Travel Health Insurance: What UK Cover Includes

Travel health insurance is cover that pays for emergency medical treatment, hospital charges, ambulance fees and repatriation home if you fall ill or are injured while travelling abroad. It sits alongside the NHS rather than replacing it: the NHS treats you in the UK, but once you leave the country you are responsible for medical costs, which can run into tens of thousands of pounds without cover.

UK travellers should check a policy covers emergency treatment abroad and getting you home if you are injured or fall ill, according to Citizens Advice. Free Price Compare is a whole-of-market comparison service, not an insurer, and this is an impartial explainer, not medical advice: for any health concern, speak to your GP or call NHS 111.

Last updated: September 2026

Written by the Free Price Compare editorial team | Reviewed September 2026

What does medical travel insurance cover?

Medical travel insurance covers the cost of emergency treatment, hospital admission, ambulance charges and medical repatriation if you become ill or are injured on a trip abroad. The NHS advises that a policy should cover emergency medical treatment, hospital charges and getting you home, according to the NHS Fit for Travel guidance. Some current UK travel policies offer emergency medical cover from £5 million up to £15 million per person.. Cover usually also extends to a 24-hour emergency assistance helpline, treatment as an inpatient or outpatient, dental for pain relief, and the extra travel and accommodation costs if you need to stay longer or a relative needs to fly out to you.

Travel health insurance is not the same as private medical insurance. It handles short-term emergencies during a trip, not the ongoing management of chronic conditions or planned treatment, which are usually excluded. For routine cover of new conditions at home, our guide to health insurance for travel and what it covers explains where the two products differ.

• Emergency medical and hospital treatment abroad
• Emergency dental treatment for pain relief
• Medical repatriation to bring you home safely
• Cancellation, curtailment and missed departure due to illness
• Lost, stolen or damaged baggage and personal items

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How much does travel health insurance cost?

Travel health insurance costs vary by destination and trip length, so a week’s European quote can be a useful starting point for comparison., rising to about £40 or more for a fortnight to a long-haul destination such as the USA. Price is driven mainly by destination, trip length, your age, and any declared medical conditions. As a rough guide, single-trip cover often works out at £1 to £6 a day or 3% to 6% of the total trip cost, though the exact premium depends on your circumstances.

For medical cover at home rather than abroad, our own private medical prices are separate. Cover can start from a modest monthly price, depending on the provider, age and level of cover chosen., with WPA promotional pricing varies by age, excess and cover level, so check the provider’s current quote. across the single, couple and family examples. Premiums may vary depending on each individual’s circumstances. £22.90/month (about £5.28/week) for a 29-year-old non-smoker with Treatment Cover (£100 excess). £25.17/month (about £5.81/week) for a 35-year-old non-smoker with Treatment Cover (£250 excess). £38.58/month (about £8.90/week) for a 50-year-old non-smoker with Treatment Cover (£250 excess). All prices under WPA promotion. All include limited cancer cover and a £50,000 Treatment Cover limit per year. These are indicative UK examples; prices correct as of May 2026 and vary by individual circumstances, location, exclusions and plan terms.

Figures are indicative and may change.

Can I get travel insurance with a pre-existing medical condition?

Yes, you can get travel insurance with a pre-existing medical condition, but you must declare it when you buy the policy. A pre-existing condition is any medical condition you have already been diagnosed with, treated for, or are receiving medication for. Declaring it lets the insurer decide whether to cover it, apply an extra premium, or exclude that condition. Failing to declare a condition is the single most common reason a medical claim abroad is refused. If a standard insurer will not cover you, specialist medical travel insurers cover higher-risk conditions and ages, sometimes without an upper age limit.

The rules on declaring existing conditions apply to private medical insurance too, where insurers use either a moratorium or full medical underwriting. Our guide to private medical insurance and existing conditions explains how underwriting handles conditions you already have.

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Comparison lets you see how underwriting and excess change your price across leading UK insurers.

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What medical conditions do I have to declare?

Declarable medical conditions are any you have been diagnosed with, treated for, prescribed medication for, or are awaiting tests or results for, whether or not they currently affect you. Common examples include heart conditions, diabetes, asthma, cancer, high blood pressure, and mental health conditions. Insurers typically ask a set of screening questions, and answering them accurately is what makes your medical cover valid. If you are unsure whether something counts, declare it and let the insurer decide, since an undeclared condition can invalidate the whole medical section of a claim.

Age, recent surgery and pending investigations also affect what you need to disclose. The best way to understand exactly what a policy asks is to run through the medical screening questions during a quote, so you can see how each condition affects the price and the terms before you buy.

Do I need travel insurance for medical care in the UK?

UK residents do not need travel insurance for medical care in the UK, because the NHS provides free treatment to people ordinarily resident here. Travel insurance for the UK matters for two groups: overseas visitors who are not covered by the NHS, and UK residents taking a domestic trip who want cancellation and baggage cover. Overseas visitors are generally charged for NHS hospital treatment unless a reciprocal arrangement applies, so private travel medical insurance is the way non-residents protect themselves against those costs.

Most UK-based travel policies also require you to have been resident in the UK for at least 6 to 12 months, which is why visitors from abroad usually buy cover in their home country before travelling. For a short UK trip, £30,000 of medical cover is often too low, so higher limits are advisable if you are a visitor without NHS access.

Does a GHIC replace travel health insurance for Europe?

A GHIC does not replace travel health insurance for Europe, because it only covers state-provided healthcare and never covers repatriation home. The Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) gives UK residents access to medically necessary state healthcare in the EU on the same basis as a local, which may be free or discounted. It does not cover private treatment, mountain rescue, or the cost of flying you back to the UK, all of which travel insurance handles. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office recommends carrying both a GHIC and travel insurance for European trips.

The card that replaced the old European Health Insurance Card for most UK residents is the GHIC, though some people can still hold an EHIC. Our guide to health insurance for European travel with GHIC and EHIC sets out how the card and travel cover work together, and our European Health Insurance Card explainer covers eligibility.

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How much medical cover do I need for international travel?

Most UK insurers set medical limits of £5 million to £15 million per person, and higher limits are advisable for long-haul destinations, particularly the USA, where treatment and repatriation costs are highest. For travel health insurance international trips outside Europe, a limit of £10 million or more is a sensible baseline, because a serious accident with air ambulance repatriation can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. For short European trips, £5 million is generally sufficient when combined with a GHIC.

The single biggest cost inside any medical claim is repatriation, so check the medical section covers emergency treatment, an inpatient stay, and getting you home, not just the headline limit. UK health insurers processed a record £4 billion in private medical insurance claims in 2024, according to the ABI (published January 2026), a reminder of how quickly medical costs mount even domestically.

Single trip or annual multi-trip: which is cheaper?

Single-trip cover is cheaper if you take one holiday a year, while annual multi-trip cover is usually better value from around three trips a year. A single-trip policy covers one specific journey with fixed dates. An annual multi-trip policy covers unlimited trips over 12 months, subject to a maximum length per trip, often 31 days. If you travel several times a year, or take frequent short breaks, the annual option normally works out lower per trip and saves you buying cover each time.

Check the per-trip day limit before choosing annual cover, and confirm any longer trip or working holiday is included, as some policies exclude voluntary or paid work abroad. Families and couples can also share a policy, and a single-trip family policy can cover different return dates if you buy it to run for the whole period everyone is away.

What should I check before buying travel health insurance?

Before buying travel health insurance, check the medical limit, the excess, whether repatriation is included, and that every traveller’s medical conditions are declared. A high headline limit means little if the excess is steep or repatriation is capped. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates UK travel insurers, so a genuine policy should give you a Financial Ombudsman Service route if a claim is unfairly refused. Read the policy wording for exclusions on activities, alcohol-related incidents and undeclared conditions before you travel.

• Emergency medical and repatriation limits suit your destination
• All pre-existing conditions declared for every traveller
• Excess amount you would pay per claim, per person
• Cover for the activities you plan, such as skiing or diving
• Residency and per-trip day limits that match your plans

Comparing several policies side by side is the clearest way to see how excess, limits and underwriting change the price. Free Price Compare works with a whole-of-market panel of leading UK insurers, so you can weigh cover level against cost in one place.

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Free Price Compare has partnered with Health Window to compare health insurance options across leading UK insurers in one place, so you can see how each choice changes the price. It’s also worth reviewing your wider protection at the same time, such as critical illness cover, which pays a lump sum rather than funding treatment.

• Health Insurance for European Travel: 2026 Guide
• Health Insurance for Travel: What It Covers 2026
• GAP Insurance: What It Is & Is It Worth It in 2026?
• European Health Insurance Card: What to Know in 2026
• EU Health Insurance Card: GHIC & EHIC Explained

Information correct as of 24 September 2026. Prices, tariffs, policy details and providers change frequently, so please check the latest details before making a decision. This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice. Free Price Compare is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).