Travel Insurance FAQ
What are the age limit on these policies?
The upper age limit depends on the duration of your trip. We have policies such as the Navigator Plus, which has no age limit (actually 115 years) but the maximum duration is 31 days. The Silver and Gold policies can cover up to age 84 for trips up to 60 days in Europe (though 31 days maximum for Worldwide cover for ages 75 – 84 years). For longer durations in excess of 60 days, the maximum age is 59 years for Silver and Gold policies or 65 for Navigator Standard and Navigator Plus.
Am I covered for hazardous sports & pursuits?
Please read the following in detail very carefully.
Most hazardous pursuits such as tandem skydiving, bungee jumping, scuba diving, white water rafting, horse riding, surfing, windsurfing and trekking can be covered on these policies (subject to payment of the appropriate additional premium where applicable and to individual terms and conditions). Silver and Gold Long Stay policies only cover Leisure sports as standard. If you require cover for Action or Action Plus sports on a Long Stay policy, you need to select Backpacker or Standard Long Stay policies instead, additional cost and conditions will apply.
Wintersports such as skiing or snowboarding are only covered on payment of the appropriate additional wintersports premium for single trip and longstay policies; they are automatically included under annual multi-trip policies (21 days wintersports cover on Gold/Silver Annual Multi-Trip policies). Additional premiums are payable for wintersports and Action sports (plus 50% on Gold policies or 75% on Silver Short Stay and Annual Multi Trip policies) and Action Plus sports (plus 100% on Gold policies or 150% on Silver Short Stay and Annual Multi Trip policies). Action and Action Plus sports cover excludes personal liability and personal accident compensation and the medical expenses excess is increased to £200 for claims arising from participation. Backpacker and Standard Longstay policies cover a wider range of sports/activities. Sports are categorized by Activity Packs 1-8 on Backpacker Short Stray and Annual Multi-Trip policies (coming soon) or Activity Packs 1-4 on Backpacker or Standard Long Stay policies. View our Sports and Adventure policy details here
Can I extend the duration of my insurance, after I have commenced travelling?
Yes. You must make any extensions before the original term of your policy has lapsed. Cover must be continuous and we cannot backdate extensions. You must also bear in mind that if you have, for instance, an ongoing medical claim at the time the extension becomes due the insurers can refuse to extend or agree to extend only on condition that no further payments will be made relating to that particular claim. This is the main disadvantage of taking a shorter period at the outset and extending later as you run the risk of having continuing medical bills to pay yourself. Extensions are always subject to the maximum period of insurance available. For Short Stay this is 45 days, for Long Stay this is 18 months. The conditions relating to extensions are that there should be no claims pending or outstanding and no changes to your health since the original policy was taken out.
Are unused periods of insurance refundable, if I return home early?
No – If in doubt, it is better to take a shorter period of cover and extend later, if required.
Am I covered for motorcycling?
Yes, SILVER and GOLD policies cover you for motorcycling on road for up to 31 consecutive days and providing you hold an appropriate full licence and are wearing a helmet. If you require cover for touring longer than 31 consecutive days, you need our Travel Plus or Adventures policies instead – call 0161 973 6435 or email sales@navigatortravel.co.uk for a quote on these two policies. These do not restrict motorcycling on road to 31 days, subject to the same conditions. There could be significant additional cost for long distance expedition-style journeys if they involve off-road riding. Roads to not have to be tarmac, however, as long as they could be classed as the highway locally and are marked on a map. If they could not be described as such, then we class it as off-roading and there would be a high supplement and additional conditions. On our policies you are covered under all sections except for personal liability and personal accident compensation. Your medical expenses will be covered under the emergency medical expenses section.
Certain non-competitive off-road motorcycling may possibly be covered by requesting from our underwriters. They will look at each request on a case-by-case basis, but they will not cover stunts or jumping or competitive riding. Full licence is still required and conditions apply. Contact us for more information.
Can I drive a car?
Yes, though you will not be covered under the Personal Liability section for driving. This cover should be provided by the car owner or rental company. If you require European Vehicle Assistance or Car Hire Excess Reimbursement cover, we can also provide these. Please contact us for more information.
Is dental treatment covered?
Yes. The cost of emergency dental treatment to natural teeth is covered provided that it is for the immediate relief of pain only, though cover is very limited (between £100 and £500, depending on which policy you have). Cosmetic treatment and the cost of replacing or repairing false teeth or of dental work involving the use of precious metals, is not covered.
Will my contact lenses be covered?
No, spectacles are covered, but contact lenses are not.
I am travelling on a one-way ticket. Does cover cease when I reach my destination?
If you are going on a one-way trip (emigrating, or returning to your original country of residence after residing in the UK), all cover will cease 48 hours after you arrive at your final destination.
If you intend to return to your home in the UK, cover will continue, as long as you want, subject to the total duration limit of 18 months on Navigator Long Stay policies. Travelling on a one-way ticket is not, in itself, an exclusion, but duration of cover depends on your future resident status.
Can non-UK residents buy a policy?
SILVER or GOLD policies are available to UK or certain EU/EEA residents
BACKPACKER, STANDARD LONGSTAY, STANDARD, PLUS, MOTORCYCLE SILVER and MOTORCYCLE GOLD policies are only available to UK residents You must permanently reside in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands or Isle of Man and be registered with a medical practitioner in your home country to purchase these policies.
Can I pay extra to cover valuables, like a camcorder?
There is an Option for “Gadget Insurance” top-up, but this only applies to our GOLD policies (but not MOTORCYCLE GOLD). This option is only for trips up to a maximum of 90 days and offers enhanced cover for either 3 or 5 gadgets with significantly increased limits. Conditions apply.
Is there a 24-hour emergency phone number?
On SILVER & GOLD policies the nominated emergency service is provided by Global Response Limited. If you or a member of your party are hospitalised during your trip, require medical treatment that will cost more than £250 (or its equivalent in local currency) or need to travel home differently to your original plans, please notify Global Response Limited as soon as possible on +44 (0) 2920 468794.
On BACKPACKER and STANDARD/PLUS policies and MOTORCYCLE SILVER/MOTORCYCLE GOLD policies contact Emergency Assistance Facilities on +44 (0) 845 260 3260 or +44 (0) 1732 85 33 33
I’ve seen policies with unlimited medical cover – the GOLD policy only covers £10,000,000.
Unlimited medical cover is a gimmick and £10,000,000 is more than anyone is likely to need. The largest known medical claim is less than £2,000,000.
Who are the insurers and who handles claims?
Our Navigator Silver, Gold and Diamond policies are underwritten by Starr International.
Our Backpacker and Standard policies are underwritten by White Horse Ireland and managed in the UK by Travel Insurance Facilities.
For all claims other than medical emergencies, please request an appropriate claim form by telephoning the claims handlers, Claims Settlement Agencies Ltd, on 01702 427172 for Gold or Silver policies, or Travel Claims Facilities 01732 853361 for Backpacker Plus or Standard policies or Motorcycle Silver and Motorcycle Gold.
Does baggage have to be stored in the boot of a car and are my belongings covered if they are on a roof rack?
Yes, don’t leave it unattended or on view in the interior of a car. As a rule of thumb, you are expected to treat yourself and your belongings as if they were uninsured. In other words, do not take extra risks, just because you have your things insured, it may cause a problem with your claim. Please note that, even if your baggage is out of sight in the boot, there is no cover for valuables, passport or money. In other words, never leave valuables, passport or money unattended in a car, whether visible or not. Assuming the items are in a locked roof box, the insurance will pay up to the policy limits. However, valuable items, passport and money are not covered when left in a car at any time.
What are the geographical limitations on this cover? I am travelling to Australia, but are my stopovers in the Far East and USA covered?
On Silver and Gold Long Stay policies, Worldwide Excluding USA/Canada/Caribbean rates do permit stopovers in USA/Canada/Caribbean, but these regions must not be the principal destination. Time spent in USA/Canada/Caribbean must not exceed time spent elsewhere. For Silver and Gold Long Stay policies, rating is determined by where the majority of time will be spent. As you are spending more time in Australia, you will be covered to travel to America on the lower rate.
BACKPACKER & STANDARD LONGSTAY policies work differently. They have the same three geographical descriptions. The rates include a maximum of 7 days in a higher rated area. If you need longer in a higher rated area, you have the option of purchasing a stopover extension costing an additional £55, which increases the time that you can spend in a higher rated area to 31 days, or alternatively, just purchase the policy at the higher rated area price, if that is cheaper than £55 or if you need longer than 31 days in a higher rated area.
Does it cover “new for old” if I have a baggage claim?
No, an amount will be deducted in most cases for wear and tear.
What if I change my mind?
You have a 14 day cooling off period. If you find that the cover is not sufficient for your needs, you may return the policy within 14 days and obtain a full refund. After this period, premiums are non-refundable.
Does this policy cover ambulance and repatriation costs?
Yes, these charges are covered under the Emergency Medical Expenses section.
Do I have to pay the bill if I am taken ill?
You are expected to settle small bills, like prescription charges and doctors call-out fees and keep receipts for a later claim. If you are hospitalised, give your policy to the hospital and they will normally arrange with the insurers to invoice them directly.
If I lose all my baggage, can I start a claim from overseas?
You can, but bear in mind that you will be corresponding with the insurers at long range. Your family back home can deal with the correspondence on your behalf, once they have any relevant original paperwork. These cases of total baggage loss are always traumatic and very inconvenient, however fast the claim can be dealt with, so take extra care if you are carrying all your worldly goods with you.
Does the policy cover airline tickets?
The airlines have excellent systems in place for replacing lost tickets, so insurance cover is not required. At worst, you will have to pay the airline a small administration fee for replacing your tickets.
I am going away for a year, but can I return to the UK for short breaks to visit my family during the duration of my policy?
If you have paid the appropriate SILVER or GOLD longstay travel insurance premium, you are covered to return to your home country for short term visits of up to 2 weeks, as long as they are not subject to a claim. Cover is temporarily suspended for the duration of these visits.
Have I forgotten anything?
Always get a police report if you lose anything.
If you have any pre-existing medical condition, let us know and we can advise you what to do. In most cases, the insurers will give full cover at normal rates and then there will be no danger that your claim is refused because you failed to notify insurers.
Treat yourself and your belongings as if they were uninsured. Negligent treatment of possessions or alcohol and drug abuse, for example, will jeopardize your claim.
If you need to curtail your trip, say, due to your illness or to a family medical emergency back home, get clearance FIRST from the 24 hour assistance company. Do not incur additional expenses without their prior agreement.
Curtailment cover will reimburse additional costs incurred getting home, but NOT for returning abroad to resume the trip where you left off!
If you need to extend your duration of cover, DON’T leave a gap, it is easy to forget to renew, so make a diary note or something!
Always read Foreign Office advice before you leave, on the countries you are visiting. It sometimes seems like obvious commonsense advice, but there can be invaluable tips on which parts of town are the most dangerous etc.
Make sure you read the insurance wording carefully, when you get it. As with all contracts, there are important terms, exclusions and conditions that you should familiarize yourself with. We will be pleased to help with any questions you may have.
Navigator Travel Insurance Services Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) – registration number 305586
Do Navigator policies cover me for working abroad?
Silver and Gold policies can cover lighter work, such as clerical, bar, restaurant work, and light agricultural or light manual work using hand tools. Navigator Plus or Standard Longstay policies would be a better choice for other types of work, as these will cover working with animals in animal sanctuaries, heavy machinery including farm machinery and heavier manual work. However, there are a number of exclusions, even on these two policies. They will not cover you to be lifting weights in excess of 25kg, or working on ladders or scaffolding higher than two storeys, or working underground. There is no cover for Personal Liability whilst working, irrespective of whether work is paid, voluntary or charitable. Cover for additional compensation for Death, Disablement, Loss of Sight or Limb is usually excluded too, but you are covered under the Medical Expenses section for accidents in the workplace.