Travel Insurance Claims: Explained

When choosing a travel insurance policy, you’ll focus on weighing up the various benefits on offer and make a decision based on factors such as competitive pricing, value for money, and your specific trip requirements. However, arguably the most important factor to consider is what would happen in the event you did need to make a claim. It’s not something you hope you’d ever need to do, but it is something you should be prepared for.

What do I need?

The actual claims process will vary between policies, but here is what you normally require:

• All receipts and/or invoices that relate to the claim.
• Your insurance policy details – the policy schedule will show the policy number, cover level, and cover dates
• Any relevant correspondence from other providers, such as the airline you were travelling with or the trip provider

For cancellation claims:

If you intend to claim for a trip cancellation, you’ll be required to supply the following:

1. Evidence of your trip dates by way of a copy of your booking confirmation showing the date the trip was originally booked and the dates of travel.
2. A copy of the cancellation invoices for each cancelled element of the trip. These would act as evidence to confirm if any refunds have been or will be reimbursed to you and, if so, confirmation of the amount/s to be reimbursed.
3. A medical report form* completed by your usual GP, to be attached to the claim form.

* Whilst any additional medical information you are able to provide in relation to cancellation claims, such as letters and hospital papers are appreciated, we do also need the medical report form to be completed. This will ask specific questions regarding your health, the answers to which are required in order that we can confirm policy suitability and coverage.

For Medical claims

Some claims, such as for medical expenses incurred on a trip, will require other, specific documentation. The key points are as follows:

1. Medical claims will generally require receipts and/or invoices for medical expenses, as well as medical certification or copies of medical reports and scans.
2. If you do need medical care abroad, make sure either you or a trusted person contact the medical assistance team before incurring any medical costs above £500 so that these costs can be authorised. The medical assistance team with liaise with the medical facility on your behalf and arrange the most appropriate treatment. Where needed, they will also arrange for you to be brought home earlier. This process can take time, as fit to fly certificates and airline clearance will often be needed.

How much does it cost?

In the last 3 years, P J Hayman has paid out over £1.6 million in claims settlements. This figure accounts for settlements across all of our insurance products, but it can be surprising how much an individual claim costs the provider. Let’s take a look at the average settlements for our Free Spirit policy:

• The average cost of a cancellation claim: £1,843
• The average cost of a medical claim: £3,122

When choosing your travel insurance, it’s important to consider the cost of the excesses for different benefits on the policy. Just like your car or home insurance, the excess is the amount you would have to pay before a claim can be settled. This amount varies depending on the specific policy benefit being claimed for. On some policies, you may have the option to pay an extra premium on purchase to remove the excess for specified benefits.

Tips to ensure a smooth claims process

• Don’t delay – if you need to make a claim, do so as soon as you can
• Most insurers require you to submit a claim within 30 days of the event causing the claim
• Keep copies of everything and make sure you send as much information as possible with your claims form
• Be honest and thorough. The information you give on a claims form will need to be checked, so make sure it’s clear
• Some claims handlers provide an online claims process. This can speed things up as it removes the delays related to posting/waiting to receive documents

How long does it take?

The length of time it takes to settle a claim varies. It depends on which policy you’ve taken out, as different policies may have different claims handlers. It also depends on what part of the policy you are claiming for, which could range from a medical claim to compensation for a stolen laptop. For example, our Longstay & Backpacker policy had an average claims turnaround of 9 days in 2024. It is important to remain patient – providing the required documentation as soon as possible will help to speed up the claims process.

What claims are more likely?

From the data we reviewed across our policies in the last 3 years, the most common claim type was for cancellation, followed by medical. In terms of age groups, those aged 71-90 years old were most likely to make a claim for various policy benefits. However, those aged 18-49 were more likely to make a specific claim for cancellation of their trip.

This highlights that it’s always a good idea to take out travel insurance as soon as you book (ASAYB). This way, if something unexpected happens before you travel, you have cover in place if you then need to cancel the trip.

Don’t just take our word for it

We are proud to help people travel, with confidence but don’t just take our word for it. Take a look below for just some of the many reviews our claims service team have had from those customers who have had to claim. Plus see more of our Trustpilot reviews.