Travel Insurance
Travel Insurance, is a remarkable facility, which is offered by insurance providers in India to secure you against any unforeseen events that may occur while you are travelling abroad. Take off from India with a valid travel insurance policy & explore the world without worry makes it easy.
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 you cover under the following circumstances:
- Medical Expenses
- Personal Accident
- Loss of Passport
- Loss of Checked-in Baggage
- Theft/Loss of Personal Belongings
- Trip Cancellation & Curtailment
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 to the return journey, you can ensure a safe and hassle-free journey with a travel policy that comes to your rescue under any adversities.
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 accidents/mishap occurred during the journey. 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 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 your check-in baggage has been lost or delayed by your airline, your insurer will compensate for the losses you have incurred.
- Cashless Hospitalization Facility - If you get hospitalized or are availing medical treatment at an empanelled hospital of your insurer, you can receive cashless service 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 policies available in India:
On the Basis of Geographical Border:
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, loss of passport, personal liability, loss or delay 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 a customized 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.
On the Basis of Type of Travellers:
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 the elderly people. Most travel insurance companies cover travellers above the ages of 60 under such policies. It protects such travellers from unpredictable financial emergencies including medical expenses, dental expenses, repatriation of mortal remains, loss or delay of check-in baggage, etc.
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 insurance, it also provides the students with covers including sponsor protection, study interruption, two-way compassionate visit and bail bond 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.
On the Basis of Insurance Policy Validity
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. It 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.
Other Types of Travel Insurance Plans:
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 insurance companies in India have a criterion for which you need to be eligible before buying insurance.
In the below grid are the basic eligibility criteria for different types of travel policies offered by insurance companies in India:
| Types of Insurance Plans |
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 be taken care of in case of hospitalization due to an illness or accident abroad. They will also arrange an emergency 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 policies 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, check-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 providers allow you to choose the sum insured on individual and family floater basis.
- Replacement of Lost or Stolen Baggage - In case your baggage or your belongings get stolen or lost 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 case of an 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 and more convenient 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:
| Insurance Providers |
Eligibility Criteria |
Pre-Policy Health Check-up |
Inclusions |
Exclusions |
| HDFC ERGO Health (formerly known as Apollo Munich) Travel Insurance |
6 months to 70 years |
Not required |
- Medical expenses
- Loss or delay of check-in baggage
- Loss of passport
- Personal accident cover
- Hijack distress allowance
|
- Travelling to primarily receive medical treatment
- Claim arising due to nuclear war or radioactive contamination
- Claims related to pregnancy, childbirth, abortion or miscarriage
- Claims arising due to civil war, invasion, revolution
- Claims arising due to riots or terrorism
- Claims arising due to participation in adventure sports including scuba diving, mountaineering, etc.
|
| Bajaj Allianz Travel Insurance |
Up to 75 years |
Not required |
- Medical expenses
- Loss or delay of check-in baggage
- Trip cancellation or delay
- Emergency cash advance
|
- Claims due to use or abuse of intoxicants including alcohol
- Treatment of self-inflicted injuries including suicide or attempt to suicide
- Treatment expenses of mental disorder
- Alternative treatment expenses
- Claims related to pregnancy, childbirth, abortion or miscarriage
|
| Bharti AXA Travel Insurance |
3 months to 60 years |
Not required |
- Medical expenses
- Emergency medical evacuation
- Personal accident cover
- Loss or delay of check-in baggage
- Loss of passport
|
- Pre-existing diseases/ conditions
- Treatment expenses of cosmetic surgery
- Claims arising due to participation in adventure sports
- Passport loss intimated after 24 hours of its occurrence
- Partial loss of any item inside the check-in baggage
|
| Cholamandalam Travel Insurance |
3 months to 80 years,61 to 70 years (senior citizens) |
For applicants above 65 years |
- Medical expenses
- Loss or delay of check-in baggage
- Loss of passport
- Hijack distress allowance
|
- Pre-existing diseases/ conditions
- Claims arising due to radioactive, ionizing or hazardous activities
- Claims arising due to participation in adventure sports
|
| Future Generali Travel Insurance |
6 months to 70 years,71 to 80 years (senior citizens) |
Not required |
- Medical expenses
- Loss or delay of check-in baggage
- Loss of passport
- Personal accident cover
|
- Pre-existing diseases/ conditions
- Claims due to use or abuse of intoxicants including alcohol
- Treatment of self-inflicted injuries including suicide or attempt to suicide
- Claims related to pregnancy, childbirth, abortion or miscarriage
|
| HDFC ERGO General Travel Insurance |
6 months to 70 years |
For applicants above 70 years |
- Medical expenses
- Loss or delay of check-in baggage
- Loss of passport
- Personal accident cover
- Dental treatment expenses
- Daily hospital cash
- Flight delay
- Hijack distress allowance
|
- Claims due to use or abuse of intoxicants including alcohol
- Treatment of self-inflicted injuries including suicide or attempt to suicide
- Treatment expenses of mental disorder
- Alternative treatment expenses
- Claims related to pregnancy, childbirth, abortion or miscarriage
|
| IFFCO Tokio Travel Insurance |
- |
For applicants above 70 years |
- Medical expenses
- Loss or delay of check-in baggage
- Loss of passport
- Personal accident cover
- Dental treatment expenses
- Daily hospital cash
- Flight delay
- Hijack distress allowance
- Personal liability cover
|
- Pre-existing diseases/ conditions
- Claims arising due to participation in the military, air force or naval activities
- Claims arising due to riots or terrorism
- Claims arising due to radioactive, ionizing or hazardous activities
|
| Religare Travel Insurance |
Up to 70 years |
Not required |
- Medical expenses
- Loss or delay of check-in baggage
- Personal liability cover
- Double sum insured in case of hospitalization due to accidental injuries
- Accidental death (common carrier)
- Emergency medical evacuation
- Repatriation of mortal remains
- Pre-existing diseases after 2 years
- Loss of personal documents
- Trip cancellation or delay
- Trip interruption
- Compassionate visit
- Flight ticket upgrade to business class
|
- A waiting period of 30 days for all hospitalization claims except accidental injuries
- Claims arising due to participation in adventure sports
- Claims related to pregnancy, childbirth, abortion or miscarriage
- Claims arising due to civil war, invasion, revolution
- Treatment of self-inflicted injuries including suicide or attempt to suicide
- A waiting period of 2 years for specific illnesses
- Dental treatment/ surgery expenses
- Cost of contact lenses, spectacles or hearing aids
|
| SBI Travel Insurance |
6 months to 70 years |
Not required |
- Medical expenses
- Loss or delay of check-in baggage
- Loss of passport
- Personal accident cover
- Hijack distress allowance
- Personal liability cover
|
- Claims arising due to participation in the military, air force or naval activities
- Claims arising due to civil war, invasion, revolution
- Claims arising due to participation in adventure sports
- Claims arising due to involvement in criminal activities
|
| TATA AIG Travel Insurance |
Up to 70 years |
Not required |
- Medical expenses
- Loss or delay of check-in baggage
- Loss of passport
- Personal accident cover
- Hijack distress allowance
- Personal liability cover
- Trip delay or cancellation
|
- Travelling to primarily receive medical treatment
- Travelling against doctor’s advice
- Pre-existing diseases/ conditions
- Treatment of self-inflicted injuries including suicide or attempt to suicide
- Treatment expenses of mental disorder, depression
- Claims arising due to radioactive, ionizing or hazardous activities
- Claims arising due to civil war, invasion, revolution
- Treatment of STD
|
What are the Benefits of Travel Insurance Coverage?
Travel insurance coverage is the key to every dilemma or concern of a travelling enthusiast.
Buying a trip insurance policy provides coverage for any emergency, which may incur due to any accident/mishap. Whether you are travelling within the country or internationally, you can always rely on your trip insurance and enjoy the journey with peace of mind.
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.
- Repatriation of Mortal Remains: Envision a scenario, wherein the insured person 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 Luggage: This is an 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 luggage.
Having this benefit will not cover the actual price of the lost 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.
- Medical Emergency 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 gets hijacked, which will cause distress then compensation in regards to the same is provided.
- Compassionate Visit: In case, if the insured person 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 to the family or the person for the loss.
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 trip insurance.
- 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.
- 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 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 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 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.
Written By: PolicyBazaar - Updated: 20 February 2020
