Allergies and skin conditions travel insurance.

Travel with confidence with travel insurance for allergies and skin conditions

When you have allergies and skin conditions you’ll want to have travel insurance that’s right for you, just in case the unexpected happens when you’re far from home.

Tell us about your pre-existing health conditions, so you can relax knowing you’re protected from the moment you take out your cover.

Flexibility to change details online

When you buy a policy from us, you can manage it yourself by logging in to your My Avanti account. Here you can:

• access policy documents
• update traveller details
• change your single trip dates (limits apply)
• renew an annual policy if you have no changes to make
• and more.

If you have questions about Covid-19 and how it affects your holiday plans, visit our Covid-19 help page.

Why letting us know about your health is important

Richard¹ needed to claim twice on his travel insurance last year and was happy with the support and swift service he received.

In March 2019, he was just about to rebook the dream cruise he’d had to cancel the year before, when he was diagnosed with a new health condition.

We were happy to cover his new condition and within hours Richard was able to go ahead and book his Golden Anniversary cruise.

Having personalised travel insurance and keeping it up-to-date is crucial. Then, like Richard, you can travel knowing you have personalised cover to take care of you, just in case something doesn’t go quite to plan.

Do I need to have had both my Covid jabs to be covered?

As long as you’ve had the vaccines you’ve been offered for Covid-19, you should be covered. If you haven’t been offered both doses yet or you’re medically exempt then you can also be covered.

If you’ve refused any doses of the vaccine or haven’t been able to have a dose you’ve been offered, you won’t be covered.

Do I need to tell you about my allergies or skin conditions when getting travel insurance?

It’s essential to let us know about any pre-existing medical conditions, We want you to travel with confidence, knowing you’re protected. If you don’t tell us and then need to claim for emergency treatment, you may not be covered.

Allergies and skin conditions affect everyone differently. You may have flare-ups of eczema or a severe nut allergy that can lead to anaphylactic shock. Which is why our policies are individual to you.

We can offer cover for these types of conditions:

• Nut allergies
• Food allergies
• Drug and other allergies
• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Cellulitis
• Other skin complaints
• Bee sting

What kind of questions will I be asked about my allergies and skin conditions?

These are some examples of the types of questions we may ask about your allergies and skin conditions:

• How many times have you been hospitalised for your condition?
• Are you being treated for your condition now?
• Are you known to be at risk of life-threatening allergic reactions?
• Have you needed hospital treatment for anaphylaxis in the past two years?
• How many unplanned hospital visits for anaphylaxis have you had in the last 12 months?

There’s no need to worry. We’ll take you through the medical screening questions at a pace that suits you, answering any questions you may have along the way.

What if I need emergency treatment during my holiday?

We want you to feel as safe as possible when you travel, so it’s important to be clear on what to do if you need emergency treatment.

Try to keep calm. You can call our medical emergency helpline 24/7, so you’ve got practical help when you need it most.

As well as finding medical assistance, we can offer help with translating information to medical staff as well as help to put your mind at ease about your claim.

Being in hospital is the last thing anyone wants on holiday. We’ll be there to support you, so you can focus on your recovery.

Are my allergies and skin conditions covered by my Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)?

If you’re planning a holiday to Europe, you’ll need to take a free GHIC (or an EHIC) as a condition of our travel insurance.

When the United Kingdom left the European Union, the GHIC replaced the EHIC as the means for accessing free or subsidised healthcare in selected European countries. Before you travel, make sure you check that your destination is covered by GHIC, just so you’re ready if you do need any emergency or necessary treatment for your allergies and skin conditions during your trip.

Remember, your GHIC is not the same as having good health conditions travel insurance. For example, it won’t cover you if you need to cancel your holiday.

Your GHIC helps reduce your medical costs where subsidised healthcare is available. If you can use your GHIC and have to pay a subsidised fee for your treatment, we’ll remove the excess fee on medical emergency claims for you.

I’ve already bought travel insurance for my allergies and/or skin condition. Do I need to tell you if my health condition changes?

You always need to update us if your health condition changes or you’re diagnosed with something new. It means you can travel with the confidence of knowing you have the right cover. If you forget to let us know of any changes to your health, this could affect the validity of your policy and any claims being accepted further down the line.

If there’s been a change in the medication you take for your skin condition, or perhaps you’ve recently been taken into hospital with a severe allergic reaction – keep us updated.