How to claim on your travel insurance policy

The insurance industry is paranoid about fraudulent travel insurance claims and may regard with the deepest suspicion any claim which does not have the necessary proof to back it up. It is therefore particularly important to take a copy of your policy – and any helpline card – when you go on holiday so that you can check what you have to do when faced with a holiday mishap. If you fail to take the action outlined in the policy guidelines, your claim will be rejected.
Waiting until you get home to see how to claim is not a good idea since it may then be too late to do what is required. It is a good idea to read through the ‘How to claim’ part of your policy before you set off so that you do not throw away any receipts and other back-up material that might be needed. Guidance on the type of back-up material you will need to provide – which depends on which part of the policy you are claiming under – is given below, but check your own policy for details of exactly what you will be expected to supply in support of any claim. You should also claim as soon as possible after getting home. If your claim is for less than the excess given in the policy, there is no point claiming.

Cancellation and curtailment

If you need to cancel your trip for medical reasons – if you or a close member of your family becomes ill, for example – you should get hold of a medical certificate from your general practitioner (or the GP of the person whose illness is causing you to cancel) before you cancel your trip. Your insurer may also require a cancellation invoice from your travel agent.
If you are curtailing your trip (cutting it short), in order to ensure your claim will be met you should contact your insurer before you pay for any travel expenses involved in getting home, and you should keep all receipts. If you are coming home early on medical grounds, you will also need a medical certificate from the local doctor which gives the reason why it is necessary for you (or your travelling companion) to return home.
If you are cancelling or cutting short your holiday because someone has died, it is likely that your insurer will ask to see a copy of their death certificate.