This page explains how our travel insurance works, including key policy definitions and cover limits. For full details, always check your policy wording booklet and validation certificate.
Quick definitions
What’s the definition of a couple for travel insurance?
Thinking about taking a policy for you and your partner? For travel insurance purposes, a couple is defined as:
- you and your wife, husband, civil partner or partner
- living together in a relationship at the same address
This applies regardless of gender.
What’s the definition of a family for travel insurance?
A family is defined as:
- you and your wife, husband, civil partner or partner who lives with you in a relationship for at least six months at the same address, regardless of gender
- your unmarried dependent children (including adopted, fostered and step-children) under the age of 18, or under the age of 21 if in full-time education
- children must live in the same household, including children living away from home in full-time education
What’s the definition of a single parent family for travel insurance?
A single parent family is defined as:
- one adult
- all of their unmarried dependent children (including adopted, fostered and step-children) under the age of 18, or under the age of 21 if in full-time education
Children must live in the same household, including children living away from home in full-time education.
What is IPT?
IPT stands for Insurance Premium Tax. It’s a government tax charged at a rate of 20% and is included in all Avanti prices.
What does repatriation mean?
Repatriation means returning you to your country of origin. If you have a medical emergency while abroad, travel insurance with repatriation cover can cover the costs of bringing you home.
Who and what can be covered?
Can I buy a group travel insurance policy?
You can buy a group travel insurance policy online for up to 9 people. If you’re travelling as a larger group, our sales team will be happy to help over the phone.
Do you have a maximum age limit?
Avanti offers travel insurance for all ages on both single trip and annual policies. The length of time you can travel depends on your age at the time of policy purchase.
Can Avanti insure people under age 50?
Yes. Avanti offers cover for all ages across both single trip and annual multi-trip policies. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult over the age of 18 for the duration of the trip.
Does travel insurance cover business or voluntary work?
Avanti travel insurance policies don’t cover any type of business or voluntary work.
Is hitchhiking covered?
Unfortunately, Avanti is unable to provide cover for hitchhiking.
Annual multi trip
Does an annual policy cover trips within the UK?
Yes, trips within the UK are covered provided you have a minimum of two consecutive nights in paid pre-booked accommodation. Please read our policy terms and conditions regarding the sections of cover which apply when travelling in the UK.
Can I travel separately on an annual policy?
Yes, adults travelling on an annual travel insurance policy may travel independently. Children can travel independently too, just as long as they’re accompanied by a responsible adult over the age of 18.
Do I need to tell you every time I travel on an annual policy?
No, you don’t need to tell us each time you travel on an annual policy. However, you do need to make us aware of any change in your circumstances that happens after the policy has been issued and before you travel.
What countries are covered by my annual policy?
When purchasing your annual policy, you’ll be required to provide information regarding the countries you intend to visit. Our annual policies offer 5 levels of cover:
- UK only: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man
- Europe Excluding: Cyprus, Egypt, Greece (including the Greek Islands), Malta, Morocco, Spain (including the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands), Turkey and Tunisia – All countries listed in “UK Only” plus Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, the Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal (including Azores and Madeira), Republic of Ireland, Romania, the Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the Vatican City.
- Europe Including : Cyprus, Egypt, Greece (including the Greek Islands), Malta, Morocco, Spain (including the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands), Turkey and Tunisia – All countries listed in “Europe Excluding” plus Cyprus, Egypt, Greece (including the Greek Islands), Malta, Morocco, Spain (including the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands), Turkey and Tunisia.
- Worldwide Excluding: USA, Canada, Caribbean, Bermuda, Mexico, Thailand, China and Hong Kong – All countries of the world EXCEPT: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, St Barthelemy / St Barts, St Croix, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Maarten/St Martin, St Pierre and Miquelon, St Thomas, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, the United States of America, Virgin Islands (UK), Virgin Islands (US).
- Worldwide: All countries. We don’t provide cover to those countries or parts of countries where the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), or World Health Organisation (WHO) have advised against all, or all but essential travel
Sports cover
Scuba diving conditions
Qualified divers diving with a qualified dive-buddy and in line with the guidelines of the relevant diving organisation, are covered as follows:
| Qualification | Maximum depth |
|---|---|
| PADI Open Water | 18 metres |
| BSAC Ocean Diver | 20 metres |
| BSAC Sports Diver, BSAC Dive Leader & PADI Advanced Open Water | 30 metres |
Other qualifications may be accepted but must be declared prior to travel.
If you don’t hold a diving qualification, cover applies to a maximum depth of 18 metres when accompanied by a qualified diving instructor as part of an accredited course.
You won’t be covered if you travel by air within 24 hours of scuba diving.
Whale watching
Whale watching is included in our cover. However, personal liability and personal accident cover are not provided for this activity.
Winter sports cover
Do you have an age restriction for winter sports travel insurance?
For annual comprehensive policies winter sports cover is available for all ages.
On a single trip policy, winter sports cover must be added as an optional extra.
Does my annual policy cover me for skiing?
Yes, if it has been approved and is shown on your validation certificate.
Winter sports cover is:
- included by default on Classic and Deluxe annual multi-trip policies
- limited to a maximum of 17 days per year
Essentials policies don’t provide cover for skiing or winter sports.
Is off-piste skiing covered?
Yes, off-piste skiing is covered as long as:
- you’re under the supervision of a professional guide
- you’re skiing within a recognised ski resort
- you’ve chosen a policy that includes winter sports cover
Travel disruption and cancellations
How can travel insurance help with travel disruption?
When faced with travel disruption that affects your holiday, your first port of call should be to contact your holiday providers. Travel insurance can help if your travel providers can’t.
Travel providers, like airlines and cruise lines, should offer you a refund or the chance to change the dates you travel if they cancel your booking.
If the dates you’re due to travel change, remember to update your travel insurance policy. You can amend your Avanti policy easily in your My Avanti account. Remember if you’re changing your travel dates, you’ll need to do this before you were meant to travel.
What if my travel provider can’t help?
If you’ve contacted your travel providers and they can’t help rearrange your travel or offer a refund, you may be able to file a ‘chargeback claim’ with your bank (only if you paid using a credit card).
If you’ve tried both of these options without any luck, you may be able to claim on your travel insurance.
Can I be covered for strikes?
You should be covered if strikes affect your travel plans, as long as the strike wasn’t common knowledge when you booked your trip or took out your policy (whichever was later).
Find out more about how strikes and travel delays are covered by your Avanti Travel Insurance by viewing the policy documents or visiting our claims page.
What if my flight is cancelled?
If your flight is cancelled and neither your travel provider nor your bank can help, you may be able to claim on your travel insurance.
Cover often differs between outgoing and return flights, so make sure to check your policy documents.
Trip limits and restrictions
What is the maximum trip duration?
Maximum trip duration varies by age, destination and policy type.
Single trip travel insurance
Covers trips of up to 104 days. Cover may be extended up to 550 days with long stay travel insurance, depending on age and destination.
Annual multi-trip travel insurance
Covers all trips taken in a year, provided your total travel does not exceed 183 days. The maximum length of any one trip is:
- 50 days if you’re aged 70 or under (this can be increased for one trip with an additional premium)
- 35 days if you’re aged 71 or over
How many times can I travel on my annual policy?
You can take an unlimited number of trips, as long as you don’t exceed 183 days in total, with a maximum trip duration of 35 or 50 days depending on your age.
What are my trip limits?
Trip limits or trip duration (the amount of time you can spend abroad) can vary. To find your personal trip limits, log into your My Avanti account and take a look at your policy documents to see what you’re covered for.
Single trip policies: Cover applies for the duration of your trip as stated on your validation certificate provided it does not exceed a maximum of 104 days.
Long stay policies: Cover applies for the duration of your trip as stated on your validation certificate provided it does not exceed a maximum of;
| Age | Region 1&2 | Region 3 | Region 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–65 | 550 days | ||
| 66–70 | 366 days | 276 days | 184 days |
| 71–75 | 366 days | 184 days | 123 days |
Annual multi-trip policies
Irrespective of the number of individual trips you take in each period of cover, you must not exceed 183 days travelling.
| Age | Annual Multi-Trip | |
|---|---|---|
| 0–70 | Maximum 50 days in any one trip* | 183 days in total* |
| 71+ | Maximum 35 days in any one trip | |
*If you’re aged 70 or under, you can increase your 50-day trip duration limit to 90 days for one trip, when an additional premium has been paid and this is shown on your validation certificate.
Trips solely within your home country are only insured if you’ve pre-booked at least two consecutive nights of paid accommodation.
Medical and dental cover
Do you cover dental emergencies abroad?
We cover emergency dental treatment if it’s for the immediate relief of pain only. We also cover emergency repairs to dentures or orthodontic appliances where this is needed to reduce distress when eating. For more information on the Avanti terms and conditions, please take a look at our policy documents.
How much cover do you offer for medical emergencies and repatriation?
You can choose between three different levels of cover for emergency medical expenses and repatriation:
| Level | Emergency medical and repatriation |
|---|---|
| Essentials | Up to £5 million |
| Classic | Up to £10 million |
| Deluxe | Up to unlimited |
Policy changes, renewal and expiry
Can I cancel my trip?
If you want to cancel your trip without making a claim, you have two options:
- You can cancel the policy within 14 days for a full refund.
- If it’s after this period, no refund will be given, but we may be able to consider changing the dates or destination for a future trip.
If you need to claim for trip costs, you can submit a claim online here or by calling the claims team at 01403 288 122.
Am I covered for my booked holiday if my travel insurance expires before I fly?
You’ll have cover until your policy expiration date. To continue cover beyond this, we recommend opting in to auto-renewal through your My Avanti account.
If your policy expires before your trip and you don’t have any other travel insurance in place, you won’t be covered.
FDCO advice and entry requirements
Can I travel against FCDO advice?
The FCDO issues two levels of advice: against “all but essential travel” and against “all travel”. This guidance is designed to help travellers understand whether a destination is considered safe.
Advice can be issued for a range of reasons, including natural disasters or terrorism.
Travel providers base many of their services on FCDO guidance. When travel against ‘all but essential travel’ is allowed, you may still be able to get a level of cover with our European FCDO travel advice extension if you need to travel.
Most travel to destinations where the FCDO advises against “all travel” isn’t allowed.
What happens if the country I’m visiting has banned UK travellers?
If entry requirements change and you’re unable to travel, you’ll need to contact your holiday provider. They should be able to help you make alternative arrangements.
If you’re able to rebook your trip for different dates, we may be able to change your single trip policy start date, provided it’s within 24 months. These changes may incur an extra cost.
If you need to make changes to a single trip policy, please contact us before you’re due to travel.
You can also make changes to your policy at any time by visiting My Avanti. There’s no admin fee for changes made online.
