Last Updated on: 17th May 2024, 02:14 pm
Whether planning an exciting trip to foreign climes, visiting friends overseas, or taking a significant business trip to make the biggest pitch of your life, nobody should be travelling outside their country of origin without sufficient international travel insurance. Luckily, it is often remarkably affordable, easy to compare and obtain, and exceptionally welcome if the worst happens and you find yourself in dire straits.
International travel insurance essentials
The exact makeup of your chosen policy may have slight variations depending on the nature of your trip and any special requirements. Still, some are considered non-negotiable elements of any international travel insurance policy, and they include:
- Medical cover: Emergency treatments and other necessities
- Trip cancellation/interruption: This section of your international travel insurance policy covers any cancellation or thwarted trip outside your control.
- Theft: Even the most disciplined, cautious travellers cannot guarantee against theft; this provision ensures any loss is not permanent.
- Evacuation: Whether for medical reasons or to avoid conflicts and natural disasters, it’s nice to know you have somebody with resources waiting to offer assistance if the worst happens and it’s time to leave expediently.
- Baggage: Bags sometimes get lost or damaged beyond repair. Although this is rare in modern times, it’s still common enough that you need this protection.
- Flight delays and cancellations: The bane of any traveller’s existence; however, if you incur costs due to airline-adjusted flight times, decent international travel insurance will reimburse you.
Medical: The cornerstone of any international travel insurance policy
When we look at the range of frustrating, expensive things that can go wrong and are covered by your international travel insurance policy, none even come close to medical issues. If an emergency requires fast, effective medical treatment, the last thing you want is to be in a position where you cannot afford the cost of the best treatment. And it is no exaggeration to say that some travellers cannot afford it. Although medical treatments are never cheap, they are downright extortionate in some places you can visit. Comprehensive international travel insurance takes all the worry and expense out of the situation and allows you to focus on the reason for your trip.
Additional coverage
Most international travel insurance policies cover that core set of contingencies, but other features can be added as and when required. Specific devices or objects (especially those crucial to business presentations and less familiar items) are unlikely to be covered in the general body of the policy and may require additional coverage. At the very least, they need a conversation with your insurance provider, who might baulk at the thought of reimbursing you if your million-dollar prototype device happens to get stolen en route.
Final thoughts
We are responsible for our well-being and must take any necessary precautions. Nobody can anticipate everything that will befall them in life, but what we can do is give ourselves the best chance of making it through the experience without unnecessary discomfort or expense. Nothing is better than international travel insurance at providing that safety net.
