Travel insurance isn't an afterthought鈥攊t's the plan that pays when things go wrong. The right policy covers urgent care, evacuation, and the trip home; the wrong one can leave you with life-changing bills. This article shows what to disclose (including mental health), when to buy, the cover to insist on, and how exclusions work. One rule: tell your insurer everything, and buy as soon as you book.
The most important rule when you arrange family travel insurance is simple: disclose everything. If you're unsure whether a detail matters, include it. Even a fact that feels minor can invalidate the entire policy鈥攊nsurers can decline a claim even when the undeclared issue is unrelated to the incident.
A real-world scenario
A parent buys an annual family policy and doesn't mention that her 12-year-old was assessed for ADHD and diagnosed with anxiety a year earlier. On holiday, the child falls from a mountain horse, suffers a head injury, and needs intensive care and repatriation to Europe. The insurer refuses to pay because the anxiety diagnosis wasn't declared. The parents must find more than 鈧�500,000 for intensive care and the air ambulance. Cases like this happen; the cause is incomplete disclosure.
What to declare
Be thorough and honest about your family's health and plans. Disclose:
- All medical conditions, past and present, including mental health
- Pending tests, referrals, scans, or treatment
- Exact trip length and every country, including transit/layover countries
- Planned activities (many sports and water activities need add-ons)
- Transport you'll use, especially car/motorbike/scooter (often higher risk)
When to buy
Purchase insurance the day you book your travel. Early cover protects you if you must cancel because of a new diagnosis or other issues. Ensure cancellation cover at least matches the total trip value (flights, accommodation, tours, prepaid activities).
Minimum cover to look for
Choose a policy that includes, at a minimum:
- 24/7 emergency helpline;
- Cover for pre-existing conditions, including mental health;
- Cover for new conditions arising during the trip, including mental health;
- Emergency transport: ambulance from the scene, inter-hospital transfer, medical evacuation/air ambulance;
- Treatment in public and private hospitals;
- Medical repatriation to your home country when the local team recommends it;
- Costs for one parent/carer to stay with a hospitalised child, including accommodation and daily expenses (e.g., quarantine);
- Repatriation for all trip members if a parent dies during the trip;
- Return travel after treatment if you miss original flights;
- Evacuation or early return for civil unrest, terrorism, or natural disaster;
- Standard travel benefits: missed departures, lost baggage, stolen passports, delays, personal liability.
Read the exclusions (really)
Once you receive your documents, read the exclusions line by line. Common boundaries include:
- Unattended baggage or items left in vehicles without secure storage;
- High-risk activities without the correct add-on;
- Quarantine or pandemic delays (not always covered);
- Post-accident requirements, such as breath tests after traffic incidents;
- Police report requirements at the scene within a set time window.
If you can't meet these conditions, claims can fail even when you weren't at fault.
Alcohol and drugs clauses (teens and adults)
Ask your insurer for plain-English guidance. Some policies become problematic with any alcohol consumption; others only exclude claims when the insured is 鈥渋ncapacitated by alcohol.鈥� Clarify this in writing. If you break an arm after one beer at lunch, will coverage apply?
Finding a policy that fits
Complex medical needs? Use a specialist broker who understands family travel and pre-existing conditions. They'll match you with underwriters who routinely accept those risks and help you declare them correctly. The British Insurance Brokers' Association offers a finder tool: .
Pre-trip readiness checklist
- Save your policy number and 24/7 helpline in your phone and on paper.
- Carry a one-page medical summary per traveller (conditions, meds, allergies).
- Confirm destinations, activities, and transport match your declarations.
- Know your excess/deductible and claim time limits.
- Re-read exclusions (alcohol, unattended items, reporting rules).
What to do in a medical emergency overseas
- Get attention fast. Call for help; make noise; signal bystanders.
- Call the local emergency number and stay on the line.
- Be ready to state:
- Service needed: Police, Fire, Ambulance, Coastguard;
- What happened and how many people are involved;
- Exact location: street and number, landmark, GPS, or what3words.
- Remain on the phone until help is confirmed.
- At the hospital, contact your embassy/consulate for translators and insurer liaison.
Practice with your kids
Role-play an emergency call so they can calmly say:
- 鈥淢y sister fell from a horse.鈥�
- 鈥�25 Hill Road, near the blue hotel.鈥�
- Then stay on the line.
Common emergency numbers (Check before you travel)
- EU: 112
- USA & Canada: 911
- Barbados & Cayman Islands: 911
- Australia: 000
- New Zealand: 111
- Hong Kong: 999
- India: 112
- Japan: 110 (Police), 119 (Ambulance & Fire)
- China: 110 (Police), 119 (Fire), 120 (Ambulance)
Final pre-departure review
Before you go, verify names, dates, destinations, and medical declarations. Confirm any required screening is complete. If your plans change, tell the insurer immediately. Keep every email and receipt. If something goes wrong, call the helpline early鈥攖hey'll direct you to suitable hospitals, arrange transport, and tell you what evidence to collect.
