred on any treatment or hospitalization while travelling. Having this coverage essentially includes any ambulance related services, physician or medical consultant services, diagnosis charges, hospital charges, and so on just like health insurance.
Emergency Medical Evacuation: This coverage helps you when you need immediate assistance/ attention, wherein a transport arrangement is made for a nearby hospital under a medical emergency and if required sending the insured to the native country on the medical grounds as per the discretion of the doctors.
Hijack Distress Allowance: On the off chance, having this insurance coverage will provide you cover in case your flight/ common carrier gets hijacked, which will cause distress then compensation in regards to the same is provided.
Compassionate Visit: In case, if the insured falls ill/sick and is hospitalized and an immediate family member is required at the foreign location as per the medical practitioners, then having this cover will cover the expenses incurred towards the transportation and accommodation for the immediate family member travelling.
Accidental Death and Disability: If under any unfortunate circumstances, the insured passes away or suffers a disablement whether permanent or fractional, having this coverage will provide compensation up to the sum insured to the family or the person for the loss.
Home Burglary - If your house gets burgled while you are vacationing outside the city, your insurer will pay for the loss or damages incurred due to the robbery up to the sum insured limit.
Does Travel Insurance Cover Coronavirus (COVID -19) Disease in India?
The novel coronavirus disease or COVID-19 is a new strain of viral infection that has infected 1,73,344 people across 152 countries or territories across the world and has claimed 7,019 lives (as of 17 March 2020). The disease, first, originated in Wuhan City of China’s Hubei province in late December 2019. On 11th March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared coronavirus disease as a pandemic. India has recorded 137 confirmed cases of COVID-19, out of which there have been three fatalities (as of 17 March 2020).
Governments across the globe have put travel restrictions and are discouraging its citizens from making any non-essential travel abroad, especially to a coronavirus-affected country, unless the situation comes under control. Amidst this grave situation, many people are wondering whether travel insurance would come to their rescue financially if they cancel their overseas travel insurance or they get infected with the virus or are put under quarantine, will your travel policy cover the charges?
The answer is YES and NO. The international travel insurance plan covers coronavirus disease but under certain conditions only. Here is a list of situations where coronavirus pandemic is covered or excluded under a travel insurance policy:
Emergency Medical Treatment
Insurance companies in India will cover any emergency medical expenses incurred by the insured on his treatment for coronavirus disease in a hassle free manner. People who had purchased their individual, family or senior citizen travel insurance policy before the travel restrictions were put in place will continue to be covered for the emergency medical expenses incurred on the treatment of the disease. This cover is available for both international as well as domestic travel. The claims will be made as per the terms and conditions of the policy at the time of its purchase.
Overseas Trip Delays/ Cancellations
Insurers will cover any trip delay or cancellation claim due to the outbreak of coronavirus disease if the policy was purchased before the travel ban had been imposed by the government. Similar to the medical expenses cover, claim amount for this cover will also be settled as per the terms and conditions of the policy at the time of buying.
However, trip delay/ cancellation cover is only available on existing travel policies and not on new policy purchase. People who plan to purchase travel insurance for their overseas trip to a coronavirus affected country, despite government advisory, will not be covered by their insurer. In fact, any claims related to coronavirus will be most likely be excluded from the policy.
Currently, Indians are have been strictly advised to avoid travelling to China, Italy, South Korea, Iran, Spain, France, Germany and Japan until 31 March 2020. Moreover, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also banned foreigners and Indian citizens arriving from the United Kingdom, European Union and Turkey from entering the country with effect from 18 March 2020 to 31 March 2020.
Domestic Trip Delays & Baggage Loss
Domestic travel insurance policies will cover any trip delays or baggage loss for travel within India as a result of the outbreak of coronavirus disease. The terms and conditions of the policy will remain the same as it was at the time of its purchase.
Omitted/ Optional Covers in Most Schengen Travel Insurance Policies
Claims arising out of the following things are either optional or omitted in most Schengen Insurance policies available in India:
Pre-existing ailments including asthma, cardiac problems, diabetes and hypertension
Tailor-made riders can be opted by paying an extra premium amount
Adventurous sports which pose a risk to life including water sports like scuba diving, mountaineering, fast biking, etc
Travelling to countries that have been listed as high-risk nations due to natural calamities, war, and terrorist activities, etc
Stern onset of pre-existing diseases even though the doctor assures it can stay under control
Exclusions of Travel Insurance Plans
Most trip insurance policies do not cover any claims arising out of the following reasons:
Liquor, Drugs - Any claims arising due to dependency on intoxicants, including alcohol or drugs, will not be covered by your insurer. Even treatment expenses for injuries or illnesses caused while the insured was under the influence of alcohol will not be covered.
War, Civil War or Terrorism - The insurer will not cover any claims arising due to war-like situations including a civil war in the country where the insured is visiting. It also does not cover any claims arising due to terrorist attacks in the destination country or city.
HIV AIDS - Treatment expenses for HIV AIDS is usually not covered by most insurers in India.
Alternative treatment - Most trip insurance does not cover alternative treatment expenses including Ayurveda and homeopathy.
Cosmetic Treatment -Any claims arising out of the cosmetic surgery of the insured will not be covered by your insurer.
Adventure Sports - Many insurers do not cover any claims arising out of the insured’s participation in adventure sports activities including scuba diving, mountaineering, bike race, etc.
Suicide or Self-Inflicted Injury - Any claims arising out of an injury or treatment related to a self-inflicted injury, including suicide or attempt to suicide, would not be covered by your insurer.
Pre-existing Diseases - Even the top insurance companies in India do not cover pre-existing diseases of the insured traveller under travel plans.
Loss of Passport When left Unattended - An insurance provider will not cover the expenses incurred in obtaining a new or duplicate passport if the insured loses his original passport abroad because of leaving it unattended.
Loss of Baggage Shipped Separately - An international travel insurance policy will not cover baggage loss if your luggage is shipped separately and is not accompanied by you.
Travelling Against Medical Advice - If the insured is travelling outstation or abroad against the medical advice of the doctor, then any medical treatment expenses incurred while travelling will not be covered by the insurer.
Additional Coverage of Travel Insurance Plans
Many trip insurance policies offer add-on benefits if you opt for additional coverage. These benefits can be chosen for an extra precautionary layer of protection. These additional covers can be obtained by purchasing the best trip insurance online on payment of an extra premium amount to the insurance company.
Here are a few optional/ add-on coverage can be purchased at the time of insuring your journey:
High-risk/adventure sports activities
Coverage for visiting war-prone destinations
Pre-existing illnesses/ conditions
Enhanced Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) cover
Third-party supplier insolvency
How to Calculate Travel Insurance Policy Premium Online?
A travel insurance policy is an extremely important document if you wish to stay protected from any eventualities while travelling domestic or international. Every traveller should opt for a policy that provides maximum coverage for the least possible premium.
In order to find out the premium payable for a particular trip insurance plan by an insurance provider, you would have to use a travel insurance premium calculator. A premium calculator is an internet-based tool that gives you an estimate of the premium cost for a particular insurance plan. Make sure to use this calculator before you buy the best travel insurance online.
An insurance premium calculator will give you a premium estimate if you enter the required details including the sum insured amount, age, destination city/ country, frequency of travelling, dates, etc. While entering the destination details, select specific countries or areas like Schengen, Asia, USA and Canada, etc as per your destination. You might have to enter the dates on which you will be travelling and whether you need a single or multi-trip policy. You will also be required to enter the number of travellers as well as the age of all the travellers.
After you have entered all the details, the insurance premium calculator will give you an estimate premium amount for your journey. Moreover, this premium calculator also comes in handy to compare different trip insurance policies offered by various insurance providers.
Claim Procedure for Travel Insurance Policies
Buying the best trip insurance is not the only responsibility of the traveller. He/ she should also be aware of the claim procedure for filing a timely insurance claim. Moreover, you should be aware of the various coverage provided by your insurer.
It is important for all travellers to carry the original policy document along with multiple photocopies while travelling. The photocopies come in handy in case the original document gets lost or destroyed. In fact, the insured must also carry the soft copy of the document and store in his email, phone, laptop or carry it in a pen drive.
Follow the steps given below to register a trip insurance claim in case an emergency occurs:
Inform the insurer or the assistance provider of the insured via phone or email about your claim. The contact details of the insurer are always mentioned in the policy document
Ask about the various documents that you need to submit in support of your claim. The list of documents to be submitted varies as per the type of claim
Send all the required documents to the insurer via email, fax or by post
Once you have submitted the documents, your claim will be verified against the coverage provided by your trip insurance policy
How to Renew a Travel Insurance Policy?
Similar to other insurance policies, trip insurance can be renewed either online or offline, depending on your requirement. Renewing your policy online is the most recommended method, whereas the offline method is considered a traditional one. Both methods have their own share of perks. Let’s have a detailed glance here!
How to Renew Travel Insurance Policy Offline?
If you are one of those who don’t want to go with the online method or not that much gadget-friendly, offline renewal can be the best bet for you. Be prepared for a considerable amount of paperwork manually, and this is the biggest difference between the two processes. Let’s know the steps for offline renewal of your travel policy:
Step 1: Approach the Insurance Company
Once the renewal date approaches, get in touch with your insurer. You can contact your insurance advisor or the agent from whom you have bought the policy. He/she will guide you through the renewal process.
Step 2: Review the Existing Cover
This is the best time to review your coverage. If you want to add something, you can do it now. You can also ask the agent to update the changes or directly visit the branch for the same.
Step 3: Fill the Application
Once you have decided the additions you want to make, if any, fill an application form and submit along with the physical copies of the documents required. Documents usually include original or photocopies of ID/address proof, policy document, etc. The list may vary from provider to provider. Next, read the policy document carefully, clauses and other terms and conditions before paying the premiums.
Step 4: The Final Step
In the last step, pay the premiums via cheque. Remember to address the cheque in the name of the insurer, not the broker or agent. The insurer will deliver the policy document to your mailing address within a stipulated period.
How to Renew Travel Insurance Online?
You might find the above process of renewing your travel policy tedious. Hence, buying the insurance policy online is the one-stop solution for all such worries. Let’s consider the steps of online renewal of your policy:
Step 1: Visit the Insurer’s Website
If you want to stick to the same insurer and renew the existing policy online, just visit the official website and go to the renew option. Go through the available insurance policies once and update with additional offers if any.
Step 2: Pay the Premium
Make the premium payment through any of the given options such as net banking, credit or debit card etc.
Step 3: Get the Policy Soft Copy
On successful payment of your premium, the insurance provider will send the soft copy of the policy to the registered email Id. You can download it from there and keep it for future use.
Step 4: Still Compare
In case you are planning to switch the insurer or the policy, it is highly advised to shop around, compare policies by different insurers before buying.
Travel Insurance Policy Renewal Tips
Trip insurance secures your most anticipated trips from any unwanted hassles. However, it is important to get insured with the right insurance plan that comes with extensive benefits. Having said that, here are some tips to renew the right deal:
Buy a policy that suits your requirements
Opting for low-premium may leave you underinsured
Go for the policy that also covers your close ones
Try to customise the insurance benefits as per your needs
Consider the geographical limit of your policy
Read and understand the policy fine print carefully before signing on the dotted line
Things to Remember Before Choosing a Travel Insurance Plan
An unfortunate incident may occur at any point in your journey and a wise traveller keeps his journey insured by buying the best trip insurance. In order to make an informed choice, you need to keep the following things in mind while buying an insurance policy for your journey:
Purpose of the Journey - Keep the purpose of your trip in mind while choosing an insurance policy for your journey to receive maximum coverage. For instance, if you are travelling for studies, you should buy student travel insurance online or if you are going to engage in adventure sports, you should select a policy that covers adventure sports activities.
Traveller’s Age - Almost all insurers provide policies that suit the needs of travellers of different ages. For instance, senior citizen insurance has been custom-made to protect the elderly while travelling. Thus, travellers should select policies according to their age.
Sum Insured Amount - The sum insured amount is directly proportional to the premium cost. The trip insurance policies with higher sum insured draw higher premiums. However, you must choose a sum insured amount that adequately covers your needs in case of an unforeseen incident.
Coverage Offered - Compare and analyze the different coverage provided by various insurers. Your insurance should protect you from most of the risks that you may face during your journey abroad.
Destination – The place where you are travelling should definitely be taken into consideration while narrowing down an insurance plan for your journey. Many insurance providers offer destination-specific policies such as Schengen insurance. Make sure you are covered from any threats that you are likely to face while visiting your destination.
Trip Duration - The duration of your journey plays a major role in estimating your premium amount. The longer the journey, the higher the premium will get. Choose a policy that charges a lesser premium for the total duration of your journey.
Claim Settlement Ratio of the Insured - Before buying an insurance policy for your journey, you should check the claim settlement ratio of the different insurance companies. A company with a higher claim settlement ratio has settled more claims and thus, should be preferred while buying trip insurance online.
Credibility of the Insurance Provider - It is important to research about the credibility and goodwill of the insurance company at the time of selecting an insurance policy for your journey. A company that enjoys goodwill in the market can be considered reliable and will settle the claims on time.
Affordability - The best policy is the one that provides the maximum coverage at minimum cost. Make sure to choose a policy that is economical but provides all crucial covers.
Hassle-Free Claim Procedure - While choosing an insurance policy for your journey, find out about the claim procedures of different policies. Complicated claim procedures will be more of a hassle at the time of settling the claim. You should choose the insurer with the quickest and the most convenient claim process.
Solvency Ratio - You should also check the solvency ratio of an insurance provider before buying an insurance policy. A company with a good solvency ratio reflects its sound financial standing and has lesser chances of going bankrupt.
Compare the Best Travel Insurance Online With Policybazaar.com
While buying insurance online, it is important to compare the various policies offered by the different insurance providers in India. Policybazaar.com is one place where you can compare different travel insurance policies offered by various insurers online. It allows you to check the coverage offered by different insurance companies and the premium charged by them. You can also check which cover is omitted by one insurer and is provided by another provider. Since PolicyBazaar is available online, you can make a comparison anywhere and at any time of the day.
Take a look at some of the benefits of comparing travel insurance online at policybazaar.com:
Compare the various trip insurance policies offered by different insurers
Analyze and find a policy that provides you with maximum coverage
Side-by-side comparison of inclusions and exclusions provided by different insurers
Helps to save time by comparing policies from several insurers at one place
Get quotes on premium from different insurers before buying
Helps to save money by choosing the most cost-effective policy
Allows you to buy an insurance policy for your journey online in an effortless and secure manner
Countries That Need International Travel Insurance Policy
Several countries have made it mandatory for foreign travellers to obtain a valid international insurance policy to enter their borders. Here is a list of countries where an international travel insurance policy is mandatory:
Schengen countries
UAE (if travelling to Dubai)
Australia
Cuba
It is wiser to possess a valid international travel insurance policy when visiting certain countries. You can check the destination guides given below to know everything about the following countries:
USA travel insurance helps you gain all the information, starting from the US visa requirements to places to visit before you commence your trip to the United States of America.
UK travel insurance is a travel guide that will enable you to know everything about the United Kingdom prior to your trip, right from the various UK visa types offered to Indian nationals to why you should buy travel insurance for the UK.
Germany travel insurance is a comprehensive guide that tells you everything that you need to know before travelling to this country, including the procedure to apply for Germany visa as well as the information on whether it is compulsory to obtain international travel insurance for your trip.
By going through the Australia travel insurance guide, you can find all the information that you need to ensure a smooth trip to Australia along with the need to purchase international travel insurance.
People who are planning a trip to Malaysia should refer to the Malaysia travel insurance guide to know everything about the country. It will provide you with all the important information right from the documents required to apply for a Malaysia visa along with the list of all the Malaysian international airports.
Singapore travel insurance is a comprehensive travel guide that allows Indian passport holders to find all the crucial information about Singapore. It provides you with information on visa requirements along with the need for international travel insurance for your trip to Singapore.
Hong Kong travel insurance offers you all the information that may be useful before you commence your trip to Hong Kong. Right from all the basic facts about Hong Kong to why you should definitely buy international travel insurance for your trip, this guide will provide you get all important details.
Indian passport holders who are planning a trip to Canada can find all the information on the country by referring to Canada travel insurance. Whether you want to decide upon buying a travel insurance policy or trying to find out the documents required to file a visa application, you can find it all under this travel guide.
Sri Lanka Travel Insurance is a travelogue that contains everything that a traveller arriving in Sri Lanka needs to know, right from visa requirements to the contact details of Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka.
Japan Travel Insurance is a destination guide that provides you with all the information that you would need to know before travelling to Japan, starting from different types of visa to the best time to visit the country.
UAE Travel Insurance is a travelogue that allows every Indian citizen travelling to UAE to know everything about the country, including entry essentials for travelling to the country to the various international airports in the UAE.
Dubai Travel Insurance is a guidebook that assists every foreigner to find crucial information about the country, right from the top hospitals to whether travel insurance is mandatory to travel to Dubai.
Thailand Travel Insurance is a comprehensive guide that provides all essential information to Indians travelling to Thailand, including the types of visas to the top tourist places in the country.
Ans: No single insurance company is the best for every traveller. Different insurers offer policies with a variety of coverage to protect you from any unfavourable events faced while travelling. However, below are the best travel insurance companies in India that will offer you maximum coverage on your journey for minimum cost:
Aditya Birla Travel Insurance
Bajaj Allianz Travel Insurance
Bharti AXA Travel Insurance
Care Travel Insurance (Formerly Known as Religare Travel Insurance)
Chola MS Travel Insurance
Digit Travel Insurance
Future Generali Travel Insurance
HDFC ERGO General Travel Insurance
HDFC ERGO Health Travel Insurance
IFFCO Tokio Travel Insurance
National Insurance Travel Insurance
New India Assurance Travel Insurance
Oriental Travel Insurance
Reliance Travel Insurance
Royal Sundaram Travel Insurance
SBI Travel Insurance
Shriram Travel Insurance
Star Travel Insurance
Tata AIG Travel Insurance
United India Travel Insurance
Universal Sompo Travel Insurance
Disclaimer : *Policybazaar does not endorse, rate or recommend any particular insurer or insurance product offered by an insurer.
Ans: Typically, travel policy will cover all the main concerns of a traveller, including medical emergency expenses, medical evacuataion, loss of baggage, flight cancellations and delays. Most of these policies are designed comprehensively to protect a traveller from a variety of unforeseen events that may create a financial loss during or even before his journey begins.
Ans: Generally, you should expect a travel policy to cost you somewhere between Rs 500 to Rs 2000, depending on your destination. However, the actual cost may depend on additional factors such as the cost of travelling, your age, the sum insured, etc. For example, if you are travelling to Mexico for less than 30 days, you can expect the price of your insurance policy from Rs 580 to Rs 1254 for a sum insured of $100,000.
Ans: Ideally, the best time to buy trip insurance is within the initial 15 days of making your first deposit as it can make you qualify for a few bonus coverage. However, several insurers allow you to buy insurance until the day before you begin your journey.
Ans: No. You cannot buy an insurance policy for your journey after your departure from India. In fact, most insurers do not allow travellers to buy insurance even on the day of their journey. Whether you are travelling for a day or for a year, you must buy a policy for your journey until the day before your departure.
Ans: At the time of choosing an insurance policy for your journey, you need to analyze the various coverage offered by the insurer. Compare the coverage offered by different insurers online and get the estimated premium quotes for different policies. You should select a policy that provides you with maximum coverage for a minimum rate of premium.
Ans: Most travel insurance companies do not cover pre-existing diseases or conditions such as diabetes. Therefore, if you incur any expenses on the treatment of pre-existing diseases during the journey, it will not be covered, unlike health insurance that covers them after waiting period.
Ans: Yes. You can purchase a travel policy for yourself even if you suffer from any pre-existing diseases or medical conditions such as Hypertension and Diabetes. However, any claims arising out of such diseases will not be covered like a regular health insurance plan.
Ans: When travelling to Schengen countries, you should opt for a Schengen insurance with a sum insured of a minimum amount of EUR 30,000 because it is a mandatory requirement to obtain a Schengen visa.
Ans: In the case of planned hospitalization, you need to inform your insurer or the Assistance Provider about your medical treatment in advance as in the case of health insurance. Moreover, you will also have to obtain a pre-approval or pre-authorization from your insurer before getting admitted in case you want to avail cashless claim facility.
Ans: If you are buying an insurance policy online, you are likely to receive the soft copy of your policy document within 15 minutes or 1-2 hours. The hard copy may take about a couple of weeks to reach you. However, the exact time taken to obtain the document will depend on your insurer.
Ans: Yes. All business travellers can purchase insurance policies to protect themselves against any unforeseen emergencies while travelling. In fact, they can also opt for a corporate insurance plan, which is tailor-made for people travelling for business purposes. Moreover, if their nature of work requires them to move frequently then they can buy multi-trip insurance. It provides coverage for a single journey to all the travelling done in a year at a more economical premium amount.
Ans: It is important to provide all the supporting documents to your insurer to get your claim approved. But if you fail to produce the required documents, your claim will most likely get rejected and you will not get the claim amount.
Ans: In case of a cashless claim, the payment will be made directly to the healthcare service provider. But in case of reimbursement claims, you will receive the claim amount after it has been approved by your insurer.
Ans: It is mandatory to buy overseas medical insurance if you visit one or multiple Schengen countries. In total, there are 26 Schengen countries including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Malta, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, The Czech Republic and The Netherlands.
Ans: You can renew your policy as per your requirement, provided you suffice all the terms and conditions for its renewal. Thus, you are advised to buy insurance for the entire duration of your journey right in the beginning.
Ans: If you fall ill while travelling overseas, you can receive treatment at one of the network hospitals of your insurer to avail cashless claim facility. Make sure to inform your insurer or Assistance Service Provider about your hospitalization at the earliest and obtain pre-authorization from them.
Ans: Most insurance companies offer travel policies to people travelling on an immigrant visa for a maximum of 60-90 days, as per insurer. Moreover, such policies are mostly non-extendable.
Ans: Insurance companies charge a premium to travellers on per day basis or take the entire payment in advance. If the insured returns home earlier than planned, he will be eligible for a partial refund provided the premium was paid in advance and no claims were raised during its tenure. However, if the premium was charged on per day basis, no partial refund will be made to the insured.
Ans: No. You cannot buy an insurance policy on behalf of someone unrelated to you. You can only purchase it for yourself and your family members including parents, spouse, children, etc.
Ans: Yes. Many insurers offer trip insurance for short-term courses. You can visit websites such as Policybazaar to find policies online that will cover you for short term courses of 6 months.
Ans: Many insurance companies allow the insured students to extend their student insurance policies if their course get extended or they are taking up another course. However, students should ensure to extend their policies before they get expired.
Ans: In general, it is not mandatory to possess a travel policy when travelling. However, certain countries have made it compulsory for foreigners to possess trip insurance while visiting them. Such countries include Schengen countries, Australia, Cuba and the UAE if travelling to Dubai.
Ans: Most insurers in India do not provide insurance to people travelling abroad on a work permit. But some of them may allow you to buy single trip insurance to cover your one-way journey abroad. It is advisable to first check with your insurer before purchasing single-trip insurance.
Ans: Any injury that you suffer while playing regular sports like golf or cricket will be covered under trip insurance. It will be treated as an accidental injury and will be covered under personal accident cover.
However, if you meet with an accident while participating in adventure sports such as ballooning or gliding, then you will have to bear the treatment expenses on your own. This is because almost all insurance policies do not cover adventure sports activities such as ballooning, gliding, scuba diving and skiing.
Although, a handful of insurance companies do offer add-on cover for participation in adventure sports activities. You should find an insurer that offers this add-on cover if you are eager on participating in adventure sports activities.
Ans: If you sustain an injury or loss on the last day of your insurance policy and need medical treatment, then your policy will automatically get extended for 30 days. However, the extension will only be applicable if your doctor certifies that you are unfit to take a journey back to India and need to continue your treatment abroad.
Ans: No. You cannot extend an international travel policy to cover any journey within India. The scope of international policies is limited to journeys taken outside India only. If you want to insure your journey within India, you will have to buy domestic travel policy.
Ans: Technically, you can file a claim under your travel policy after returning back to India, provided the claim is registered within 30 days of getting back to India or policy expiry, whichever is earlier. However, it is recommended to file your claim as soon as the unforeseen event or emergency occurs abroad.
Ans: If the insured is unable to return back to India on or before the expiry of his travel policy due to hospitalization, the insurer will cover the treatment expenses by extending the policy for up to 30 more days. However, it will be extended only if the doctors declare that the insured unfit to take a journey back to India at the time of its expiry.
Ans: If unfortunately, you lose all your original documents, you will not be able to raise a claim with your insurer. This is because insurance claims are granted on the basis of the documents submitted as proofs by the insured. No document submission will result in no claim approval.
Ans: Most insurance companies do not allow policy extension if there’s already an ongoing claim. However, it is advisable to check with your insurer about the same in such a situation.
Ans: Yes. Elderly people above the age of 70 years can buy overseas medical insurance for their journey. Most insurance companies offers senior citizen policies to people above 70 years of age. However, the actual age eligibility criteria may vary from one insurance provider to another and thus, should be checked before buying.
Ans: As soon as you buy an insurance policy for your journey, you will get an email confirming the purchase along with the insurance details. Soon after, you will also receive the soft copy of the policy document on your email in PDF format. This document is legally recognized as the proof of your insurance purchase as it contains all its details including the insured’s name, policy number, numbers for claim intimation as well as the address for claim submission.
Ans: A few travel insurance companies such as Bajaj Allianz does offer business insurance for senior citizens up to the age of 70 years. You can find a range of suitable policies for senior citizens at websites like Policybazaar.
Ans: It is advisable to carry a soft copy of your policy document while travelling as it will come to your rescue if you forget to carry your policy papers with you.
In case you don’t have either hard copy or soft copy of your policy document, you can visit the official website of your insurer and log in to obtain a copy of it. You would need your customer id and policy number to log in and thus, you should know this in every circumstance.
Ans: No. If you are travelling overseas especially to receive medical treatment, then the cost of your treatment will not be covered under your overseas insurance policy. This is because trip insurance only covers the medical treatment expenses that you incur due to any sudden illness or accidental injury sustained while travelling.
Ans: No. Most travel policies do not come with any free look-in period. However, a few insurance providers in India do offer a free-look period to people opting for annual multi-trip or student insurance. However, you can cancel your policy anytime before commencing your journey.
Ans: Yes. You can cancel your policy midway after commencing your journey. However, the amount of premium to be refunded depends on your insurer and can vary from one insurer to another.
Ans: Most insurance companies do not require travellers to undergo a medical examination before purchasing their insurance policy. Nonetheless, it is better to check the guidelines of the insurance company on whether you need to undergo a medical check-up or not.
Ans: Yes. An insurance company can withdraw a policy if it gets an approval from the IRDAI or the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India. The traveller will receive a notice from his insurer informing him about the withdrawal at least 3 months before the expiry of the policy.
In case of withdrawal, the insured traveller will be able to continue with his ongoing policy until the scheduled date of its expiry. However, he will not be able to renew it as it will cease to exist.
Ans: The main difference between a single and multi-trip insurance lies in its validity. While single trip insurance is only valid for the entire duration of one single journey, the multi-trip insurance is valid for multiple journeys undertaken within a year. Single trip insurance begins with the commencement of your journey and ends once you reach back home. On the other hand, Multi-trip insurance starts from the day of its purchase and expires after 365 days or one year.
Ans: Yes. All insurance companies offer cashless claim facility if the insured is admitted at one of their network hospitals. By network hospitals, the insurer refers to the list of empanelled hospitals that have a tie-up or association with your insurer.
Ans: In case of certain claims, the insured is required to file a First Information Report or FIR within the first 24 hours of the occurrence of the emergency. Some of the claims where an FIR needs to be filed are personal liability, loss of passport, personal accident, bail bond, financial emergency and home insurance.
Ans: A lot of insurance companies offer travel policies that cover home insurance. It covers the insured’s house from damages caused by external factors such as a fire. It also covers the contents of the house in case the house is robbed or damaged due to fire. The insured will receive compensation in case there is a robbery or damage caused due to fire.
Ans: In case the flight in which the insured is travelling gets delayed for more than a specific number of hours, then his insurer will provide compensation for the losses incurred. However, the compensation will not be provided if the flight is delayed because of the insured traveller’s mistake, a strike or due to the aircraft being taken out of service.
Ans: If the flight in which the insured is travelling gets hijacked for more than a certain number of hours, then his insurer will provide compensation in the form of hijack distress allowance up to a certain limit.
Ans: Most travel policies cover accidental death and disability caused by common carriers. Common carrier refers to the carrier service that offers its services to the public, such as bus, aeroplane, train, etc. Thus, if you suffer an injury or a loss while commuting in a train or ship, your insurer will cover the treatment expenses as well as provide compensation in case of death.
Ans: All travel policies cover the delay in the arrival of check-in baggage. If your check-in baggage does not arrive for more than 12 hours, then your insurer will reimburse the expenses that you incur on the purchase of essential personal items including medicines, toiletries and clothes.
Ans: The coverage of an insurance policy for your trip begins as soon as you commence your journey and ends the moment you return back to your city of residence. In the case of multi-trip insurance, the cover starts from the time of its purchase and ends after a time period of one year. However, the duration of each journey is restricted to 30-60 days.
Ans: No. You should avoid buying flight insurance as it would cost about one-tenth of your flight cost and will provide lesser coverage in case of any adversities related to your journey by air. You should instead opt for trip insurance that would give you a wider range of coverage for the entire duration of your journey.
Ans: Yes. Your insurer will cover any expenses or losses incurred on flight cancellation before the date of departure. However, you will have to give a valid reason for the emergency cancellation of your flight tickets.
Ans: Yes. A trip insurance policy covers cancellation of non-refundable flight tickets. The expenses or losses incurred on cancellation of flight will be refunded by your insurer.
Ans: Trip insurance is absolutely worth its cost. It provides coverage for almost everything, right from missed flights to baggage delays and from medical emergencies abroad to loss of passport.
Ans: Applying for a visa is perhaps the most important thing in the bucket list of most travellers as it is one of the most important documents required to visit abroad.
Visa is an essential document that allows travellers to enter a particular country, for a predetermined time period for the purpose of education, holidays, business, etc. It makes sense to get acquainted with the visa application process to ensure a smooth and hassle-free journey experience.
Those planning to go abroad must visit the website of the respective embassy of the country they want to visit and fill out the visa application form online. Typically, one can fill out the visa application form online, or take a print and hand deliver it to their intended destination’s consulate.
Visa process may involve the submission of relevant documents and interview of the travellers. After successful completion of the process, the consulate mails a visa document to the applicant. Typically, the entire visa application process may take anywhere between 2 weeks and 2 months.
Ans: Yes! In some cases, it is possible to expedite the visa application process. Some embassies charge a certain fee for expediting the process. However, expediting the process of visa application remains at the discretion of the respective embassy.
Ans: Travel insurance is important as it protects you from any unwanted financial expenses. However, listed below are two important aspects, which will help you to make the right choice:
The Financial Risk: Primarily, nobody knows it better than you the financial risk you can afford to take. You may have to cancel your trip due to some unavoidable emergency at home or while you are travelling you may lose your passport or baggage. Under circumstances like these, you may have to lose your money if not insured.
Medical Grounds: Possible that while you are on the trip you or one of your family member might fall ill/ sick or meet with an accident with severe injuries or would require hospitalization. A travel insurance policy will take care of the bills and in case if you do not have one you will have to bear the incurred expenses from your pocket.
Ans: To find the best travel insurance, it is important to understand your travel needs and on the premise of that buy a travel insurance policy. Listed below are some tips, which you might consider and grab the best travel insurance deal:
Buy travel insurance online and not offline
Know the covers that you would need based on the purpose and duration of the trip
Compare the travel insurance quotes and coverage
Opt for the plan based on the frequency of your travel
While looking for a plan it is important to clearly understand the terms and conditions of the policy so give a thorough read
In case of any assistance contact the insurer and get the doubts clarified
Be completely aware of what your policy does not cover or excludes
Before you zero down the policy, read the feedback and reviews of the customers and check the claim settlement ratio of the insurer
Ans: Yes, without international travel insurance plan you can fly anywhere across the globe. However, there are certain counties where overseas travel insurance is a mandate. In case of any adversity, which leads to monetary expenses you will have to pay for the bills from your pocket. Travelling internationally without a travel insurance policy is more like playing a gamble with your hard-earned money.
Ans: When compared to comprehensive travel insurance policies, credit cards offering travel insurance benefit have limitations. Generally, credit card companies offering travel insurance offer basic coverage such as loss of baggage, trip cancellation, accidental demise or any medical emergency.
Listed below are the credit card companies offering travel insurance in India:
Ans: Buying a travel insurance policy online is an easy and hassle-free process. Besides, buying a travel insurance policy online sometimes also offer a discount on the deal.
With a plethora of travel insurance providers available in the market, it is important to identify your travel needs. Once you know the travel needs, look for the different coverage and quotes offered. Compare the different travel insurance quotes and zero down the policy that suits your requirements best and remains within your budget.
Ans: The best way to get budget travel insurance is by buying the travel insurance policy online. There following are certain aspects that you need to consider buying affordable travel insurance:
Age of the traveller
Purpose of the trip
Destination
Duration of the trip
The solvency ratio of the insurance provider
Sum insured amount
Claim settlement ratio
Note: Budget Cheap travel insurance does not mean that you need to compromise on the coverage. A travel insurance policy is of no use when it cannot offer cover in times of emergencies or travel/medical-related emergencies. So, choose your cover wisely.
Ans: There are no set parameters for buying a travel insurance policy. Nevertheless, while buying travel insurance policy it is imperative to identify your travel requirements and buy coverage that you would need.
For instance, if during your trip you are planning to do any adventure activity then it is important to buy coverage for the same. The basic idea of a travel insurance policy is to secure oneself from any financial implications under any emergencies.
Ans: You can buy a travel insurance policy at any point in time before your journey commences. However, it is advisable to buy the policy quicker for the better.
Ans: An international travel insurance policy does provide you with a cover if you cancel your flight for specific unforeseen and covered reason. You will be reimbursed for the same depending upon the policy schedule.
The IRDAI has directed insurance companies in India to allow customers to extend their travel insurance policies without paying any charges, if their policy start/ end dates lie between 22 March – 30 April 2020. The Indian Insurance Regulator has issued this direction in the light of the current global situation of Coronavirus pandemic.
In a circular issued on 30 March 2020, the IRDAI or Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India stated that policyholders should be given the option to postpone the travel without any charges if their travel insurance policies were/ are valid between the dates of 22 March 2020 and 30 April 2020.
The free extension option comes as a huge relief for policyholders who were/ are unable to continue with their travel bookings due to the travel restrictions put in place by governments across the world to control the spread of COVID-19. Policyholders will now be able to alter the travel dates in their travel insurance policies or cancel or rebook a policy without cancelling their existing policy, thereby saving on the cancellation charges.
However, the extent of implementation of this direction by IRDAI depends on the insurance companies.
India is under a 21-day complete lockdown until 14 April 2020. The lockdown suspends all kinds of public transport system including trains, buses, metros, etc and has instructed people to stay home. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also ordered suspension of all commercial, private or chartered flights until 6:30 pm on 14 April 2020.
Tourists arriving in Oman will no longer get visa on arrival. As per a new rule, all foreign visitors will have to obtain an eVisa prior to arriving in Oman from November 2019.
The Oman Police has recently announced that citizens of all countries except UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain will have to obtain an eVisa before arriving in Oman. Earlier, foreign visitors were granted a visa on arrival at Oman or UAE borders.
The new rule has been enforced to ensure smooth and structured processing at the Oman border posts. The Oman Police have also said that the visa on arrival for the country will be granted only as an exception henceforth.
Tourists arriving from 71 countries, including the USA, European Union countries and Australia will have to apply for an eVisa to enter Oman. However, tourists arriving in Dubai can enter Oman on a free tourist visa, provided they have a passport validity of at least six months.
The Oman Tourist visa can be applied online by visiting the official Oman government portal. An Oman Tourist eVisa for a 10-day visit can be obtained on payment of 5 Omani Rials. The applicant will have to upload a passport size photo along with their visa application. The eVisa will be granted within four days of applying.
In a recent visit to China, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced that Indians and Chinese nationals who are visiting Brazil for business or tourism purposes do not need a visa. The idea behind this move is to bring in more tourists from the South Asian region and increase the overall GDP of the country from the tourism sector.
By permitting visa free access, the Brazilian government also aims to promote Brazil as the premiere business as well as a tourist destination. In addition this, India and Brazil also share a multifaceted relationship in global forums like G-20, BRICS, etc.
However, Brazilian nationals would still need to get visa to visit India. They can avail e-visa, which is divided into five categories – e-medical visa, e-tourist visa, e-conference, and e-business and e- visa for medical attendants. Apart from Brazil Indian tourists are permitted visa-free access to multiple other countries such as Indonesia, Mauritius, Seychelles, Fiji, etc. So, pack your bags, buy insurance for your journey and fly away.
The first of its kind private train on Indian Railways Tejas Express, which started its services recently, is offering trip insurance policies to its passengers free of cost. The offer is valid for the passengers travelling in Lucknow-New Delhi and Mumbai-Ahmedabad Tejas Express, which includes trip insurance of worth Rs. 25 lakh, along with a partial refund for train delays. In case the train is delayed for more than 1 hour, the passengers will be provided with a refund of Rs 100 and Rs 250 up to a delay of 2 hours. This is further clubbed with a house theft cover and all these are categorised into IRCTC’s three-pronged travel policies, designed for Tejas Express. The claim can be initiated by intimating the insurance provider about the loss or mishappening. The claim can be registered by calling on the toll-free number or through the registered post. Upon the submission of required proof and documents, the insurer will settle the claim amount in 2 to 3 days.
The Immigration Bureau mandates health insurance for one-year extension to stay basis a Non-immigrant O-A VISA from October 31.
The Bureau posted this announcement on its official website on October 8. The department stated that the transformation in the Immigration regulations shadows the Cabinet resolution that was made on 2nd April, 2019.
Under this rule, all the foreigners who’re applying for 1-year permit for staying on the O-A VISA should have a health insurance policy for up to B40,000 for the outpatient services as well as the inpatient services.
Royal Thai Police Commissioner – General Chakthip Chaijinda issued the order on September 27 and states that this new rule will come into effect from October 31 this year.
If you’re planning to visit to Thailand in the future, you might need to purchase a special trip insurance policy once you land in the country. According to reports, Thailand is likely to make trip insurance mandatory for visitors to the country.
This would be implemented most likely later in 2019. All the earnings and profits from the same will go to the Tourism Promotion Fund of Thailand that will be used to cover payments in the event of a claim.
However, this would be implemented after getting approval from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. You can purchase this insurance at the immigration office at the Thailand airports that would offer a cover of up to 1 M baht (Rs. 23,50,850) in the event of death.
New Zealand’s White Island Volcano erupted on Monday killing at least five people and injuring more than 20 people, the local police have said. The eruption took place around 2:11 pm (local time or 6:40 am IST). Over 20 people still remain missing, even after seven hours post the tragedy.
About 50 people were on the island at the time of the eruption, out of which more than 20 were Australian citizens. In fact, tourists could be seen walking inside the White Island crater rim minutes before the eruption took place. A tour group of 30-38 people from the Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas was touring the White Island at the time of the eruption. The group has still not returned back and are being searched by the rescue team.
So far, about 23 people have been rescued from the island. The injured, mostly with burn injuries, are being treated by the emergency services and paramedics. People with critical conditions are being flown to the hospitals in Auckland and Tauranga.
However, the falling ashes and the possibility of another eruption are making it difficult for the police to carry out the rescue activities. The New Zealand military has now joined the police to aid the rescue and search operations.
The White Island volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in New Zealand. It witnessed a mini eruption in 2016, which did not harm anyone.
Foreign nationals stuck in the tragedy can avail evacuation services and get back home if they have a valid travel policy with them.
India-based travel agency Cox & Kings is unable in repay booking amount to its customers after being declared bankrupt in October 2019. The loan amount estimated to Rs 10 crore arose after the company cancelled dozens of tours around the world.
The company closed its head office in Kolkata office in October along with other offices in the country. The move came soon after the company suspended its operations in the US, Europe and Australia.
Over 1000 people had booked their holidays with Cox & Kings before its sudden closure. The customers received a letter stating that the company will refund their money within 90 days. However, the chances of the same appear bleak under the current circumstances.
Over the last few months, Cox & Kings have faced multiple cases of frauds. In October, Kolkata Police had launched an investigation against the company for allegedly collecting Rs 40 crore from 75 people under a cheating & misappropriation case. Moreover, over 2,000 employees were laid off in Kolkata office after it wasn’t able to pay their salaries for three consecutive months.
As per reports, the Cox & Kings’ former promoters Urrshila and Peter Kekar will also be named as defaulters if the company is unable to repay loans amounting to Rs 10 crore.
Cox & Kings is one of the oldest travel agencies in the world. It operated 12 fully operational offices pan India and had operated its business to 12 international locations including UK, USA, Dubai, Singapore, Russia and Japan.
Travelling to Bhutan will get costlier for Indians in 2020, thanks to a new tourism policy proposed by the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB). Bhutan will soon levy charges on Indians tourists visiting the Kingdom.
According to a recent tourism policy draft prepared by the TCB, tourists arriving from India, Bangladesh and the Maldives will have to pay fees to visit the country. As per the existing rule, tourists from these three countries were exempted from paying any charges or obtain a visa up till now in order to enter Bhutan.
The new rule is said to have been proposed in the view of recent tourist influx in Bhutan, especially Indian tourists. As per reports, about 274,000 people visited Bhutan in 2018 out of which 180,000 were Indians and 20,000 belonged to the Maldives and Bangladesh. However, Dorji denied such reports stating that it wants tourist numbers from these three countries to grow sustainably in the next few years.
Written By: PolicyBazaar - Updated: 02 February 2021
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East Godavari, February 17, 2021
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★★★★★
One of the great policy
Recently I bought a travel insurance policy from the policybazaar and I have got a best one. I feel while travelling one must buy a travel insurance plan. It has been wonderful to me and my family at the time of travel. Thanks team.
Girish
Vadali, January 28, 2021
★★★★★
Easy to buy
It is really easy to buy a travel insurance policy and I bought it online. I bought it online and have checked various travel insurance plans into the policybazaar website. It is easy for me and I will definitely recommend this to everyone. Thanks team policybazaar.
Jatin
Yashwant Nagar, January 27, 2021
★★★★★
Flexible mode of payment
The payment mode of travel insurance plan which I bought from the policybazaar is super easy and quick. I always make the payment online and it is very transparent in nature. I really like the product and it has been memorable trip for me. Thanks team policybazaar.
Girish
Tajapur, January 27, 2021
★★★★★
More and better information
I choose policybazaar because I have received best in class services and information from them. The whole team is genuine in nature and quite understandable. I have got a huge assistance and attention from whole team of policybazaar. Great work team policybazaar.
Imaran
Ichoda, January 27, 2021
★★★★★
Not expensive
My travel insurance policy is not expensive in nature and it came under my budget. I have checked few of the travel insurance plans into the website of the policybazaar. I bought the plan with the assistance of policybazaar’s customer care and I got the best. Thanks to whole team of policybazaar.