International Travel Insurance

You can buy travel insurance anytime, even if you haven’t done your flight bookings. However, buying as soon as possible after paying for your tickets is recommended so that to cover your trip against unforeseen happenings between your flight bookings and departure date.

There is no set age for travelling and exploring new places. When younger people can roam around freely, senior citizens may find globetrotting quite difficult with age. Prior precaution is what recommended by the experts.  In this regard, old age people can cover their trips with senior citizen travel insurance that covers the insured for medical emergencies and other non-medical risks associated with travelling.

If an international trip is in the cards, don’t forget to insure it with a travel insurance plan. You can consider plenty of insurance companies and compare their plans according to your travel needs. In this regards, here’s the list of top travel insurance companies in India to consider:

Tata AIG Travel Insurance

Bajaj Allianz Travel Insurance

Reliance Travel Insurance

Apollo Munich Travel Insurance

Bharti AXA Travel Insurance

If the purpose of your travel is especially for getting medical treatment, be it surgery or other treatments, the insurer will not cover you for the same.

Yes, travel insurance plans are of two purposes, leisure and business trips. Business travellers who go abroad on a frequent basis can opt for multi-trip travel insurance plan.

In case of any medical emergency or hospitalisation, you can call on the international toll-free number given in your policy document. They will assist you with a required list of hospitals.

If the policyholder is hospitalised for more than 2 days, a pre-decided amount will be compensated as daily allowance. You can claim this benefit only once during the policy tenure. This will help you avail quality healthcare abroad. It will also take care of your family with their travel expenses for hospital visits.

First of all, you need to analyse your requirement. If the policy benefits meet your requirements, then go for it. Here you need a thorough research and comparison of plans before zeroing in on something.

Mostly, insurance companies don’t cover pre-existing illness, so you require a medical check-up done prior to taking up a policy. However, it completely depends on the insurer and policy terms.

A policy renewal is only possible in case of multi-trip policies. You can ask your insurer by calling on the toll-free number when the due date arrives.

International travel plan covers you for a maximum of 180 days while travelling. This is extendable up to another 180 days. However, it may vary insurer to insurer.

Yes, you’ll need a separate plan to cover Schengen countries because product requirements are different and normal international travel insurance would not be valid for a Schengen country.

The claiming process is easy. When an emergency arises, inform the overseas insurance provider ASAP. The insurance surveyor will make sure that the injury or illness is not pre-existent. Once your claim has been registered, a reference number will be provided for future reference. Follow the insurer’s guidance hereafter.

It is important to get an international travel insurance policy for your trip because it protects you and your insured family members against any unforeseen emergency that may require medical and financial assistance. It allows you to travel carefree and ensures that nothing obstructs your travel plans. Moreover, many countries have made it compulsory for foreigners to possess an international travel insurance policy to get a visa for that country.

There is no compulsion towards buying a travel insurance policy for international flights. However, it is recommended to all travellers to buy international travel insurance before their date of departure from India. This is because a travel insurance policy will keep them protected against any flight-related emergencies including delay or loss of check-in baggage, flight hijack, trip cancellation & curtailment, flight delay, trip delay and missed connection flight.

Yes. Many insurance providers allow you to buy international travel insurance after booking your flight. However, make sure that you buy it before you commence your overseas trip from India.

Buying international travel insurance is one of the best pre-trip decisions that you can take to ensure a smooth trip for yourself. Travel insurance acts as a safety shield that guards you against any eventualities that you may face during your trip. It not only covers any unforeseen emergency expenses that you may incur during your trip but also provides any assistance required. Also, it also helps you obtain the visa for your destination country as it is compulsory to get one in many countries across the globe.

It is a wonderful idea to buy international travel insurance ahead of your journey as it will keep you prepared and protected against any adversities that you may encounter during your trip. It will also prevent your trip from getting interrupted due to an emergency and help you enjoy every moment of your trip. Besides you cannot obtain a visa for the country you want to visit without travel insurance if its a mandatory requirement as per the laws of that country.

International travel insurance covers a variety of risks that an insured traveller may come across during their overseas trip. Some of these risks are medical expenses, dental expenses, trip delay, personal accident, trip cancellation & curtailment, medical evacuation, missed connection flight, delay or loss of check-in baggage, flight delay, repatriation of mortal remains, loss of passport, personal liability, emergency financial assistance, flight hijack, daily hospital cash and many more.

You can buy international travel insurance anytime before you commence your overseas trip from India. But since travel insurance is a mandatory pre-requisite to obtaining a visa for some countries, you should purchase the travel insurance policy before you apply for the visa for your destination country.

No. You cannot buy travel insurance after starting your overseas trip from India.

Yes. You can fly overseas without travel insurance. However, you will not be allowed to enter the country where it is mandatory for all foreign nationals to possess an international travel insurance policy.

Most domestic health insurance policies do not cover any medical expenses incurred during your international trip. You need to check with your health insurer if they provide coverage during your overseas trip. However, it is wiser to purchase international travel insurance to stay covered for any medical expenses that you may incur during your trip abroad.

No. You cannot buy an international travel insurance policy if you have already started your trip and reached overseas. However, you can check individual travel insurers to know if they have such provisions.

Many insurance companies allow people to buy international travel insurance at least 18 months before their scheduled date of travel. However, you should check with the insurance company to know exactly how early can you buy a travel insurance policy.

Yes. You can buy international travel insurance at the time of booking your flight tickets.

Yes. The premium for an international travel insurance policy has to be paid only once at the time of purchasing the policy. You will not get an option of part payment or monthly instalments when it comes to making premium payment of travel insurance.

No. You cannot buy travel insurance on the day of your travel from India. You need to purchase international travel insurance at least a day before your scheduled date of departure.

All international travel insurance are immediately processed. You can receive your policy document within hours of submitting your travel insurance form and making the premium payment.

Buying international travel insurance offer a lot of benefits to the insured travellers. Take a look at the various benefits offered by international travel insurance:

1. Emergency medical treatment and assistance

2. Cover for trip cancellation & curtailment

3. Baggage loss cover

4. Coverage against personal liability

5. Protection against loss of important documents

6. Daily hospital cash allowance

7. Ensures repatriation of mortal remains

8. Hijack distress allowance

9. Personal accident cover

10. Emergency financial assistance

You can buy travel insurance not later than the day before your scheduled date of departure from India.

Yes. An international travel insurance policy covers the cost of airfare in case an emergency or eventuality leads to delay, cancellation or curtailment of your trip. It also compensates the cost of airfare if you end up buying tickets for another flight due to delay in inward flight arrival and missed connection flights.

No. As of now, none of the insurance companies in India covers denial of a visa as a covered reason under international travel insurance.

Yes. Almost all international travel insurance policies offer coverage against trip cancellation due to any unavoidable reason or emergency.

No, it is not mandatory to buy travel insurance for your international trip. However, many countries like the Schengen states, Australia and Cuba have made it compulsory to possess a valid international travel insurance/ medical travel insurance to enter their borders.

All countries around the world accept/ recognise international travel insurance policies purchased by reputed insurance companies in India.

Yes. Many insurance companies offer international travel insurance if you are travelling overseas on a work visa. However, you should check with your insurer if they cover people travelling abroad for work or not.

Yes. Most insurance providers allow people to buy international travel insurance even if you have an immigration visa. You only need to confirm with your travel insurer if they offer one-way travel or not.

An Emergency Assistance Service provider/ Third Party Administrator is a third party company that offers services and assistance to the insured travellers overseas on behalf of their travel insurers. Many emergency assistance providers also settle claims on behalf of the travel insurance company.

No. Each traveller can be issued only one international travel insurance for a single overseas trip.

Yes. It is mandatory for all travellers to be in India at the time of buying an international travel insurance policy.

No paperwork is required to buy international travel insurance in India. You can apply for the insurance online and get a soft copy of your policy document on your email.

You can cancel your international travel insurance by providing policy information, a letter stating the reason for cancellation as well as a photocopy of the passport. You may also have to pay the cancellation charges.

You will be entitled to get a refund if you cancel your international travel insurance policy. You will get –

1. Full refund if you cancel the policy before the start date of risk period

2. Partial refund deducting the cancellation charges if cancelled after the policy risk start date

3. Remaining premium amount minus the cancellation charges if the policy is cancelled after the risk start date and post your international travel

Usually, a travel insurance policy can be extended once before the end of the policy tenure. However, the exact number of times that you can extend your policy depends on your insurance company and you should confirm with your travel insurer.

Yes, you will get a partial refund if you return back to India earlier than scheduled. You will get the remaining amount of your premium after deducting the cancellation charges.

Most insurance providers allow travellers to buy an international travel insurance policy for a maximum of 180 days. However, the number of days can vary from one insurance provider to another. It also depends on the type of international travel insurance policy you want to purchase. You can check with your travel insurer to know the exact number of days for which you can buy an international travel insurance policy.

In case you meet with an accident during your overseas trip and get injured or suffer a loss, you will be covered up to your sum insured amount by your travel insurance policy. All your medical expenses including hospitalization expenses and pharmacy bills will be covered by your travel insurer. If there is a need to shift you to another hospital, the ambulance expenses will be covered by your insurer. If unfortunately, you suffer from total permanent disability or die as a result of the accident, you or your family will be adequately compensated for the loss by your insurance company. Moreover, your insurer will also cover cremation expenses abroad and also repatriate the mortal remains back to India.

Yes, you can extend your international travel insurance up to the maximum number of days allowed under your policy tenure.

An international travel insurance policy covers the following kinds of risks:

1. Medical risks– Medical expenses, emergency evacuation, repatriation of mortal remains, dental treatment expenses, personal accident, accidental death & dismemberment, daily hospital cash, compassionate visit, etc.

2. Travel risks– Loss of check-in baggage, delay of check-in baggage, trip delay, trip cancellation & curtailment, flight delay, missed connection flight, flight hijack, etc.

3. Other risks– Loss of passport, loss of personal documents, personal liability, home fire, home burglary, etc.

In case of a medical emergency, your travel insurer will arrange for your medical evacuation to a hospital and cover all your medical expenses including hospitalization expenses. You will be provided with compensation if you suffer any loss or total permanent disability due to the accidental injury. In case of death, your mortal remains will be sent back to India and your family will also be compensated by the insurance company.

Most insurance companies in India do not cover injuries arising out of adventure sports activities unless you purchase additional cover for adventure sports. It is best to confirm with your travel insurance how you can be covered against an injury caused due to participation in adventure activities.

If you get injured while playing a sport as leisure and not as an official sporting competition, you will be covered under the personal accident cover of your international travel insurance.

Yes. The cost of your dental treatment incurred during your trip abroad will be covered by your international travel insurance.

 If you lose your passport during your overseas trip, the actual cost of obtaining a duplicate or new passport will be covered by your travel insurance company. But your insurer will not cover the expenses if your passport has been –

1. confiscated by the customs or police authorities

2. left unattended in a public place

3. stolen but you haven’t lodged a police complaint within the first 24 hours of the occurrence of the event

If your check-in baggage doesn’t clear on time and is delayed for then 12 hours, you will be entitled to reimbursement by your travel insurance company. Any expenses that you incur on necessary items of personal needs such as clothes, medicines, toiletries, etc will be reimbursed by your insurer.

No. In case you lose your handbag or any of the hand baggage, you will not be covered by your travel insurance provider.

If you get injured while travelling on a ship or train during your overseas trip, you will be covered under the accidental death & dismemberment by common carrier cover. This cover includes accidental injuries or loss caused while travelling in any of the common carriers i.e. any means of public transport.

If you meet with an accident abroad while driving a hired car, you will be covered under the personal liability cover. In case you cause accidental damage or injury to a third party property or person, your legal liabilities will be covered by your insurance provider. In case you also sustain injuries during the accident, all your medical expenses will be covered by your international travel insurance policy.

 In case of a sudden illness during your overseas trip, you will be able to avail cashless treatment facility if you are hospitalized in a network hospital of your insurer. Your insurance provider will cover all your medical expenses including hospitalization expenses, daycare expenses, cost of medicines, etc. It will also provide you with daily hospitalization cash if you are hospitalized for more than a certain number of days.

No. Financial emergency cash assistance can be availed only if you have been robbed off your belongings. No financial assistance will be provided if you overspend on the trip and are short of cash.

Yes. You will be entitled to a hijack distress allowance as compensation if your flight gets hijacked for more than 12 hours.

In case your flight is delayed for more than 12 hours than the scheduled time, you will receive a reimbursement for the loss or additional expenses incurred.

If you opt for the home burglary insurance cover, you will be compensated for any loss of valuables incurred due to burglary at your house back in India.

No. Most insurance companies in India do not cover pregnancy-related expenses or treatment cost of any illness arising due to pregnancy.

Yes. In case you sustain an injury on the last day of your overseas trip and get hospitalized to receive treatment, your international travel insurance policy will automatically get extended for another 30 days. This extension is possible only if flying back to India is not possible and the same has been conveyed to the emergency assistance provider at the earliest.

If the insured sustains an injury during his overseas trip and dies after getting back to India, his travel insurance company will compensate his family only if the death occurs within 12 months of getting back to India.

 Yes, certain conditions or expenses are not included in an international travel insurance policy. Take a look at when the expenses are not covered under the policy:

1. If no police complaint after 24 hours of the loss of passport

2. Treatment expenses incurred on pre-existing diseases

3. Treatment expenses arising due to mental disorders, depression, alcohol or drugs influence, venereal diseases, HIV AIDS, etc.

4. Treatment expenses on suicide or attempt to suicide

5. If travelling overseas to receive medical treatment

6. If travelling against the suggestion of your doctor or healthcare provider

7. Treatment of injuries caused due to war or acts of war or nuclear explosion

8. There can be other exclusions depending on the insurance provider. You should verify the exclusions that are not covered under your travel insurance plan.

No. International travel insurance cannot be extended to cover any trip within India. You will have to purchase a domestic travel insurance plan to cover your domestic travel.

No. Your international travel insurance policy will not be cover any expenses of obtaining a new passport if you lose your passport in India.

There are several modes of paying the premium for international travel insurance. Some of the most common modes of payment offered by insurance companies in India are –

1. Payment via debit card, credit card or net banking

2. Payment at a branch of an international travel insurance

3. Free pickup of cheque

4. IVR payment

You should decide the scope or extent of your international travel insurance policy on the basis of your financial needs. It is important to consider the duration of the trip, age of travellers, number of travellers and the destination of travel before deciding the sum insured for your travel insurance policy.

The amount of premium that you will have to pay for your international travel insurance depends on factors such as age & the number of travellers, your travel destination as well as the duration of the extended trip.

No. You will not get any discounts at the time of payment of premium.

 In order to register a claim during an emergency abroad, you can follow the steps given below:

1. In case of a cashless claim:

2. Intimate the Emergency Assistance provider about the eventuality

3. Request pre-authorization letter from the insurer

4. The insurer will send the pre-authorization after verifying the claim

5. Receive treatment for your injury/ illness

6. Get discharged from the hospital

7. The hospital bills will be settled directly by the insurance company

In case of reimbursement claim:

1. Inform the Emergency Assistance Provider regarding the eventuality at the earliest

2. Arrange all the supporting documents required

3. Submit the supporting documents

4. The reimbursement amount will be credited into your bank account/ by cheque if the claim is approved

No. There is no specified time frame to file a claim after an accident occurs abroad. However, the Emergency Assistance Provider should be informed and the claim should be registered by the insured traveller at the earliest.

In case you were hospitalized at a network hospital of your insurer, you will not have to pay any medical bills as it will be settled directly by the insurance company. But if you are were hospitalized in a non-network hospital, you will have to pay the bills at the hospital. You can claim the amount paid at the hospital by filing for a reimbursement claim.

The time taken to settle a claim varies from one insurance provider to another. You should consult your insurance provider to know exactly how much time will it take to settle a claim.

No. An international travel insurance policy does not cover treatment for any pre-existing diseases.

 In case the insured traveller is unable to return to India on or before the expiry of his policy due to hospitalization, his international travel insurance policy will be extended to up to 30 days. Don’t forget to inform the Emergency Assistance Provider regarding your hospitalization and that you are unfit to travel back to India.

In case you have to take a dental treatment during your overseas trip, follow the steps given below:

1. Visit the dentist and receive the treatment

2. Pay the bills after receiving the treatment

3. Register a claim with the insurance provider

4. Submit all the supporting documents along with all the payment receipts

5. Receive the reimbursement amount in your bank account/ by cheque

Yes. You can register a travel insurance claim within 30 days of getting back to India or date of policy expiry. Nonetheless, all insured travellers are recommended to register an insurance claim with the insurer as soon as possible.

The reimbursement amount for all claims are generally paid in Indian rupees. In the case of claims related to emergency financial assistance, the amount will be paid in the local currency of the country, which the insured is visiting.

The mode of reimbursement payment may be different for different insurance providers. You should contact your insurer to know whether the reimbursement amount will be paid by cheque or directly in your bank account.

In case of an emergency abroad, immediately contact the Emergency Assistance Provider of your insurance provider and inform them about the incident.