Do I need worldwide travel insurance?
You’ve booked your flights, and the countdown is underway – but what happens when your journey stretches beyond Europe?
Once you cross the EU border, your Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) won’t be accepted. A hospital day stay in California could cost over $4,000. And some destinations, including Thailand and the UAE, have added another twist by asking travellers to prove they can fund treatment before they’ll stamp a passport.
While travel insurance isn’t legally necessary in most countries, an Avanti worldwide policy can keep even the biggest holiday hurdles in check. Our Deluxe cover includes up to unlimited emergency medical support, £7,500 cancellation protection, and no excess. What’s more, your insurance certificate doubles as instant proof of funds at the border.
Get your quote
Top tip: what countries does worldwide travel insurance cover?
With Avanti’s worldwide holiday insurance, you can pick from any spot on the map – as long as it’s not been marked unsafe by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
We offer two different policy levels for globetrotters:
Worldwide excluding USA, Canada, Caribbean, Bermuda, Mexico, Thailand, China and Hong Kong
Includes 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 including USA, Canada, Caribbean, Bermuda, Mexico, Thailand, China and Hong Kong
Covers all countries of the world.
What does worldwide travel insurance cover?
Here’s a quick look at when your policy will and won’t apply. If you’re not sure how any of these points might affect you, our friendly team can talk them through over the phone and help you understand what your cover includes.
We can usually help if you…
- have to cancel your trip or come home early
If illness, injury or bereavement means you can’t travel or need to cut your holiday short, we’ll help with the costs you can’t get back.
- need emergency medical treatment abroad
If you fall ill or get injured overseas, we’ll cover hospital treatment, ambulance transport and – if needed – medical repatriation, with help from our 24-hour assistance team.
- lose your bags or passport
If your baggage, valuables or travel documents are lost or stolen, we’ll help you replace essentials so you can carry on with your trip.
- are disrupted by bad weather or strikes
If your flight or connection is delayed because of unexpected bad weather, strike action or a vehicle breakdown, we’ll help cover reasonable travel or accommodation costs to get you where you need to be. (This doesn’t apply if the strike or disruption was already public knowledge when you booked your trip).
- are delayed on your journey (Classic and Deluxe)
If your flight or ferry is delayed for 12 hours or more, you’ll get a fixed payment to help with the inconvenience.
- can’t stay in your accommodation (Classic and Deluxe)
If a fire, flood or major power cut means you can’t stay in your hotel or apartment, we’ll help arrange and pay for somewhere else.
- are admitted to hospital while abroad (Classic and Deluxe)
If you’re kept in hospital overnight, we’ll pay a daily benefit to help with small personal costs while you recover. (If you’re injured in a mugging, an extra payment may also apply).
- are delayed by volcanic ash (Deluxe only)
If a volcanic ash cloud grounds your flight for more than 12 hours, you’ll receive a fixed payment to help with the delay.
- accidentally cause injury or damage
If you unintentionally injure someone or damage their belongings, your policy includes personal liability protection.
- are injured in an accident abroad
If you need legal help after being injured overseas, we’ll cover your legal costs, so you’re not left to manage it alone.
Cover won’t apply if you…
- haven’t told us about a medical condition
If you don’t declare a pre-existing condition, or if your health changes before you travel and you don’t update your policy, we won’t be able to cover related claims.
- travel against UK Government or medical advice
There’s no cover if you travel somewhere the UK Foreign Office has advised against, or if your doctor says you shouldn’t travel for medical reasons.
- have an accident because of alcohol or drugs
We can’t cover claims if alcohol or drugs directly or indirectly contribute to an accident, injury or loss.
- miss a flight because of personal delays
If you don’t leave enough time to reach the airport or check-in, we can’t pay for missed flights or connections.
- leave belongings unattended
There’s no cover if something is lost or stolen after being left unattended – for example, on a sunbed, in an unlocked car or in a public place.
- are travelling for arranged medical treatment abroad
Travel insurance is designed for unexpected illness or injury, not for medical procedures, tests or check-ups arranged before you go.
- booked during a known strike or disruption
If strike action or travel problems were already public knowledge when you booked, your policy won’t apply to those delays or cancellations.
- take part in an activity that isn’t covered
Some higher-risk activities – such as certain winter sports – aren’t automatically included unless you’ve added the right optional cover.
- are waiting for a medical procedure
If you’re awaiting an operation or follow-up test, cancellation and curtailment claims won’t be covered unless it’s an accepted procedure shown on your validation certificate.
Top tip: remember, GHIC cover won’t cover most worldwide destinations
A GHIC card might help in Spain, but it won’t cover a hospital bill in Florida, Bali or Mexico, which can often top tens of thousands of pounds.
Keep the card for European trips, but rely on your worldwide travel insurance for everything else, from emergency care to an air ambulance home, which GOV.UK estimate could cost in excess of £150,000 from a destination like the USA.
Travelling with a medical condition?
97% of customers who declare a condition are offered cover with us. In fact, since 2014, we’ve helped more than 1.3 million travellers arrange cover for over 1,300 medical conditions (subject to screening) – from high blood pressure and diabetes to cancer and heart disease.
In the rare event we can’t offer you travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions, we’ll always try to point you in the right direction. We’re proud to be listed by MoneyHelper – a government-backed money guidance service that keeps a free, independently run directory of those who might be able to help with pre-existing medical conditions.
Medical conditions we regularly cover
Heart and circulatory conditions
Travelling with a circulatory or heart condition like heart disease, high blood pressure or atrial fibrillation? You’re not alone.
Cancer
Our travel insurance policies can include cover for a wide range of cancers – including some of the most common, such as breast, prostate, bowel, lung and skin cancer.
Breathing and lung conditions
We regularly help travellers with a wide range of breathing conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, COPD and lung fibrosis.
Digestive conditions
Many Avanti travellers live with stomach and bowel conditions such as IBS, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and acid reflux.
Neurodegenerative diseases
Our policies can include protection for neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease, as well as rarer conditions such as Huntington’s disease, Batten’s disease, spinocerebellar ataxia and spinal muscular atrophy.
Mental health conditions
Travel can do wonders for mental wellbeing. If you’re managing a condition like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), we’d love to help you see the world.
Autoimmune conditions
The Avanti team regularly arrange cover for travellers with autoimmune conditions such as arthritis, lupus, Addison’s disease and multiple sclerosis. This can include conditions managed with long-term medication or those that cause occasional flare-ups.
Kidney conditions
We often help kidney patients with conditions such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), kidney stones, renal failure, nephritis and urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Back and chronic pain
Chronic pain can have many causes – including autoimmune, neurological and digestive disorders – and we understand how differently it can affect each person day to day. We often cover those with conditions such as chronic back pain, slipped discs, sciatica, fibromyalgia and other long-term pain conditions.
Allergies
Allergies shouldn’t stop travel in its tracks. Whether it’s a common sensitivity or something more specific like allergic rhinitis or aspergillosis, we’ll do our best to find the right protection for your trip.
Get your quote
How to buy worldwide holiday insurance
Step 1
You can get a quote online or over the phone. We’ll start by asking a few quick questions – like whether it’s single trip or annual cover, your travel dates, destination and if you’re going on a cruise.
It’s easy to cover an individual, couple, family or group of up to nine travellers online (or up to 30 by phone).
Step 2
Next, we’ll go through a few details about your health over the past two years – including any diagnoses, symptoms, tests or treatment.
Step 3
Once you’ve shared your details, we’ll talk you through your quote, whether online or over the phone. You can choose your level of cover, add any extras and confirm your policy there and then.
You’ll get instant access to your policy documents in My Avanti, where you can view, download or update your details any time.
Get your quote
Planning a cruise?
Our Classic or Deluxe cruise cover can protect your nautical adventures against missed port departures, cabin confinement, itinerary changes, and more. And because nobody wants to be underdressed at the captain’s table, we’ll even pay up to £100 for emergency evening wear, if yours don’t make it on board. Just let us know you’re cruising when you get a quote.
When to buy worldwide travel insurance
Bigger trips need proper protection. Flights to Australia, a rail pass across Japan or a villa in Barbados are often paid for six months, sometimes a full year, in advance. That’s a long window for things to wobble: airlines can fold, new strikes can be announced – even a routine GP visit could uncover an illness that keeps you grounded.
MoneySavingExpert’s Martin Lewis calls the smart move ASAB – or buying As Soon As You Book. Activate your Avanti world travel insurance the same day you drop that first deposit, and every holiday pound is shielded from the get-go. Wait, and any hurricane warning or new diagnosis that crops up before you add cover may sit outside your policy.
How much is worldwide travel insurance?
Worldwide holiday insurance usually costs more than a hop to Europe for one simple reason: distance makes for more risk. In the USA, a single night in standard intensive care can top $6,500. An air ambulance back across the Atlantic can reach six figures once medical crew, fuel stops and permits are added. Your premium reflects those possibilities, but it’s still a fraction of the bills it could shield you from.
Five main things shape the price you’re quoted:
- Destination zone – policies that include the USA, Canada and the Caribbean need to be ready to cover the world’s highest medical bills, so they are usually a bit pricier.
- Trip length – more days abroad mean more opportunity for something to derail your itinerary.
- Age – your policy price might go up a bit with age, but you’ll never be turned down because of a birthday. We’re proud to cover travellers of any age.
- Pre-existing medical conditions – your policy needs to be ready to support you should any pre-existing conditions land you in trouble abroad.
- Cover level – choosing a Deluxe policy usually means a more expensive quote, but eliminates the excess and unlocks unlimited medical protection, which can be priceless when hospital fees spiral.
How to get cheaper travel insurance for worldwide holidays
Holiday insurance covering the whole world isn’t usually as light on the wallet as a quick hop to Europe, yet there are smart ways to keep it reasonable before you click ‘buy’:
- Trip duration – shorter trips usually cost less to insure because there’s less time for something to go wrong.
- Destination – some places are more expensive to insure than others. The USA, Canada and the Caribbean have some of the world’s highest medical costs, while Europe and the UK are often cheaper to cover.
- Policy level – Avanti offers three levels of cover – Essentials, Classic and Deluxe. Essentials is the most cost-effective option for travellers looking to keep things simple.
- Luggage cover – think about what you really need to take with you. Packing lighter and setting a lower luggage limit on your policy can bring the cost down.
- Excess – a higher voluntary excess means a lower premium. Just make sure it’s an amount you’d be comfortable paying if you claim.
- Discounts – it’s also worth checking our current offers before you buy. You can find the latest Avanti discount codes on our discounts page.
Avanti pays when it matters most
We know how important it is to feel confident that your claim will be handled quickly and fairly.
Between February 2024 and July 2025, our customers received more than £31 million, with over 18,000 claims settled.
You can expect to hear from our claims team within five working days of submitting your claim, and in most cases, Avanti strives to make a decision within five days of receiving your documents.
That’s one of the reasons Avanti has been awarded Best Insurance Customer Service by the Personal Finance Awards (2025).
Winner 7 years running: Best Travel Insurance
Our Best Travel Insurance award (Personal Finance Awards, 2018-2025) is based on the experiences of real people who travel with us. They’ve trusted us to help when plans change, flights are cancelled or medical emergencies happen abroad.
From updating policies to arranging hospital care or getting someone home safely, we do what good travel insurance should do – put things right.
Does worldwide travel insurance cover flight cancellations?
If illness, injury or a bereavement forces you to abandon your trip, or severe weather suddenly grounds your flight, your Avanti world travel insurance can step in to reimburse the non-refundable costs. However, the problem must be unexpected and not known about when you buy your policy and pay for the tickets. That’s why it’s often best to buy your travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday.
When the airline itself pulls a service for operational reasons, its own refund or re-routing duties come first. Under air-passenger regulations, they must offer a refund or an alternative flight. Once you’ve explored those options, your Avanti policy picks up the extra bills the carrier won’t cover, like unused hotel nights and new onward connections. Our Classic and Deluxe policies also pay a set benefit for every full 12-hour delay or missed connection.
Does worldwide insurance cover travel disruptions such as war/conflict, hurricanes, earthquakes or wildfires?
If a hurricane, wildfire, earthquake or flood erupts after you’ve booked and the FDCO advises against ‘all but essential’ travel, all Avanti policies let you claim back your cancellation costs – as long as the event was unforeseen and cropped up after you bought your policy. Classic and Deluxe also add catastrophe cover, paying to move you on or rehouse you if your accommodation becomes uninhabitable.
Like almost every insurer, however, we can’t cover claims that come directly from war or civil unrest, and travelling against FCDO ‘no travel’ advice voids a policy altogether. If trouble flares while you’re already abroad, we should be able to extend your existing cover until you can come home, and your airline must still arrange the safest possible route back.
Check the FCDO site before you book, keep an eye on it as departure nears, to know exactly where you stand.
Does worldwide travel insurance cover winter sports?
Jetting down the world’s best ski slopes in the USA, Japan or beyond? Our winter sports cover can protect you from the unexpected while skiing or snowboarding, ski touring, sledging, snowshoeing, snow cat skiing, tobogganing and more.
Our cover includes:
- Loss, theft or damage of your own winter sports equipment
- Loss, theft or damage of ski pass
- Piste closure
- Avalanches or landslides
- Search and rescue
- Physiotherapy
If you have a medical emergency while skiing, we can cover your air evacuation, medical expenses, and repatriation back home if needed (up to policy limits). Our winter sports cover can be added to all our single-trip policies and is already included in our Classic or Deluxe annual multi-trip policies, covering you for a total of 17 fun-filled days on the slopes.
Hear it from our happy travellers…
“Best worldwide travel for seniors. Just purchased worldwide travel insurance for seniors, annual package. Did lots of research, and this was by far the best value for the most comprehensive cover. Several medical issues, nothing too major, but all covered so I can travel knowing all is well. Form filling very straightforward too. Now I just don’t want to have to make any claims!””
Lynne, 10 February 2026
“Excellent, competitive pricing. After registering online for an annual, worldwide, including cruise quote, I received a telephone call from Grace. She was professional and friendly. My online quote was reduced by 20%. I explained I wanted to think about it, so she suggested she ring me back at a convenient time. I had already checked out the reviews for Avanti and knew they were a reputable company. Grace explained everything, answered my queries. The whole experience was easy. I got the travel insurance I wanted at a really good price in comparison to all the other insurance companies I had checked out. Fully covered for every eventuality. Thank you Grace.”
Pat, 13 November 2025
“I spoke to Brian today. He made booking my worldwide insurance bearable (the actual quote arrived at was very fair).
But more importantly, he made the procedure of booking my insurance a pleasure. He was clear, concise, and friendly. You are a credit to Avanti Travel Insurance.
No wonder you are one of Martin Lewis’s recommended insurers for over 70’s with pre-existing medical conditions…”
Susan, 6 August 2025
