How to make sure your annual travel insurance is valid?
Buying an annual multi trip travel insurance policy can be a good idea for frequent travellers as it saves the time and hassle of buying separate policies for each trip.
An annual policy can cover all your trips in one year, but it's important to know a few rules to make sure your policy is valid, and your holidays are covered.
Get the right start date
With annual travel insurance, cancellation cover will not commence until the start date you choose for your policy.
If you already have a holiday booked and want cancellation cover to be effective immediately, choose today's date.
The start date should not be the date of your holiday, unless no cancellation cover is required.
All trips must be pre-booked and start and finish in the UK
For cover to be valid, your outward and return travel must be booked before you leave the UK and your trip must always start and finish within the UK.
Maximum trip duration
Annual travel insurance is designed for frequent travellers, as such it will cover an unlimited number of trips in one year, but there will be a limit to the length that each trip can be. The terms and conditions for your policy will include a maximum trip duration, on Good To Go policies this is 31 days.
If a trip exceeds the maximum duration, then your insurance will be void for the whole of that trip.
Example:
Mrs Brown books a trip to Rome for 20th June 2024 – 14th August 2024. This trip would not be covered under Mrs Browns annual multi trip travel insurance policy. This is because the policy wording for annual cover states that “The total duration of any one trip is limited to a maximum of 31 days and any exceeding this duration will not be covered in whole or in part (unless the required premium has been paid to increase the duration and this is confirmed in writing).” If you are looking for a travel insurance for a longer trip you will need to buy a single trip policy. Goodtogoinsurance.com can cover single trips up to 94 days.
Holidays must fall within the dates of the insurance
For cover to be valid, the start and return date of the trip must be within the dates of the policy.
Example:
Mrs Brown has an annual policy that is valid from 1st January 2024 to 31st December 2024. Mrs Brown books a 2-week holiday to the canaries from the 1st Feb 2025. This trip would not be covered under Mrs Browns annual multi trip travel insurance policy. The policy wording for annual trip cover states that “Any trips where the return date falls outside of the end date shown on the schedule of cover will not be covered.”
Cover could be arranged for the trip by booking a single trip policy.
Medical conditions
To ensure that you are properly covered by your travel insurance you need to declare any pre-existing medical conditions when you buy travel insurance.
A pre-existing medical condition is anything that you have been prescribed medication for or seen a doctor about within the last 2 years. This would include an illness you suffered from more than 2 years ago if you have seen a medical professional or had a check-up or follow-up appointment within the last 2 years, as well as medical conditions which are controlled by medication e.g. high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
If your health changes after taking out your travel insurance policy, then you must let Good To Go know of your change in health as soon as you can.
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